Chotto Matte, 11-13 Frith Street, London W1D 4RB

Chotto Matte, 11-13 Frith Street, London W1D 4RB

02/11/2013

www.chotto-matte.com/

She said: Not sure why but he seemed to be veering away from trying this Japanese-Peruvian in Soho but I would not have any of it. I was pleased with my resolve. Chotto Matte is an impressive space occupying a large corner in Soho. There is a trendy downstairs bar and cool, bright, confident upstairs restaurant with lots of dark wood, a long piece of graffiti art along one wall and an open kitchen. The menu offers a large choice of fusion foods for sharing. I found it difficult to choose but we settled on seven dishes that we both liked the sound of. The first four dishes came relatively quickly and were just delicious. This included a seabass ceviche which was shamefully small, yummy mushroom salad, a rather oily but tasty spring roll and impressive corn fritters. There was a respectable gap in service allowing us to prepare ourselves for a second round which again was superb and included a juicy aubergine dish that had a perfect sweet-tangy combination, succulent salmon picante and the only underwhelming dish, a plain courgette…Cutting to the chase – I loved my meal at Chotto Matte. The food was creative and moreish. Presentation and setting impressive. Service good. Prices were on the slightly higher than necessary side given the portions (making sharing best between people who know each other more intimately!) and with some dishes portion size really was just stingy. But I would come back – both for food and also to sample the great range of cocktails on offer.

He said: Chotto Matte is seriously stylish. You walk in and you feel like the coolest cat in town, and it’s in Soho: so easy to find! No need to get stressed running the gauntlet passed Dalston crack dens. For a Japanese-Peruvian restaurant there is something very New York about it: must be all that graffiti, black light, and urbane hipness. I loved all the food, but there was so little of it! The size of these sharing plates was so small that, if there’s more than two people at your table, then you had better bring your protractor and scales to figure our the sharing. Having said that, if I wasn’t thinking about cost then I wouldn’t give a damn, because it was all very tasty, and very pretty to look at. And, for once, there was a lot of choice for vegetarians. Drinks were imaginative, distinctive, and not too expensive. The ground-floor bar is a great place to hang out and knock back a few. So I would certainly come back, but my favourite Peruvian is still Ceviche, which I love as much for its food as for its no pretentious bullshit approach – a rare trait on London’s Peruvian scene.

Grain Store, Granary Square, 1-3 Stable Street, N1C 4AB

Grain Store, Granary Square, 1-3 Stable Street, N1C 4AB

26/07/2013

www.grainstore.com

She said: The ongoing transformation of the King’s Cross area is resulting in the creation of a contemporary-industrial, food and arts hub within the former warehouses and canal-side derelict buildings…Granary Square is now a great open square with balletic fountains, the University of the Arts and a number of urban chic restaurants of which Grain Store is one. The outdoor terrace was very appealing overlooking the life of the square but we decided to eat inside and enjoy the open kitchen and modern yet rustic- interior. Despite walking into an almost empty restaurant we were informed we could only have a seat at the bar; when I scoffed we were offered two seats next to each other at a long, empty communal table. As we hadn’t reserved we accepted so I was miffed when on leaving only a handful of tables were actually being used (what’s that about)? Moving on however, the food was fantastic. I had a beetroot, pickled onion and labneh starter which was light but full of flavour and I ‘tried’ some of his courgette, chick pea and prawn falafel which was extremely moreish. For mains I has the starter special of truffle risotto which was absolutely delicious and very rich so the starter portion worked perfectly as a main. The dessert menu options were equally creative but I was craving chocolate (which was absent) so we settled our bill - £45 including one beer and one juice - and went on our merry, happy way. Will definitely be back ( if seated properly).

He said: it’s pretty amazing what’s going on in Kings Cross. In the blink of an eye all the ‘character’ (ie zombie junkies, limping prostitutes, vomiting suburban clubbers, sketchy baldies clutching brown paper bags, etc.) have all been swept away and replaced with the kind of breezy, fun, and optimistic town planning that is so nice it’s almost Canadian. I know we Londoners have grown only to like things that are a struggle and/or almost good, but go check out this Brave New Corner of our old city; so different that it’s almost its own little mini state, like Christiana, in Copenhagen, minus the drugs. We hit Grain Store after sweating-up an appetite roller-skating to the oldies at the pop-up roller disco nearby(!). Grain Store, like the New Kings Cross, is bright, breezy, urbane and international – I mean, look at what I had to eat: falafels made of broad beans, courgette and prawns, followed by vegetarian merguez in a bun. Wow. This is seriously mixed-up, jabberwocky, post-modern stuff. The falafel was awesome, though the prawn was a little lost and perhaps unnecessary. The veggie merguez was a let down: the ‘sausage’ was too dry and not spicy enough, the bun also too dry, and the relish too sweet. I must have had a duff one, because there’s no way Chef would munch this and keep it on the menu.  I grew up in an area with lots of Moroccans, and gobbled a lot of these in my pre-veggie days. Merguez is like my Madeleine.  It’s unique and one of those foods that definitely deserves UNESCO protection, or whatever. Perhaps a good veggie one is an aberration, like a London where everything works. But I applaud Grain Store for the attempt, and I will try this again.

Vetiver, Chewton Glen Hotel and Spa, New Milton, New Forest, BH25 6QS

Vetiver, Chewton Glen Hotel and Spa, New Milton, New Forest, BH25 6QS

12/07/2013

www.chewtonglen.com/restaurant

She said: This was his surprise ‘slap up’ meal for his birthday. After a breathtaking bike ride through the New Forest, then competing with trucks and buses on the A337 for way longer than expected, we pedalled into this Relaix & Chateaux haven, changed into respectable clothes in the ‘powder room’ and ordered some pre-dinner cocktails from the lovely outdoor terrace overlooking the croquet lawn. The service was slow – we had to find our own drinks menus from the bar and the drinks took about 20 minutes to come but were worth the wait (I had the unconventional post-dinner drink of Espresso Martini). We were then shown to our table in a beautiful glasshouse dining room, with views overlooking the estate. Staff had a birthday card ready on the table for him which was a nice touch. I have to say, from beginning to almost the end, Vetiver was wonderful. I opted for the great value £25 three course set menu, kicking off with a heavenly red pepper and gorgonzola risotto perfectly sized for a starter; followed by a delicious fish for main and then a raspberry and white chocolate cake for dessert. As an additional surprise the waiter brought a second ‘birthday cake’ dessert for him which I ‘helped’ with – a delicious chocolate mouse cake, complete with candle. The only slight hitch was when we got the bill and a mysterious £32 had been added in relation to mythical alcohol which took some time to correct but all was well in the end making this a top, classy, lovely choice for the New Forest (just ignore the man in his towelling robe wandering aimlessly up and down the gardens outside).

He said: over the last two million years or so of human evolution a few truism have gradually gained enough axiomatic power to be carved onto stone tablets: for instance, the grass is always greener on the other side, or don’t eat the yellow snow. But in this age of ‘instant everything’ nothing is truer than that old favourite: it’s the journey not the destination. Such it was on this blessed day of my birth 2013. I had no idea where we were going for lunch that day, but getting there was spectacular, involving mountain-biking through miles of stunning English countryside, and avoiding the occasional truck. Eventually we got to Chewton Glen, a country pile turned hotel which, I believe, specializes in rooms in tree-houses. Cool, but we weren’t there for rest or midday hanky-panky, but to replenish the 2000+ calories evaporated on the ride over. I kicked things off with a chilled pea soup, and followed with a quinoa-stuffed tomato which may sound kind of 1972 and lumpy (like me) but was actually delish and absolutely gorgeous on the plate. She and Me have argued lately about whether or not to include photos on this blog. Obviously I’m firmly against, since chances are nil that you will have the same as me, but this really was something to look at: round tomato centred in a gleaming white round plate with a drizzle of vibrant green olive oil, and a scatter of top-of-the-stem basil leaves. Wow, very beautiful. Desert was a white chocolate and raspberry tart; nice. It’s not often that I’m full after lunch in this kind of place, which I was today. So, of course, what arrives next but my surprise birthday chocolate mousse (cf. Sod’s Law), which was excellent but would’ve been even nicer right after I got off my bike. I’m a big fan of country restaurants which, in my experience, try hard to do things right, to motivate everyone to get in their cars and drive miles and miles avoiding countless kamikaze cyclists to get there. Chewton Glen didn’t disappoint me or, evidently, the rest of the very full dining room.

Sushisamba, Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY

Sushisamba, Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY

12/01/13

http://sushisamba.com/location/london

She said: I needed a place for a super special occasion so opted for this recent addition to the 'impress' category of London dining and impress it did. SushiSamba is situated on the 38th floor of a city skyscraper with a dedicated lift that blasts you up as you stare out through the glass at the magnificent London skyline. You then enter a space of blonde wood and colourful lights and ceiling ornamentation which is a small bar space that winds into a vast open dining space with windows all around and a warmth and excitement set off by the furnishings inside. I had asked for a good table and was assured we had the best as we were seated overlooking breathtaking scenery beyond an outdoor terrace which, if it wasn't freezing outside, would be THE prime location to be (roll on summer).  Service was friendly and we were brought complimentary fizz to celebrate our special occasion which was a lovely gesture and set the standard for the rest of the meal which exceeded expectations. The menu is mostly a mix of tapas style dishes, offering South American and Japanese cuisine. Let's be clear, the prices here are special occasion or expense account prices (or for people with offshore accounts) but the quality of food, service and setting make it damn well worth it. We ordered three tapas style dishes and something from the 'large' dishes section (though in hindsight substituting this for more tapas would be better). The food was exquisite. The yellowtail taquitos were full of flavour as was the salmon ceviche. The corn tamales was okay as was the main dish of moqueca which was a sort of paella, I think I liked them more than he. The deserts were unique - I went for a chilli cholocate dish which looked beautiful and tasted heavenly but I felt the chilli! The tea could have been a bit more generous though I loved my espresso-like martini.  For a Saturday lunch the fact that the place was full when the 'city of london' is closed is a testament to just how good it is. At about £60+ per head no one seemed to be wincing and I see this place growing in success. What I loved is how unpretentious it was. It could easily have gone that route but staff were friendly, diners were dressed smart casual and we were able to take our time over three hours without feeling we were being hurried (so tired of restaurants saying 'we need the table back in 90 minutes'); folks, take a leaf out of this place which I hope to return to without needing a special occasion as an excuse...

He said: We all know it: eating out is as much about the place as it is about the food. Well, Captain Hook could count on one hand the number of restaurants in London with the wow factor of Sushisamba. It starts with getting there: step into the outdoors glass lift, strap a blindfold on anyone with vertigo, and push the ‘38’ button. Wow. None of London’s other high-rise restaurants (Paramount, Rhodes24, etc) can deliver that right now. The narrow hallway connecting the lift to the restaurant reels you in a bit, to set up another `Wow’ moment as you walk into the vast, glazed dining room, all its office-tower edges softened by a canopy consisting of a huge Yves Tanguy-style fishing net supported by bamboo poles. I can only describe the effect as `under-the-sea/meets above-the-clouds/meets Blade Runner’. By this point expectations are sky-high, but the food rises to the challenge.  The idea here is South American Japanese. It’s one of those combinations that sounds crazy at first, but then makes perfect sense. Can you name anywhere else in town that does that? Me neither. Yes, London is in the middle of ceviche fever, and yes Nobu spent some time in Peru; but nowhere else in London will you get your yellowtail ceviche served in crispy taquitos, overlooking the Gherkin, St Paul’s and everything else. I would happily have those for starter, main and desert. OK, OK, I might have another one of those killer cocktails for desert. I probably don’t need to tell you that this kind of unique doesn’t come cheap, though for me it was free. She’d booked the place for a special occasion, and definitely hit a home run with Sushisamba.