Busaba Eathai - Soho

A few weeks ago I went for dinner with my fellow account management babe Lucy. We went to a little Thai place on Wardour St, called Busaba Eathai. There are a few of them dotted around central London, they work on the same principle as Wagamama in that you share a large table with other diners (fun for people watching/cringing at people trying to eat noodle soup on a first date) and the food comes as and when it's ready.

Spring rolls

We met before 7, so it was easy enough to get a seat, but judging by the huge queue which had built up by the time we left it's best to arrive early. The menu is comprehensive and comprises a range of curries, stir fries, noodle soups, grilled meat and fried rice dishes. To start we shared Thai calamari and vegetable spring rolls. The squid was incredible, cooked in a sticky and sweet ginger and peppercorn sauce, I'd go back just for the calamari. The spring rolls were surprisingly good; I could actually taste the vegetables inside and they tasted as though they'd been freshly cooked. The light chilli sauce they were served with added a little spice, without overpowering the vegetable filling. They also have 'morning glory' on the menu, a dish which was a source of constant amusement when I went to Thailand, mature I know.

Thai calamari

There was plenty on the menu I wanted to try, the chicken with butternut squash and cashew nuts sounds especially delicious. Instead I opted for duck mussaman curry, which was really good. The nuts and coconut make it a very rich dish, so it works well with duck as it has a more robust flavour than other poultry. My favourite thing about mussaman curry is the potato which soaks up all the flavour from the sauce, yum. Luce went for the beef and ginger stir fry, which wasn't as nice as my curry. They also get top marks for serving brown rice, I actually prefer it to white rice, I just can't be bothered to wait hours for it to cook at home.

Duck mussaman

The service was snappy, although in turn this isn't the kind of place you can sit around and have an extra drink after you've finished your meal, and the food was very good for the price. If you're looking for a speedy dinner in Soho I'd definitely recommend it, but it's not ideal for a relaxing meal. 

Beef stir fry

Exmouth Market - Farringdon

Last Tuesday I went for lunch with Fran, who's starting a new job this week - so high five to her! She came to meet me by my office in Farringdon, so we popped up the road to Exmouth Market to munch on some seriously tasty food.

Super sausages

With fried onions and sauce

There are dozens of stands cooking up a huge variety of amazing food. There's something for everyone and at around £5 for a meal, it's pretty good value for a midweek treat. Alongside the curries and burgers, there are also a few healthier, vegetarian options should you be in the mood. I was tempted by the giant sausages (cheeky!) with fried onions; is there any better foodie smell than onions frying?

Mediterranean vegetables

 

Chicken saag

Pies galore

Sizzling Spanish chicken

After A LOT of deliberation, Frezule opted for a mixed curry box, with chickpea and spinach curry, tempura vegetables, lamb kebab, chicken tikka, rice and bread - phewf. I had an awesome steak burrito, although even I'm not enough of a piggie to eat a whole burrito at lunch time!

Fran's Indian assortment (& her bitchin' high tops)

My steak burrito

Sticky Sausage, Apple & Sage Bake

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In honour of National Sausage Week Chris made us a super tasty bake for Sunday night dinner. The recipe is from one of the excellent Waitrose recipe cards you can pick up for free in store, you can see the recipe online here. With some greens on the side, it was a speedy and cheap meal with plenty of leftovers.

We used sage rather than thyme as I have some growing on the balcony and we also added another tablespoon of the onion marmalade to make the sausages extra sticky. We bought the sausages from Meat N16; the new butchers & delicatessen on Church St. Alongside the usual pork they have plenty of more interesting options, we went for 3 pork and 3 lamb for a bit of a change. Whilst they were very nice, the lamb sausages didn't go particularily well with the apple and onion marmalade, so next time I'll stick to pork. I'd like to try this recipe with butternut squash, honey and wholegrain mustard or maybe some parsnips, yum!

Vanilla Sponge with Raspberries & Cream

On Sunday Chris completed the Great South Run and helped to raise over £2,000 for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. If anyone would like to donate, you can do so here. I thought the best way to celebrate was with a cake, so I made this indulgent sponge.

Jam, cream & raspberries!

I'm not much of a baker, but this recipe is really quick and easy. You could use strawberries instead, but I prefer the sharpness of the raspberries with the creamy filling. I used St. Dalfour all natural jam which is super fruity and not too sweet.

Oozing with filling

For the cake:
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
200g caster sugar
200g softened butter
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:
4 tbsp good quality raspberry jam
Punnet fresh raspberries
150g mascarpone
150ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp caster sugar
50g flaked almonds

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Grease and line two sandwich tins. Mix together all the cake ingredients in a large bowl, until the mixture is smooth and creamy
2. Spoon the mixture evenly into the cake tins and smooth the top with a spatula. Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden
3. Remove the cakes from their tins and leave to cool on a rack. Put the almonds in a small tin and bake in the oven, checking every few minutes until they are lightly toasted. It only takes a few minutes for them to burn, so make sure you check them regularily
4. Meanwhile whisk the cream until it has thickened, this should only take a few minutes. Add the mascarpone, vanilla extract and sugar and whisk into the cream
5. Now it's time to assemble the cake! Spread the jam on the bottom layer, then add half of the cream mixture and the raspberries. Put the second cake on top, then finish with the rest of the cream and the almonds

Topped with toasted almonds

Byron - Islington

Amazeballs milkshake

Last Wednesday we went to the cinema and then out for dinner at Byron, which is an American style burger bar. The menu is concise and simple, serving classic burgers rather than the weird and wonderful creations available at other restaurants.

American cheese burger

I had a classic burger with American cheese. I know cheese squares are a bit gross but I absolutely love them on burgers, there's something about the gooey, sticky cheese with juicy beef that tastes incredible. Chris went for a blue cheese and portobello mushroom burger, which was huge! They were both delicious, the beef was pink and juicy in the middle and the salad was crisp and fresh, just what you want from a burger. They also get top marks for the crispy gherkins, even if they are served on the side rather than in the burger.

Giant mushroom & blue cheese burger

On the side we had some some crispy, giant onion rings with rosemary batter and earthy skin on chips. The sides all sound amazing, but the burgers are pretty big so you really only need one to share (most of our onion rings went to waste). I'd really like to try the courgette fries, but I think having macaroni cheese on the side of your burger is a bit much. We also had a vanilla milkshake which was like a dessert in a cup, thick and creamy and calorific beyond belief.

Skin on chips

The food was fantastic, the service was speedy and the bill only came to £25 so all in all it was a great meal. The only criticism I have is with the decor. It's taking distressed to a whole new level, as Chris described it the first time we went 'it's like dining in Chernobyl'. Maybe I'm just not enough of a hipster to understand the appeal, but to me it just looks awful. I can't work out if they just striped the building and ran out of money before they could decorate it or whether the 'look' was a conscious decision. I hope it was the former, as paying an interior designer to ruin such a lovely building is absurd. The chairs are rickety and uncomfortable and it just isn't a very nice environment to eat in. However, there are plenty of other branches around town done up in a more conventional way; I'll definitely eat at Byron again, but probably not at the Islington branch. 

Uber onion rings

Fishy Tales from St Ives

In September, Chris and I went on an amazing holiday in Cornwall. We stayed in the beautiful coastal town of St. Ives, which is an impressive six hours from Paddington. When we arrived we discovered that the cottage we were staying in had been double booked, so we were relocated to an amazing loft apartment. At first I really wasn’t sure about it as I was expecting a sweet little fisherman’s cottage, but I soon grew to love the crazy fifties styling even if I wouldn’t want it in my own home.

There’s plenty to see and do in St. Ives, with the Tate Gallery, two beaches, boat trips and beautiful coastal walks. Even though the town is quite small, as it’s such a popular tourist destination, there are endless restaurants and pubs. Everywhere we went had a real emphasis on locally and responsibly sourced ingredients, so when we were stuffing our faces with fish and chips we could do so in the knowledge that our food had lived a happy and fulfilling life. Unsurprisingly, all the fish and seafood we ate (which was a lot!) was fantastic. The scallops and mussels were huge and plump unlike the sad little ones you so often get served in London and every restaurant had a wonderful array of fish on the menu. 

As I live in London, my ideal holiday involves going somewhere quiet and relaxing where I don’t have to step foot on public transport. As we went in September when the kids were thankfully back at school, the beaches were empty giving us plenty of space to run around like idiots and getting a table in the evening was easy. By staying in England we made a compromise on the weather, but we still had a few days of sunshine. It's difficult not to be enthusiastic about a place like St. Ives; the food was amazing, the town is beautiful, there were so many fun things to do, all in all an amazing holiday. Nothing makes me happier than spending an entire week with Chris and Cornwall was the perfect setting, I can’t wait to go back!

As far as I'm concerned, going on holiday is the perfect excuse to eat out every day and consume as much ice cream as possible, which is exactly what we did. Here's a list of our favourite places to eat:

The Alba
We went for an early dinner at The Alba, they offer a fantastic two course menu if you eat before 7:30pm for only £15.50. To start we shared ham hock terrine and Thai spiced mussels and for the main we both opted for grilled mackerel in a creamy sauce. The food and service were both fantastic and the window seats have a wonderful view across the harbour.

Thai mussels:

Ham hock terrine:

Mackerel with new potatoes:

Blas Burgerworks
Quite simply the best burgers I've ever eaten. Blas has won numerous awards, not only for their amazing food but also for their green credentials. They serve an impressive range of beef and vegetarian burgers, along with a daily special. They serve nearly as many vegetarian burgers as meat, we tried the haloumi stack and the spicy bean burger with guacamole, both of which were awesome! After a long walk along the coastal path to Hayle and some frolicking in the freezing cold ocean these burgers were exactly what we needed to warm us up. They also get extra points for playing the second Bombay Bicycle Club album while we were eating.

Haloumi veggie burger:

Beef & pesto burger:

Salad, chips & coleslaw:

Harbour Fish & Chips:
On our first night we went down to the harbour for some fish and chips, there's no better way to start a holiday by the sea. They had every type of fish you could ever want, I opted for lemon sole which I've never had before. The batter was crisp and light, the chips were nice and chunky and the mushy peas were fresh and delicious. It was a great meal to start off our holiday. 

Lemon sole:

Mushy peas:

Peppers: Pasta & Pizzeria
One of Chris' friends recommended Peppers to us, it doesn't look all that from the outside but it's well worth a trip. The food was absolutely delicious so we ended up going for the full three courses. To start we shared scallops with cream and bacon, a classic combination. For my main I had a spicy prawn linguine, which is one of my favourite dishes even if it is quite simple to make at home. We finished with an incredibly rich chocolate mousse, amazing.

Scallops with cream and bacon:

Prawn and chili linguine:

Baked cod with roasted vegetables and sun dried tomatoes:

Chocolate mousse with clotted cream:

Porthminster Cafe
We rocked up thinking the Porthminster cafe was just a little beach cafe selling dodgy pasties, it turns out that it's a multi award winning restaurant, crowned Cornwall's Restaurant of the Year in 2010. We sat on the terrace, with beautiful sea views and ordered a couple of starters to share as it was only lunchtime. We had salt and pepper squid which came with a delicious miso dipping sauce, definitely the best squid I've eaten in the UK. We also ordered a vegetarian mezze platter which came with some fantastic flat bread. Incredible food and stunning views, it's a shame we didn't get to go for dinner.

Vegetarian platter and squid:

Salt & pepper squid with miso dipping sauce:

The Seafood Cafe
As recommended by the lovely Lucy, we went for dinner at the Seafood Cafe. It's a St. Ives favourite so getting a table was difficult even midweek in September, but I can certainly see why it's so popular. Rather than having a standard menu, you go up to the counter and chose whatever you'd like out of the vast array of seafood. Or if you're piggies like Chris and I, you go for the sharing platter with a bit of everything! We had king prawns, scallops and monk fish with roasted new potatoes and three sauces. The cooking was very much back to basics, but everything was seasoned and cooked to perfection.

Seafood platter:

The Ship Inn
We went to Mousehole for the day which is a really sweet little fishing village. After having a look in the many art galleries we popped into a lovely pub for crab sandwiches and Doom Bar, a very Cornish lunch.

Tregenna Pasties
After a pretty disappointing pasty on arrival at the Yellow Canary Cafe (all onion no beef), we later discovered Tregenna Pasties. It's a family run business which sells incredible pasties made with lovely pastry, jam packed with tender meat, their sausage rolls are pretty special too. They also sell jams and chutneys, which made nice gifts to take home to the parentals.

Pasties galore:

Jams & chutneys:

Ice Cream:
Unfortunately I've forgotten the name of the ice cream shack we went to, but there are plenty in St. Ives and I'm sure they're all ace. The one on the harbour sold a huge range of incredible home-made ice creams, and they gave you free nuts or marshmallows to go on top! Eton mess and raspberry pavlova were my favourite flavours, YUM!