Tummyrumble

The Cube is right outside my office [Sponsored Video]

The Cube, unique pop up restaurant by Electrolux previously featured in other major European cities, is setting up shop right outside my office on South Bank.

Check out the amazing view of the Thames and Big Ben from that tiny elevated space...

This:

We wrote a bit about it on the Bookatable blog a while back. It's truly a unique concept.

You might wonder why Electrolux is sponsoring The Cube, but the food connection is quite plain and simple: they power a lot of professional restaurant kitchens, and I guess they want to do more...

Being in London for a mere 3 months, it's bound to book up quickly. Me being a notoriously bad planner, I hardly think I'll be able to get a ticket. This is one of the few foodie events I'd really like to do this year though.

(Full disclaimer, that video is part of a paid campaign run by Unruly Media. I urge you therefore to click the links and put some money you don't have to pay forward to my web hosting! I genuinely want to go though, wouldn't put this here if I didn't. Trust.)

Pitt Cue Co opens in Soho, the finger licking saga continues

Here's a new year's resolution I know I'll keep: I will go back to Pitt Cue Co on Newburgh Street in Soho to get my 'cue fix as often as digestively possible.

Today Pitt Cue Co opens up in Soho, London. What started as a (mind blowingly well executed) food truck on the bank of the Thames is now a proper sit down restaurant serving amazing barbecue with almost all the usual, and some not so usual, trimmings.

Apologies for the lack of photos, but when our food arrived I was simply so excited that I forgot to take photos. Once I started diving in, my fingers too sticky to be allowed near my iPhone.

There are of course other bloggers with greater presence of mind than I. The as always brilliant Hollow Legs transcends mere restaurant reviewing by bringing a doggy bag home to make dumplings (genius), while Noshable features photos by the remarkable Paul Winch-Furness. For a Pitt Cue Co photo blow out bonanza, check out Paul's own gallery.

Go, go, go. Prepare for some wait time as there are only about 30 seats. Don't worry, it's so worth it and once in the bar there will be plenty of beverages to keep you entertained, from pickle back shots to cocktails. Ask for the Cider Sour.

The only thing I felt missing from the perfect barbecue joint was grilled corn. And generous piles of wet wipes.

The House Cafe in Istanbul, and the perfect LCHF dish

Week before last I went to Istanbul to give a presentation on social media on a workshop organised by MCI. But interesting as that was, this blog post won't be about that.

Me and my friend M, who have been to Istanbul many times, did a whirlwind tour of a few bars and restaurants. We visited the roof top bar of the Marmara Taksim hotel, the lovely little restaurant Leb-i-derya (where we had an amazing fillet steak with something called "40 spices sauce"), and the well hidden away bar/restaurant Mangerie in Bebek.

But the place that made the greatest impression on me, and where I had the best plate of food, was The House Cafe in Ortaköy.

Amazing outdoor terrace by the water, we are sitting below the surface of the Bosphorus...
Originally uploaded by Manne.

Absolutely fantastic. The kind of polished restaurant concept that gives me goose bumps. Like Riding House Cafe, Dishoom, Hawksmoor, Byron and Polpo in London.

With my limited knowledge and experience, the menu seems firmly rooted in Turkish food and ingredients. They have also created a few items unique to them, like their own house olive oil, and this apple lemonade drink which doubles as a fresh apple snack board.

Apple lemonade with mint, as tasty as visually stunning
Originally uploaded by Manne.

The staff were all welcoming and friendly, and when we wanted to move tables out from the beating sun and into the shade (where they also had free WiFi), they didn't even bat an eye lid but with a smile helped us move all our bags (already checked out from the hotel...) and plates.

The design takes inspiration from the 20s/30s, you can easily spot the influences, but it has been tweaked to feel fresh and modern and fit in with Istanbul of today. Like Turkey itself (this is my impression from my meager two visits to the country...), The House Cafe makes an effort to bridge new and old, show progress while preserving and caring for their roots.

Behind The house Cafe is the award winning design and architect firm Autoban. They have not only created the concept and the interior design, they are also responsible for a lot of the furniture and decorations seen throughout the restaurant. And the furniture is of course also sold in their shop. There is a hotel attached to the restaurant as well, and I am quite keen to book with them next time I go to Istanbul.

Enough about the place, moving on to the best plate of food I had in my three days in Istanbul. Not only was it incredibly tasty, packed with flavour and with a lovely creamy texture, it also felt like the perfect Low Carb High Fat dish.

Turkish meatballs on aubergine puree, one for @hollowlegs
Originally uploaded by Manne.

That dish is, and I quote from the menu "The House made spicy meatballs on aubergine puree; served with strained yoghurt and cayenne pepper infused melted butter."

Delicious. The aubergine puree is also mixed with molten cheese, which makes this a proper calorie bomb despite not looking very much. Believe me, this would keep you going all day, and if you try to stick to an LCHF diet this is the kind of restaurant dish that makes you feel warm inside.

My next goal is to try and find the recipe for this style of aubergine puree (pointers welcome) so I can make this at home.

Pitt Cue Co. - Finger licking good BBQ from a truck

UPDATE: The guys behind Pitt Cue Co are starting a restaurant! That's right, from Monday the 16th of January 2012 you can get your pulled pork and beef brisket fixes sitting at a proper table, being served cocktails and picklebacks like there's no tomorrow. I was lucky enough to get invited to the soft opening, and I think this place will be packed with people, queues out the door from the day they open. Check out their website for more information.

As has happened before, I was so blown away by the food (St Louis Ribs are to die for, the deep fried shiitake mushrooms are a must try, and so is the mash with burned ends, genius...) that I entirely forgot to take photos and notes. See my therefore brief review here, with links to reviews by less greedy people.

Back to normal programming. My post about the Pitt Cue Co food truck below. Keep in mind that this was a temporary truck, under Hungerford Bridge on South Bank. If you want to try their food, and you know you do, you need to visit the restaurant in Soho, London.

My friends know that I love barbecued meat. Racks of ribs smothered in tangy, sweet sauce (check these babies from last week out); grilled chicken wings so tender the bones pop out when you pick them up; pork belly with crispy crackling... 

While there are restaurants in London dishing up decent barbecue nosh, this is typically food that I would prefer to cook myself (this smokin' hot red eye ribs recipe from @eatlikeagirl is at the top of my "to cook" recipe list right now!) or be served in the back yard at one of my grill master friends'.

Quite often, the home cooked variety far surpasses commercially available options. Besides, Oak Smoked Whisky Injected Chateaubriand is a dish I have never seen on a restaurant menu.

If you like me have this passion, you need to know that since a couple of weeks and for another few months a slice of heaven is parked under Hungerford Bridge on South Bank (map).

Named "Pitt Cue Co." (@PittCueCo), this purpose built food truck is dedicated to slow cooked and grilled meat. With a hint of smoke thrown at even the veg for good measure, you have to try the smoked spring onions and their amazing corn on the cob.

Delicious corn on the cob. Don't know what they do to it, but it works so well...
Originally uploaded by Manne.

The style is decidedly American, deep southern drawl kind of American. Dry rubbed and smoked for hours ribs, pulled pork (from the shoulders of Gloucester Old Spots), salt beef brisket, rotisserie chicken... It is a barbecue lovers dream come true. Brings back memories from when I lived in Orlando, Florida, and the grubby looking barbecue joint we used to go to for the most amazing pulled pork and freezing cold Coronas.

Gloucester Old Spot king ribs barbecued to perfection...
Originally uploaded by Manne.

Having visited Pitt Cue Co. four times (I work right across the road, it's not like I'm a mental stalker or anything, promise) since they opened, each time has been different. What meat and sides are on order varies from day to day, but I can say that so far every single morsel of food I have tried has been utterly delicious.

Fighting Cock whisky makes for fiery pickle backs!
Originally uploaded by Manne.

Their "pickle backs" must get a special mention. A pickle back is the nastiest sounding shot you can imagine: one glass of rye whisky (their FIghting Cock is a good recommendation), one glass of pickle juice (they have several on offer), gulped down in quick succession. Sounds ick? It's delicious. Heat from the whisky spreading throughout your body while the flavour punching pickle surprises your taste buds. So good. Get drunk AND nourished! I can only assume this was "invented" somewhere (the docks in New York, allegedly) with kerosene like moon shine as the pickle completely removes the alcohol hit in your mouth.

Jar of crackling, crispy as.
Originally uploaded by Manne.

Served with "skin", crackling from the roast pork, a few pickle backs really are great enjoyed in the setting sun on South Bank.

Tom Adams, previously at Blueprint Cafe.
Originally uploaded by Manne.

Tom Adams, a chef who has previously done time at The Ledbury and Blueprint Cafe, and Jamie Berger, UK's first importer of Cobra beer, clearly have a deep love for all things barbecue, meat and pickles. Through skilled experimentation Tom concocts things like smoked spring onion and chilli cucumber pickles, which combined with home made smokey baked beans and fresh slaw create perfect food marriages in their brown cardboard boxes used for plates.

Jamie Berger, UK's first importer of Cobra beers.
Originally uploaded by Manne.

With many of their ingredients coming in from sellers at Maltby Street, you know that as much care goes into the procurement as in the cooking.

From a perspective of low carbing, and consuming healthy levels of animal fat, barbecue obviously and easily can be consumed on the right side of the spectrum.

The pulled pork with pickles, or the lovely fatty king ribs, served with a good serving of slaw and perhaps some of the baked beans will fill you up and keep you going for hours. Just stay away from the (delicious) bread, the (amazing) corn on the cob, and the (slow roasted in dripping) "confit" potatoes...

But do so keeping in mind that temptations are there to sometimes give in to. ;)

Thanks to Pitt Cue Co. for lending me some photos as every time I go I find myself too busy stuffing my face with food (and too greasy fingers) to take any myself...

Also see eye witness accounts from:

• Zeren Wilson, Bitten & Written
• Helen Graves, Food Stories
• Lizzie, Hollow Legs
• Hot Dinners

Here be squirrels - The Riding House Café, Fitzrovia

There are times when I enter a restaurant and am truly surprised. Today was such a day. The squirrels on the walls had nothing to do with it.

Baby squid, chorizo, smoked paprika, chilli, olives... You can't go wrong with smoked paprika!
Originally uploaded by Paul WF.

Me and monster photographer Paul (no, he doesn't photograph monsters, although that would be awesome, he is "just" a damn good crafter of extraordinary images) wanted to go out for yet another of our stupidly long lunches and in an unusual fit of ear to the ground timeliness we set our sights for the newly opened Riding House Café on Great Titchfield Street. 

Having heard good things banded about Twitter, but not really had time to look into it in detail, thus somehow completely unaware that Riding House Café is the third venture by the people behind one of my favourite London pubs The Garrison I had no expectations what so ever.

Upon arriving I found myself denied entry as the door wouldn't budge. Being my usual slightly confused self, I tried to cajole the door to behave in the expected manner by pulling the handle harder, which had no effect other than the girl at the reception desk taking pity on me and with a warm smile walk over and open the door next to the one I was having a silent argument with.

Owing to a slight embarrassment over my door manipulation #fail I didn't really take in much of the restaurant until I had handed my coat and bag over to said girl, but as I turned around and spotted Paul and Rachel (McCormack) by the bar I knew I had found one of those rare restaurants I take a deep and instant shine to. See, I am simple like that. Plonk me down on a comfortable and aestethically pleasing chair in a room where the attention to detail is so striking that it makes the room look like it has been there forever and my spirits soar.

Beautiful AND comfortable bar stools, with a matching bar to go with them, I could spend hours here.
Originally uploaded by Paul WF.

With my favourite cafe and Swedish treat shop Scandinavian Kitchen down the road I've walked past the restaurant that used to be here before many times. With a name like Chutney & Lager it completely failed to attract my attention. Little did I expect this incredible make over, especially from a place with the word "Café" in the name. This place is so much more than that. As I walked over to join my lunch company at the bar I silently hoped that the food and service (from the very smart looking staff) would live up to the promise of the interior.

With Rachel in the house, proud part of the #westbromptonsherrymassive as she is, a glass of dry fino is the only suitable start to a cheeky lunch. There are only two sherries on the menu, one dry and one sweet, yet disaster managed to strike the bar staff as the glasses delivered contained not a light appetite inducing aperitif, but sticky, deeply dark and sweet Pedro Ximenez. 

The error was pointed out, the server apologised profusely and then that most amazing and statistically highly unlikely event of lightning striking the same spot twice occurred as we were told the fino was lukewarm. Oh the horror! Me being a bone headed brute of the "I may not know much about food and drink, but I know what I like" variety would never have noticed but Rachel and courteous General Manager Nick Levantis who delivered the bad news were very much in agreement that the sherry would have to wait until it was chilled and would we please accept something else as an aperitif while the sherry achieved greatness? Of course we would. Negronis of perfect Orson Wellian balance ("The bitters are good for your liver, the gin is bad, they balance each other.") were produced and consumed with delight.

Interior, check. Service, check. I love a graceful recovery.

Deciding it was time to check out the food we moved from the bar area to the dining room. I could write at length about how the furnishings are in keeping with the New York-inspired bar area, or how the comfortable chairs and inviting sofas with splashes of orange make the room feel really warm and welcoming but I won't. There are squirrels. 

Here be squirrels!
Originally uploaded by Paul WF.

Wasn't me who noticed them, I was busy admiring the ancient camera lens-like ceiling lamps and scoping out the very appealing menu (my head nodding up and down from ceiling to table trying to take it all in at once). Rachel however stopped talking mid sentence and just pointed to the wall mounted lamps. Yup, definitely squirrels frozen in time while scurrying up the wall trying to hide in the lamp shades. Clearly someone behind the scenes has a thing for taxidermy as I recall stuffed animals being a feature also at The Garrison.

Animal wall features couldn't keep us distracted from the Riding House Café menu very long though. On the menu you'll find instead of starters an interesting sounding selection of small dishes ranging in price from three to five pounds. I would happily come here and simply go through most of these while chatting away with friends. Mains are priced between £10 and £15, so not bank breaking. They also serve Chateubriand, which I really would like to come here and try. Among the side dishes is my current favourite way ofserving broccoli, with a helping of anchovy. Yum.

Among the small dishes we ordered (poussin, salt cod fritters, sea bass ceviche, squid) the squid (pictured at the top of this post) was my favourite. Lots of flavour, squid silky smooth and chorizo providing a slightly chewy bite. The ceviche was a bit of a let down, I expected something really exciting to happen in the meeting of sea bass, lime, chilli and my tongue but no joy beyond a nice texture. 

Ordered the guinea fowl on Rachel's suggestion, mainly to try the romesco sauce, and while she wouldn't necessarily label it "romesco" it certainly didn't fail to satisfy. Very tasty. Any decently prepared dish with blackpudding in it works for me and the romesco sauce provided a nice freshness to go with it.

Then came the rack of pork with smoked sausage and lentils and if I wasn't convinced before that there would be an additional "check" on my mental scorecard next to the line "food satisfying taste buds as well as eyes" this pushed me over the edge. Delicious.

Rack of pork with horseradish, on a bed of lentils and smoked sausage... Right up my street.
Originally uploaded by Paul WF.

For desserts we had the Sundae (sweet tooth Paul very much approved), the Spiced Gingerbead (liked it, but would have loved it with a bit more of a ginger kick) and the Créme Caramel. Seriously, that Créme Caramel deserves a blog post of its own. Creamy, exquisite vanilla, when I go next time I will order two. That said, we were told that the Red Plum & Pear Crumble is a winner, so I will have to make sure my dinner companion orders that...

Créme Caramel with hazelnut biscotti, worth coming here just for this dessert alone!
Originally uploaded by Paul WF.

Thoroughly enjoyed my visit, made all the better by the great company, and I already suspect that Riding House Café will take up a position next to Hawksmoor Seven Dials, The Garrison and Polpetto as a place I will regularly come back to.

Special thanks to Mr Paul Winch-Furness (@Paul_WF) for letting me use his great photos from the day.