Bites @ Taste London: The Verdict
Had a fantastic day in Regents Park with the Guardian Word of Mouth team.
Firstly a HUGE thank you to Suse for making this happen. I just hope the stress was worth it! Also a big thank you to Tim for keeping us laughing throughout the day.
The 'currency at' the festival are crowns with one crown being equivalent to 50p.
*Get on with it!*
Ok! Ok! So you'll be dying to know what I ate - this time proper descriptions links and all! So in alphabetical order...see if you think these are worth the crowns...
Cinnamon Kitchen - Strawberry and pepper corn jelly with cardamom shrikhand - 6 crowns
A sweet and savoury delight, mixing the sweetness of the strawberries with the heat of the pepper corns was an interesting taste experience, with the coolness of the shrikhand tempered by the warm cardamom flavour.
Like this? Executive Chef, Vivek Singh, will be holding masterclasses at his kitchen this summer. Call 020 7626 5000 to book.
Hereford Road - Braised wild rabbit with fennel and old spot bacon - 8 crowns
Beautifully cooked rabbit, with the juicy meat sliding away from the bone. The fennel came through in the hot stock but didn't overpower the meat. My only slight niggle was the bacon could have been crispier and I felt the whole dish was underseasoned.
Kai Mayfair - Wasabi Prawns: Tiger prawns with a spicy wasabi mayonnaise alongside little cubes of mango and Thai basil - 10 crowns
Just amazing. The prawns were large, meaty and cooked to perfection. The wasabi mayo zinged without overpowering and even managed to convert a couple of wasabi haters! Sweet mango was cleansed away by the Thai basil. My favourite thing of the whole festival!
Chocolate, kumquat and 'tea' shot - 6 crowns
A very grown-up pud. Rich, dark chocolate mixed with the tartness of the kumquat was sublime enough, but the green tea added a whole new layer. The green tea macaroon topped it off superbly.
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon - Crabmeat in tomato jelly and avacado guacamole - 8 crowns
Definitely the weirdest thing I ate! The crab was rich and perfectly seasoned and worked perfectly with the guacamole. However the tomato jelly on top spoilt it slightly, being too acidic for the creamy flesh beneath.
Le chocolat sensation
Creamy chocolate mousse layered with pieces of crushed up oreo biscuit covered in chocolate and topped with a white chocolate shard. Chocoholic heaven!
Odette's - Lemon posset with strawberries and basil - 6 crowns
One of the best desserts I tried, and I'm not just saying that because Bryn Williams is Head Chef (a lovely guy who didn't mind me chatting away to him and having photos taken with anyone and everyone). The lemon and basil meant this was a good palate cleanser and would be perfect after Bryn's signature Turbot, oxtail and cockles (a whopping 30 crowns!).
Call 02075868569 for more info on the very reasonable lunchtime menu!
Pied-a-Terre - Raspberries with fromage frais mousse and lemon verbena granite - 6 crowns
Tart raspberries, bursting with juice, with the airy-light mousse and the searing coldness of the lemon granite. Sharp and tangy. A perfect summer dessert.
Ristorante Semplice - Fresh tagliatelle with Caporicci's summer truffle and broad beans - 10 crowns
Great flavour of the truffle and the fresh beans. Sadly the pasta was a little overcooked leaving the dish feeling stodgy.
Salt Yard - Spanish style meatballs with a plum tomato and basil sauce and pecorino Nero - 6 crowns
3 meatballs meant this felt more like proper tapas than just a taste. The meatballs were well seasoned and the sauce beautiful and rich. The pecorino saltiness finished the dish of brilliantly.
Tamarind - Lasooni pasliyan: grilled lamb cutlet with garlic, chilli, lime and black cumin served on a mixed salad - 10 crowns
The lamb was wonderfully pink and juicy that worked well with the sharp heat and spice of the marinade. My most inelegant moment was tearing the meat of the bone with my teeth but it was well worth it!
Other highlights of the day...
Firstly a HUGE thank you to Suse for making this happen. I just hope the stress was worth it! Also a big thank you to Tim for keeping us laughing throughout the day.
The 'currency at' the festival are crowns with one crown being equivalent to 50p.
*Get on with it!*
Ok! Ok! So you'll be dying to know what I ate - this time proper descriptions links and all! So in alphabetical order...see if you think these are worth the crowns...
Cinnamon Kitchen - Strawberry and pepper corn jelly with cardamom shrikhand - 6 crowns
A sweet and savoury delight, mixing the sweetness of the strawberries with the heat of the pepper corns was an interesting taste experience, with the coolness of the shrikhand tempered by the warm cardamom flavour.
Like this? Executive Chef, Vivek Singh, will be holding masterclasses at his kitchen this summer. Call 020 7626 5000 to book.
Hereford Road - Braised wild rabbit with fennel and old spot bacon - 8 crowns
Beautifully cooked rabbit, with the juicy meat sliding away from the bone. The fennel came through in the hot stock but didn't overpower the meat. My only slight niggle was the bacon could have been crispier and I felt the whole dish was underseasoned.
Kai Mayfair - Wasabi Prawns: Tiger prawns with a spicy wasabi mayonnaise alongside little cubes of mango and Thai basil - 10 crowns
Just amazing. The prawns were large, meaty and cooked to perfection. The wasabi mayo zinged without overpowering and even managed to convert a couple of wasabi haters! Sweet mango was cleansed away by the Thai basil. My favourite thing of the whole festival!
Chocolate, kumquat and 'tea' shot - 6 crowns
A very grown-up pud. Rich, dark chocolate mixed with the tartness of the kumquat was sublime enough, but the green tea added a whole new layer. The green tea macaroon topped it off superbly.
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon - Crabmeat in tomato jelly and avacado guacamole - 8 crowns
Definitely the weirdest thing I ate! The crab was rich and perfectly seasoned and worked perfectly with the guacamole. However the tomato jelly on top spoilt it slightly, being too acidic for the creamy flesh beneath.
Le chocolat sensation
Creamy chocolate mousse layered with pieces of crushed up oreo biscuit covered in chocolate and topped with a white chocolate shard. Chocoholic heaven!
Odette's - Lemon posset with strawberries and basil - 6 crowns
One of the best desserts I tried, and I'm not just saying that because Bryn Williams is Head Chef (a lovely guy who didn't mind me chatting away to him and having photos taken with anyone and everyone). The lemon and basil meant this was a good palate cleanser and would be perfect after Bryn's signature Turbot, oxtail and cockles (a whopping 30 crowns!).
Call 02075868569 for more info on the very reasonable lunchtime menu!
Pied-a-Terre - Raspberries with fromage frais mousse and lemon verbena granite - 6 crowns
Tart raspberries, bursting with juice, with the airy-light mousse and the searing coldness of the lemon granite. Sharp and tangy. A perfect summer dessert.
Ristorante Semplice - Fresh tagliatelle with Caporicci's summer truffle and broad beans - 10 crowns
Great flavour of the truffle and the fresh beans. Sadly the pasta was a little overcooked leaving the dish feeling stodgy.
Salt Yard - Spanish style meatballs with a plum tomato and basil sauce and pecorino Nero - 6 crowns
3 meatballs meant this felt more like proper tapas than just a taste. The meatballs were well seasoned and the sauce beautiful and rich. The pecorino saltiness finished the dish of brilliantly.
Tamarind - Lasooni pasliyan: grilled lamb cutlet with garlic, chilli, lime and black cumin served on a mixed salad - 10 crowns
The lamb was wonderfully pink and juicy that worked well with the sharp heat and spice of the marinade. My most inelegant moment was tearing the meat of the bone with my teeth but it was well worth it!
Other highlights of the day...
- Mixing our own Cosmos with the team at Ketel One
- Spotting Olly Smith (wine critic from Saturday Kitchen among others) sporting a fetching pink jacket and carrying an electric guitar (no idea!)
- Chatting with the team at True Taste Wales. Special mentions go out to Kate who makes the excellent Gower Cottage Brownies, Charlie at the Bacheldre flour mill who was happy to tell me about their partnership with Aardman animations and Jean who tried to tempt me north to the Conwy Feat Festival this October.
For more thoughts on the day, check out the summary on WoM and come find us all on Twitter!
Were you at Taste London? Did you follow the Tastefringe twitter feed? Let me know what you thought!
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