Food and Drink: June 2009 Archives

Discussing the ramifications of a fattening society with no fat folk at the table in Hoxton Apprentice’s classy upscale dining space and consuming a delicious (albeit light) three course dinner felt mildly reprehensible. However, consciences were somewhat salved by the fact that the Hoxton Apprentice is a charity restaurant and all profit goes straight back into training and development. more ›

Sceptical about the predictions for this week's heatwave? If you're looking for a place where the temperature is guaranteed to rise, then look no further than the All Star Lanes Chilli Cook Off this Thursday. Part of their American Independence day celebrations (yes, it really is that time of year again), the cook off sees the UK's most hard-core chilli-heads vying against one another for the title of 'All Star Lanes Chilli Champ 2009'. If that isn't enough, the winning chilli will also find fame with a temporary place on the lunch time menu of their American-style diner. It's not just about who has the most potent chillis, however, but aroma, taste, consistency and meat quality will also be judged by a panel of top London food writers and chefs, including Simon Davis, William Sitwell and Hereford Road's Tom Pemberton. more ›

Got strong opinions about the socio-economic impact of obesity? As part of the ongoing Ideas Exchange series of dinner/debates at Hoxton Apprentice training restaurant, restaurateur, caterer, TV cook, broadcaster and food writer Prue Leith will be on hand tonight to discuss and debate just that. A presumably well-balanced and healthy three course dinner with drinks reception and wine will also be offered. Tickets cost £50 per person with 100% of all profits from the event going toward the training and apprenticeships of people who are long-term unemployed. Drinks start at 6.30pm with dinner seating at 7pm. more ›

When we previewed Tapas Fantasticas a few days back, we based our expectations upon the good time we had last year. Well, it appears that the folks organizing Tapas Fantasticas raised their own (tapas) bar so high that they were unable to achieve the same level of fun experienced in 08. Don’t get us wrong, this year’s event still offered a brilliant opportunity to sample some of Rioja’s best wine and to get acquainted with some of London’s best Spanish restaurants. But the new location (round the corner from Brick Lane, just off Buxton Street) was crowded, and the representation from Spain didn’t seem as solid as a year ago. Oh well. The massive queue and throngs of cheery faces we noticed on Saturday suggested that most peeps attending didn’t mind the downgrade. As for Londonist, we remain hopeful that there’ll be a TF 2010 but our preview of it probably won’t be quite as ebullient as the one we wrote this year. more ›

Until the 1st of August, Carluccio’s (we’re sure you’ve seen one of their Italian caffè/restaurant/foodshop outlets around town) is hosting Vini di Famiglia, a celebration of Sicilian wines. Bar and training manager, Michael Stocks, invited Londonist around to Carluccio’s Marketplace restaurant recently for an agreeably al fresco evening sampling these Sicilian wines along with a few tasty picks from the menu. more ›

We're quite fond of Daddy Donkey, the Leather Lane burrito shack that we think offers arguably the best Tex-Mex fare in all of London. To celebrate the forthcoming launch of their new website, the team are holding a spicy burrito eating contest next Friday, July 3rd, at 1pm, with the winners receiving a month's supply of DD's belt buckle bothering burritos more ›

Last night marked the official opening of new (and yummy) Pilpel Falafel and Houmous Bar on Brushfield Street across from Spitalfield Market. “Chickpea muncher” Uri Dinay, owner of Pilpel, took the lessons (and the 60 year old falafel recipe) he learned from his grandfather for inspiration. more ›

It’s no secret that Kiwi and Australian coffee shops are emerging as the City’s new hot spots for a cup of joe. But a little less known fact is that the best barista in the world, literally, sets up shop in East London. Kiwi Gwilym Davies, was the winner of the World Barista Championship (Yes, there is a world barista competition.), an annual competition that took place in Atlanta this past April. Competing with baristas from Canada, Hungary, and Korea, Davies won the coveted prize, pulling shot after shot of perfect espresso. more ›

In search of London’s best sandwich since sliced bread Over the last year the area around Brixton Market has burst open with foodie enterprises such as the brilliant Franco Manca and its sister deli/café Wild Caper. More recently, rumours of a food bloggers’ market and the emergence of a couple of underground restaurants (Saltoun and Salad Club) are all clues that Brixton’s food scene has moved from a simmer to a rolling boil. more ›

Last year’s Tapas Fantasticas event was fantastic indeed and one of Londonist’s preferred food/drink events of the year. Well, those fantastic tapas are coming back … along with plenty of wines from Rioja, entertainment (expect flamenco and more Spanish music and dancing) and activities (tasting seminars, stuff for the toe heads in tow and more). As last year, some of London’s top tapas bars will have stalls as well as some eateries all the way from sunny Spain. We expect this year’s Tapas Fantasticas to be as much fun or more than last year’s event. We certainly plan to visit and report back about it. more ›

Interested in your foodie photos appearing on Londonist? Click here.
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Interested in your foodie photos appearing on Londonist? Click here. more ›

Bulldog Gin invited Londonist to tag along to their cocktail party last night at the Brompton Cross location of erotic boutique Coco de Mer for ”an evening dedicated to the art of aphrodisiacs.” Sipping gin cocktails and talking dirty in a fancy schmancy lingerie shop in South Ken? Sounds like just the fodder for a Londonist post! more ›

Kensington Whole Foods, the UK flagship store of the American company, is currently celebrating its two-year anniversary with a customary explosion of colour and taste. Events have included a Healthy Eating Fair, featuring local suppliers and producers showcasing their products, from tempting raw chocolate bars to vegan pesto and fruit smoothies. Store team leader Jade Hoai told Londonist that Whole Foods has had a really positive experience since opening for business here. “Initially customers were a bit hesitant when it came to handling and choosing the products here, since we have a very different approach to packaging,” but she says that customers now love the choice that the store offers and the fact that they get to know staff by name. more ›

Power baking wonder woman Shikhita Singh was so chuffed when her Fair Cake white chocolate and limoncello cupcakes won our recent Londonist Cupcake Throwdown that she decided to share her winning recipe with us. Awesome! more ›

Dubbed a “Masterchef for bloggers”, Nom Nom Nom offers an opportunity to “to get together, have fun and show just what they can do given a professional kitchen.” On July 12th, eight teams of two will congregate at Cookery School in near Oxford Circus to spend a day creating a three course menu based around four basic principles: seasonal, simple, sustainable, and sexy. A team of judges the will assess the contestants work and award prizes, before the public picks its Viewers' Choice based on the pictures and videos taken on the day. Londonist had a blast competing last year; we're looking forward to participating again! more ›

Londonist was recently invited along to a press lunch at Soho Japanese restaurant Satsuma. We had the Satsuma Bento, which at £16.90, filled us up with salmon and tuna sashimi with chicken yakitori, prawn katsu, vegetable roll and seafood salad. One of eight savoury sounding bento options, it was certainly delicious and more than ample but at a price that’s a bit above what we’re accustomed to paying for a quick and decent Japanese lunch in Central London. However, we should make note of the £5 lunch special that’s on at the moment (check the Satsuma website for details). more ›

Hallelujah for Stoke Newington Church Street! For a long time our friends in the area have been evangelically singing its praises. And quite right they are. The entire street is peppered with Unchained gems from end to end, ranging from florists to footwear, vintage fashion to bicycles. And with a great selection of restaurants, coffee shops and pubs, your pilgrimage can easily last a whole day. Praise be! more ›

Recommending the Roving Chef is a piece of cake. In fact, we just finished having a piece of her moist and delicious pound cake before writing this review. Roving Chef is a one woman operation offering cookery classes “in your own home.” The one woman, Hayley Edwards, teaches “simple, uncomplicated and healthy (although sometimes a little wicked!) dishes that can be quickly prepared and are great to eat.” The long list of recipes on her site includes everything from the basics (chicken stock, fried egg sandwich, Caesar salad) to the more considerable (pumpkin and butternut squash soup with coconut and saffron, steamed chestnut and pork wontons, roast goose with potatoes). more ›

Still haven’t had enough cupcakes? Here’s a chance to get a free one! more ›

In dire need of caffeine, a break, or simply an excuse to procrastinate? Londonist is here to guide you to some of our favourite coffee shops in London. more ›

Interested in your foodie photos appearing on Londonist? Click here. more ›

As previewed right here on everybody’s favourite multi-collaborator London-specific blog, last night was the vibrant mood evoking Evocative Foods tasting event. A lot less spacey and much more elegant than we presumed, we enjoyed the buzzy atmo of the evening and thought all the dishes were tasty. We especially liked the wild garlic with its flowers warm and cold. And the venue, the Loft Kitchen (E8 4DJ) was gorgeous and worth further investigation! And our mood? Well, we had a lovely stroll back west along the Regent’s Canal, enjoying the glow of an early summer’s eve. more ›

Londonist recently got invited over to Belgo Centraal to sample its Lobsterfest menu. In general, we're not quite sure what to think about the wacky Belgo franchise but suppose its Centraal location is innocuous enough tucked away there on Earlham Street. Besides, we’re happy to give it up for any restaurant that makes its wait staff dress up like Trappist monks. We approve the list of Belgian beers too. more ›

A couple of weeks ago, Londonist got the chance to sit down with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver at the Debenhams launch of his new range of cookware. We were impressed by his easygoing and gracious manner, his evident enthusiasm about all things culinary and his willingness to answer the following questions provided by you, our dear readers! Keep reading for our Q&A with Mr Oliver! more ›