Afternoon Tea at Harrods

Harrods has been arguably the most famous department store in the world since it opened 150 years ago. Whether you go for food and drink, clothes or jewellery, Harrods caters for everyone.

The store delivers high quality branded food from all over the world and has many food stalls and restaurants showcasing multi-cultural cuisines.

A popular haunt for tourists and locals alike is the Georgian restaurant where Afternoon Tea is very highly recommended. It delivers what all traditional afternoon teas has to offer such as classic finger sandwiches with an array of different fillings, cakes and scones. In addition the restaurant offers a collection of fragrant teas from the traditional English breakfast to Russian Caravan. Click on the link below to look at the menu

http://www.afternoontea.co.uk/uk/london/knightsbridge/harrods-georgian-restaurant/

 

 

 

 People might assume that because of the name, Harrods will be expensive. To some extent it is, depending what you want and where you go to eat but in my opinion the afternoon tea is set at a very reasonable price of £29 (without the champagne).


The restaurant is very relaxed, with a pianist playing classical songs but now and again he'll cheekily plays modern music such as One Direction with a twist. The staff were very hospitable and they are more than happy to replenish your food and drink but in all honesty the richness of it all,  you will only need two rounds in total depending what you want again.

The sandwiches, cakes and scones were all beautifully presented on a stand. More importantly though they all went down a treat.

Harrods offered a brilliant personal touch to the dining experience in which they surprised my nan with a selection of cakes on a plate with happy birthday written in chocolate accompanied with a glass of champagne. It certainly was the icing on the cake (pardon the pun, terrible I know).



I have been a couple of times now and I must say I haven't been let down and the standards has always been high. I would love to try and have afternoon tea at another high end place such as the Ritz e.t.c. just to compare and see what it is like. I would definitely recommend going to afternoon tea at Harrods at least once. It is good value for money for the service and food that you're getting. Besides everyone is allowed to treat themselves now and again.

The Princess of Shoreditch

Since working in the Liverpool Street area I have been lucky enough to have Shoreditch right next door to me. Shoreditch has the modern tag of being "hipster" because its young, vibrant andpossibly the coolest place to go to right now. There is so much life in the area and it boasts some great restaurants and pubs where food and drink is plenty.

There is one particular pub in the back streets called the Princess of Shoreditch. The atmosphere in the lower grounds of the pub is electric. You cant get a word in edgeways and the liquor is always flowing.

Upstairs however is the restaurant and there is a clear notable difference in atmosphere. As soon as you go through a set of doors and take a walk up the spiral staircase you emerge into a quaint and quiet little dining area.

You wouldn't think that the restaurant was part of the pub downstairs. The décor is impressive containing massive late 19th/early 20th century portraits and chandeliers.

There were only two waiters looking after the restaurant. The waiter looking after us was very friendly and patient.

The menu changes seasonally and is priced at a very good rate especially being in the heart of London. For two people having two courses and a bottle of wine, you are looking at around £80-£90.

http://www.theprincessofshoreditch.com/Food-menu/dining-room.html

 The dishes we ordered were:

 
• Smoked haddock & salmon fishcake, poached egg, béarnaise sauce
• Rabbit rillette, cornichons and toast
• Sirloin Steak with double cooked chips with a side of seasonal green vegetables
• Belly of pork, braised cheek, black pudding and cider jus

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

The fishcakes were full of flavour and the potato was light and fluffy. The smokiness of the haddock was immediately lifted with the help of the creamy béarnaise sauce. The poached egg was cooked perfectly with the yolk seeping out onto the cake. I could have easily had two.



We didn't have to wait too long for our mains and they both equally looked amazing and appetising. My steak was cooked the way I wanted (rare) and it had bags of flavour where it had been aged over a period of time.

It was succulent and juicy and where it had been chargrilled, it just took it to another level. It was by far one of the best steaks I had eaten. The chips were rustic, crispy and more importantly golden brown.

The belly of pork and braised cheek was exceptional. The pork was moist and the cheek just fell apart after being cooked for hours, slowly in stock.

We didn't go for dessert as the two courses were more than enough.
The dishes were beautifully presented and moreover exceptionally tasty. I wouldn't hesitate to come here again.  The staff in the kitchen and front of house offered excellent service. 
No wonder the Princess of Shoreditch has been mentioned in the Michelin guide and various publications, it is part of East London royalty.

Ramblers Rest

Ramblers Rest is a countryside pub located in Coulsdon, Surrey.
I've heard good things about the place, how the food and drink is good and well worth the money.

I looked into it and was impressed how they approached their food and themselves.

http://www.theramblersrest.co.uk/menus/




 






I made a school boy error of not booking beforehand so therefore I couldn't get a table inside the restaurant. But one of the front of house staff politely located a table for me in the other part of the pub.

 

So after all that commotion, this is what I ordered.
 

• The artisan rustic breads with marinated olives and a balsamic olive oil dressing.
• Seared pigeon breast, sweet potato rosti, buttered British greens & red wine jus.
  Spiced lamb koftas, tzatziki & sweet chilli jam.
• King prawn, crab & chorizo linguine, tomato, garlic & chilli
• Lamb rump, asparagus, chorizo, dauphinoise potato, peas, baby onions & jus.

 You're probably now thinking that this place sounds like its worth a visit, but it quickly escalated into what I would say was a very disappointing evening and here's why.

 

Whilst I was ordering at the bar I was approached by another couple and she explained to me that she and her husband were having dinner together and they wanted my table by the fireplace. However they chose to ignore the fact that I was there in the first place and sat down anyways . I
 was very annoyed, not only by their rudeness, but the fact the staff did not take any action even though a few members noticed as well.
Any other time if I was just having drinks I wouldn't have minded but I was here for both. Luckily about five minutes later there was a spare table.

 

After waiting for some time my starters finally came. The artisan breads were served at a lovely warm temperature and the olives were juicy and plump.


The pigeon was very disappointing for a number of reasons.
The jus around the plate looked like it dried out due to the fact it was probably under the lights for a while. Not only that It lacked flavour and the breast was very dry. The sweet potato rosti was the best thing about the whole dish.



The koftas were nicely seasoned and the meat was moist with the tzatziki and chilli jam went well with it.



 

The mains weren't much better.







 

 The king prawns from the linguine dish lacked flavour and I thought having four on a plate was a bit stingy considering I ordered it as a main. Not only that the chorizo looked pale and lacked any sort of punch. The crab didn't sit too well with me either as it went to mush.




 


The lamb was just about medium, any longer and it would have been well done. The peas lost that vibrant green colour to them and the dauphinoise contained no seasoning, no flavour and no colour.



 



 

 

The cheese board after the meal really summed up the evening and the food in particular. It wasn't to room temperature. Enough said really.



 



 

 

 

The whole dining experience was bitterly disappointing especially after hearing rave reviews about the place. 
Maybe the kitchen had a bad night and it could have been a one off but it would have to take some serious convincing for me to go back.

 

 



Sushi at Atari-Ya

Sushi has taken great strides in the food universe. In the past, people wouldn't dare go near any raw fish because of how it would taste and also how it looked aesthetically. Admittedly when I was younger the thought of eating sushi wouldn't go down with me either. But now I cant get enough of it and only a minutes walk from Bond Street station lies a tiny sushi bar called Atari-Ya. After walking past it a few times and seeing how busy it always was, I decided to go there with a friend to check it out.

Its a very small place and it runs like a café rather than a restaurant with only a few tables and chairs.
As soon as you walk in you immediately notice the chefs preparing sushi for customers behind the bar.


In terms of the menu they have a wide and reasonable choice of sushi to choose from and it is at very good prices especially for London. http://www.club-atariya.net/2012/08/sb-atariya-takeawayjames-street-new-menu.html

They serve an abundance of fish which are prepared in different ways such as Sashimi, nigiri, maki etc.



I ordered the following:

• Fatty tuna oshinko (oshinko is a Japanese radish)
• Black cod roll
• Fatty tuna nigiri
• Salmon sashimi
• Miso soup

It was disappointing to see that the miso soup was served in a paper coffee cup but that aside the sushi was lovely.
The fish was fresh and full of flavour. The rolls had the right amount of pickle and gave off a subtle heat.

We were still very hungry and decided to order another round of different sushi's. I might add there were dishes that we wanted to try but unfortunately they had run out of the products.

Our second round of sushi consisted of:

• Spicy tuna roll
• Snow crab leg nigiri
• White tuna nigiri
• Yellow tail nigiri

The tuna wasn't that spicy at all but the snow crab was meaty and succulent. I was a bit disappointed with the white tuna as it lacked flavour.





Atari-Ya is a sweet little place and the food there is of a high standard. Ok, admittedly, it was a bit hit and miss but if you go to places like Yo Sushi, it is what it is, (which is by no means negative) but if you like sushi at affordable prices and willing to be more adventurous, then this place is suited for you.

Don't be scared or put off by the strange names as some of them are fantastic and hey even if you don't like some of the sushi at least you tried them.

Cheated!!

Just a quick blog for you guys.

I went for drinks the other night with a friend and we went to this really cool pub called the Pontefract Castle located just behind Bond Street which had a great selection of beers, ciders etc.



Behind the bar I noticed that they had some beer snacks and there was one that caught my eye which was the "Crispy Pork Belly". I love my pork scratchings and I always have a pack or two when I go out and for just under £5 I thought why not. Oh how I was wrong.

It was such an epic fail and almost embarrassing. When I order something that is described as crispy I'm expecting it to be just that. This snack however was far from it. It was still soft and the pork was unseasoned and had no flavour at all. The texture was as if it had been covered in cling film sweating away all day. To top it all off and add insult to injury, the pork was accompanied with a ready made apple sauce from out of a jar.




I felt cheated and robbed and that snack could have paid for another pint. I'm not saying I'm expecting top notch stuff here but come on if you're going to put something on the menu then you've got to make it specifically to what it says.







"The Crispy Pork Belly"

So if you ever pop into the Pontefract Castle just keep away from the infamous pork belly and spend your money on another drink.

Burger at Blacks + "THE BEAST"

There are a lot of burger restaurants that people regularly visit such as Lobster and Burger, Five Guys and Gourmet Burger Kitchen. However in a small part of Croydon lies a restaurant called Burger at Blacks. The restaurant perhaps is probably best known for selling "Europe's biggest burger" but I wanted to visit the restaurant not only because I was intrigued by this claim to fame but because I genuinely heard damn good things about the place.

The restaurant is run with a lot of passion and the owner takes pride in the fact that his burgers are made with the freshest ingredients such as crisp lettuce, plump ripened juicy tomatoes and high quality black angus beef.

In terms of the menu Burger at Blacks offers a wide range of options. Click on the link below
http://www.blacksburgers.co.uk/menu/





The Triple X burger

I eat for England so naturally without hesitation I went for the Triple X which contained 3 beef patties with triple the amount of bacon and cheddar cheese topped with onion rings. To aid me with my monster of a burger I went for a rich luxurious toffee milkshake. Nowadays I don't care much for calories. Life's too short for that shizz. 
One bite into the burger the meat just crumbled. It was juicy, meaty and had bags of flavour. The cheese melted all over the patty and crispy bacon.


The Beast


A month later I asked some of my friends to come and join me to visit Burger at Blacks, not for a meal but for a challenge, a challenge that Adam Richman would rub his hands together and jump for excitement.

The Beast lives up to its name. Many people have taken on this mother and failed. This challenge is not for the faint hearted but if you're in a group of four, consider doing it. 

WARNING!!!! AVOID THE PUB AT ALL COSTS. My friends and I had a few too many and it all went downhill from there.
 
 

 
The Beast contains the following:

• 7lb Prime Black Angus Beef
• Half lb Mature Cheddar
• 7 Rashes Streaky Smoky Bacon
• 1 Whole Lettuce
• 7 Whole Tomatoes
• 1lb Chunky Chips
• 1 Full size Milkshake – 2 Scoops of 100% Dairy Ice Cream



The Beast next to a normal sized burger

We were doomed from the start. Like I mentioned earlier drinking alchol didn't help but just by looking at it we were put off even more. The sheer scale of it was immense and nothing like I have seen before. As a group we tried everything from taking it turns to eating the chips to dousing the bread in mustard and ketchup. Not only that having a thick milkshake between the four of us really didn't help the cause.

In the end (as you probably can tell by my plate below) we didn't overcome The Beast but I must give a special mention to my friend Alex, who was the only one in the group that finished his plate and ate his quarter of the burger.

There you have it FoodPunkers, Burger at Blacks is a place you should definitely check out whether its a simple date night with your partner or just having a bite to eat with your friends. Its reasonably priced, the staff are very welcoming and hospitable and more importantly the food is great. Even tackling The Beast is worth a shot and not to mention a great laugh whether you fail or not.
The restaurant has been very successful that the owners have now opened another one in Epsom.


Spanish Tapas - Visiting Barrafina



Barrafina is a lovely, vibrant tapas restaurant. In the afternoon and evening the place delivers freshly made tapas straight to order. Chefs prepare dishes from charcuterie to seafood right in front of your eyes. 

Depending on what time you arrive at the restaurant you may have to wait to be seated. The restaurant does not take bookings, however, just to get you in the mood a waiter will offer you light bites and drinks. Believe me it is worth the wait.





 

The menu offers an array of tapas including para picar, Spanish cold meat, tortilla, vegetables and salads, seafood, meat and dessert. Just click on the link below to check it out

http://www.barrafina.co.uk/?page_id=7




The pan con tomates is simplicity at its best. Its juicy, its sweet and the olive oil they use is out of this world. It adds a whole new dimension and the hint of garlic gives it that extra boost.













































Everyone loves deep fried food. These delicious golden spheres are ham and cheese croquettes. The crunchy outer shell with the gooey melted cheese with chunks of ham embedded in the middle is a marriage made in heaven.  Two is not enough and if you still have room for one more order of tapas, these bad boys are definitely worth another round.








































  

The tuna tartar is a must for any fish lover. It just melts in your mouth and it is served with a smooth guacamole puree. The tuna is marinated in citrus juices and sesame oil to help cut through the richness.

  

When you think of Spanish meat, the first thing that pops into your head is chorizo and believe me the chorizo at Barrafina is lovely packing so much flavour and the potatoes underneath just takes in all that precious oil.

The ham and spinach tortilla is an exceptional dish. As soon as you cut into the thick well seasoned potatoes runny yolk oozes out everywhere.








 

















































The belly of pork is one of Barraina's specials. It is served with a smooth velvetey celeriac puree accompanied with rosemary jus. The pork is cooked to perfection. Its tender, moist and just shreds as soon as you pick at it. If you get a chance to order a special make the most of the suckling pig. That was my first choice but it sold out. Oh well maybe next time.

Barrafina is undoubtedly one of London's top tapas restaurants. From the ambience to the service and more importantly the food it was perfect. In my opinion I think it just pips Salt Yard. It's rapidly becoming a popular place to visit and a lot of well known chefs are raving on about it. 
For two people without ordering wine you are looking at around £50 for the whole experience.