It's been an exciting, and very London week; Gargoyles, Teppenyaki, exploring G&Ts in Kew Gardens, and so so much more.
Ps. Only a few days left to check out our 'Fish out of Water' Travel post linkup!
6 June 2014
5 June 2014
St Albans, a photo essay #travelthursday
Having driven Mr Kiwi crazy with wanderlust we decided one morning to hop on a train and finally visit St Albans, an outer-London destination we have been meaning to explore for years.
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With a grand cathedral, roman ruins, quirky pubs, insanely grand coffee shops, leering gargoyles, a medieval clock tower and English Heritage listed train signal box, St Albans is a perfect afternoon wander.
4 June 2014
Matsuri, Teppanyaki in St James.
To my Western eyes, everything the Japanese do seems to have an air of Eastern mysticism surrounding it. From ethereal temples curling to the sky to kimono-clad geisha girls, Cos-playing Harajuku kids to Wasabi flavoured Kitkats.
Their cuisine is no different, and whilst travelling through Japan what struck us the most was the delicacy of unusual dishes and regional differences in flavouring. It's fairly obvious that Sushi is the most infamous Japanese dish, but Katsu Curry and Teppenyaki are close runners up, but wonderful examples of the delicate but powerful flavourings they manage to tease your tastebuds with.
Disclaimer: We were invited guests of Matsuri, but my (many) opinions are only ever my own, and I would never recommend anywhere that I wouldn't happily re-visit.
If you haven't been to a Teppanyaki restaurant yet, I highly recommend it. Go in a big, social group (perfect for a corporate dinner the boss is paying for) and be prepared for the most theatrical dinner cooking performances you'll experience. Sat in a horseshoe around a iron grill, a personal chef cooks the main portion of your dinner - to order - in flamboyant fashion in front of you. Flame, steam and the flashing of swift utensils combine for a meal with a difference.
Matsuri in St James for that matter sure is an experience. Tucked just around the corner(ish) from the bastion of English-ness that is Fortnum and Masons', Matsuri is a quiet hideaway for Japanese businessmen and city workers spending their bonuses.
(Sorry for the blur, new camera!)
Welcomed with a lovely glass of wine, we were treated to a wee sushi making demonstration by the Matsuri sushi chef. Having trained for over 5 years, our demonstrator certainly knew his tuna from his salmon, and made lovely taste testers for us to sample.
Not being able to eat the normal tempura selection, us gluten-free diners were treated to a mouthwatering array of vegetables faux-tempura'd in a light potato starch batter. Normally as a trouble child harder to cater for food allergy we end up with cardboard copies of the gluten laid good stuff. This time we absolutely lucked in - the selection of vegetables in a wee broth with daikon were stunning - the aubergine alone had Ceri and I raving for a good 20 minutes afterwards.
Then the grill was fired up, and our main meal and chef came out ready for our theatrical delectation.
First up was a succulent piece of Alaskan black cod marinated in ginger. Grilled and lightly steamed on the hot plate in front of us, the flavour was simply stunning. Simple, fleshy but with a crisp overtone from the ginger. Mouthwatering.
Galician beef T-bone steak with green and white asparagus, followed by a garlic butter rice was then cooked in front of us. Good, but overshadowed by the cod, we enjoyed the texture marbled through the beef with a selection of wines hand picked (and presented) and matched especially by their sommelier.
Then, my biggest downfall. Plum wine. Plum wines are normally so rich and indulgent that there is no need for dessert, but make for a delightful punctuation to an indulgently playful meal. The Umenoyado Aragoshi Umeshu served at Matsuri was no exception to this rule, though slightly lighter in texture than many I have had before.
Our final course was their specialty fire-ball ice-cream, flambéed with pancakes and pineapple, and a flame spectacular eliciting gasps from the enthralled audience.
As gluten intolerant diners part of a large group we were treated like royalty by the Matsuri kitchen team. Served first (normally last once the rest of the party has tucked halfway in) every effort was taken to ensure we would have an gluten free meal. Served with a gluten free soy sauce, even our sushi was made specially. (See Fran's post for the low-down on their Gluten-heavy meal).
All the chefs were notified about our intolerances (though we had a slight mishap at dessert - to be honest with a glass of soft plum wine in hand it wasn't needed in any case). The food for the entire table was cooked carefully and sensitively for us.
The décor in the main basement restaurant though luxe is subdued, casting more attention towards the cooking area and method, the experience of the Teppenyaki grill taking precedence. With a relaunched sushi bar, and new head chef it should be rather interesting to see how this St James stalwart will flamboyantly continue to entertain and tickle the taste buds of their clientele.
Having tried teppenyaki before, I enjoyed being able to concentrate more on the flavour and ingredients cooked before us. Our prior experience was a little more down-to-earth in less luxurious surroundings, but still a wonderful experience.
Having tried teppenyaki before, I enjoyed being able to concentrate more on the flavour and ingredients cooked before us. Our prior experience was a little more down-to-earth in less luxurious surroundings, but still a wonderful experience.
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3 June 2014
Edmonds Cookbook: Recipe book review
In almost any Kiwi kitchen around the world, I can practically guarantee there will be one small book nestled in the back of a cupboard. Dog-eared, scruffy and covered with the odd food stain.
The first item I placed with reverent care into my suitcase was my camera, then it was my Edmonds cookbook. Originally made as a marketing tool for Baking Powder, according to Wikipedia "it remains New Zealand's fastest selling book with over 200,000 copies sold in one year." The blurb on the back says over 4 million copies have been sold - that's almost one for every adult New Zealander in the world.
Move over Delia and her wishy washy stance on scratch cooking, the Edmonds cookbook is a solid, cooking from scratch bible on basic home food - everything from putting together a roast, debearding mussels, making tabbouleh, bottling preserves, the perfect Victoria sponge and my favourite Ginger Crunch Slice.
As any expat will tell you, there are things from home that we really miss, but I’ve managed to find most of them somewhere somehow or a UK equivalent. Some I’ve had to dig out my Edmonds cookbook for, some we’ve found at the Kiwi brunch spots here in London such as Sweetcorn Fritters, and some in the randomest of places - ANZAC biscuits at an Ottolenghi restaurant for instance.
Everything I've introduced Mr Kiwi to has been a hit; Bacon & Egg Pie, Pumpkin Soup, Lolly Cake, Banana Cake & Onion Dip. The recipes are simply and straight forward spring boards into customising to your own taste - my cookbook is covered in scrawls, variations on a theme (and a touch of revising to the Bacon & Egg Pie to get it up to family standards). It even has a vegetable section, advising new cooking initiates how long to cook their Brussel Sprouts for.
All of the measurements are in Cups - a 250ml cup measure forms the basis of all out cooking; liquid and dry which makes cooking a breeze. Some of the classic recipes have lasted from the first edition over a 100 years ago - if it ain't broke...
It's expensive to buy here, but let's be frank The Edmonds cookbook is worth it's weight in gold. I know of a few select stockists in the UK to have them, just don't go nicking my copy in the meantime, ok?
Do you have a standard cookbook in your cupboards that holds a favourite childhood recipe?
2 June 2014
Kew Gardens, Plantasia - a botanical lift for the urban senses
Every time I visit Kew Gardens I fall a little more in love with them (and for the record, it's pretty often). Nestled in the beautiful borough of Richmond, the gardens are one of the reasons that I adore London so much. The unrivalled access we Londoners have to green spaces, even in the heart of the city, makes it rather special, and much less oppressive.
For these reasons when Sarah invited me to a press event at Kew Gardens to celebrate launching/unveiling their new Plantasia suite of attractions, I actually couldn't say no. The Plantasia summer festival is a series of events, items and openings included within admission to Kew this year (though a coupe have extra charges) celebrating the varied curative properties that plants throughout the ages have been discovered to have.
We started explorations off by trying the botanical Gin & Tonics in their 'Secluded Garden Glass House' surrounded by stunning blooms. We sampled a couple each as we felt exhaustive testing was necessary. Each glass was a delight; made to order with care, we tried the gorgeous 'calming' Lavender, Passionflower & Rose (so good a second was ordered), the hypnotically 'relaxing' Camomile, Ciciely & Strawberry, and Elder, Mint and Basil.
Each of the 'herbal tonics' had a beautiful complexity of flavour to rival many that I've tried in top bars around London, but without so lush a backdrop. These aren't included within the admission cost, but well worth a taste test on a warm weekend, even as a mocktail.
Then whisked to the Pagoda, closed for nearly 8 years, we summon our Dutch courage and deftly run to the top of the 160 foot tower. Well, everyone else does any way, I opted to take a more scenic route, pausing to admire the panoramic views a couple of times along the way. Stretching for miles, the views of London are gorgeous, from Wembley Stadium in the north west, to the Shard puncturing the eastern skyline of the City.
Luckily for us, a monsoon shower of epic proportions an hour before the event seemed to wash all of the bad weather away, leaving blue skies and cotton puff clouds a far as the eye could see.
The Pagoda overlooks the Healing Giant, a 20m raised planting bed showcasing medical plants and their uses through the ages to cure ills. Having grown up with a bathroom cupboard full of aromatherapy oils, Garlic & Honey drinks for colds and Aloe Vera plants for sunburn, it was really fun to see how many other everyday plants are commonly used. I've never understood any reason to not use natural help in additional to prescribed medicine, and chatting with Sarah, a Tennessee native, the cultural cross-over was fascinating.
As I hadn't read the invite, the newly installed barefoot walk was a pleasant surprise, but alas, ever unprepared, I took the road less-sensory in my tights and flats along the flat path running along side. Luckily, the experience was enjoyed properly by Sarah & a couple of delighted kids racing through the variety of textures.
My beautiful foot model;
Nb: I've learnt when approaching bloggers in the wild, please approach with caution as they can startle easily. They can also get you back by taking photos when you're puffed out at the top of pagodas...
Always a joy to wander through, the arcing Plantasia theme has introduced a bevy of these fun medicinally linked learning opportunities through the acres of Kew, in addition to the hundreds of normal sights to while away sunshine filled hours. If only school science had been as interesting...
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