Que Viet on the Pho Mile

I’m still puzzled why it’s taken me so long to enter the doors of Que Viet, I mean I must have walked past it a thousand times and for some reason I have never entered.

The Pepper Tree

I knew it would be just a matter of time before my sorry arse ended up in the Pepper Tree for a quick lunch, it has now happened and surprisingly it wasn’t that bad.

Fish n Chips @ The Fish Club

Now that I’ve begun working in Clapham, I’m slowly beginning to sample the foodie delights of what the Clapham area has to offer. I know it’s only going to be time before I find my sorry ass in the Pepper Tree.

Foto Friday # 94

A hot dog vendor selling his all beef sausages on the streets of New York

Foto Friday # 92

Outdoor eating in Guangzhou, China.

What We Ate for Lunch : Hainan Chicken of sorts

I was going to take this into work yesterday, but as it was my final day, I felt I had to have for one final time Singapore Fried Rice from the take away opposite. It was disappointing to say the least. A bit like working for that company for 18 months. Can you sense the bitterness in me.
Anyhows I have had a yearning for Hainan chicken for a while now, no idea why, but this urge was brewing so I thought I would quench it.
So a small poussin was poached for half an hour in some simmering stock that I had left over from my daily noodle soups.
Once cooked the chicken is plunged directly into some iced water. This keeps the skin a little flabby and jelly like, as my Singaporean friend says it has to be. Whose to argue.
The stock therefore seasoned with a little salt and mirin vinegar makes a perfect soup, and  with the rice (cooked in some of the stock) makes a great quick and easy lunch.
It's a shame I never had this yesterday for lunch as it would have been more memorable than my Singaporean fried rice I ate.
My last day was a day of two halves. I was so glad to leave, but very sad to be leaving some good people behind. It was all a bit emotional.
But my new life starts now, all i have to do now is find another job. Easy huh?

St John’s – A Revisit for a Lunchtime Treat

We hadn’t been to St John’s since we returned from Latin America, but it was somewhere we were both itching to visit again.

St John’s is kinda like an old friend now. Reliable, trustworthy and always there to restore you to your former self.

As it was my birthday and the amount is going to remain a secret. Although my wife reckons I am in denial about it, much like she was in Argentina. We also had visiting us Lina’s cousin from Bogotá, who like us, is a lover of good food and wine.

Now we always go to our Birthday bashes in the evening, but as Arsenal were playing Barcelona that night, and I was hoping (well praying) that I was to receive a couple of tickets to watch Arsenal play. Alas no. So we booked in for a table for 3 for the lunchtime service. This would be a new experience.

Upon entering the near empty dining room, well it was a Wednesday afternoon, but none the less. Has the credit crunch hit that much that people are not eating lunch now.

However sitting towards the rear was the God like figure of Fergus Henderson. He was sitting with some friends, arms waving around, smiling a large smile. I think he was chatting about the wonders of nose to tail eating or how delightful his lunch was that day. It is very comforting to know that chefs do eat in their own restaurants.

Lina’s cousin had never eaten there before, so we kind of forced him to have the roasted marrow bones, although he didn’t need that much persuading. We opted to share some mackerel pâté on toast.

Mains were a harder choice, I really fancied an ox heart they had on the previous lunchtime menu, but sadly it was not to be on this days. Devil’d Kidneys on toast was up there, but it was kinda more bread and more bread. So they were off. So I opted for a guinea fowl with sautéed cabbage. Reason being, as I saw a couple devouring one in the Great Queen Street restaurant the previous evening, and it was still on my mind. Lina joined me and Alonso opted for some pot-roasted Gloucester Old Spot. Delicious choices.

Lunch was a delicious as we thought it to be. The skin on the birds was crispy, crispy, crispy. Full of flavour. The slices of old spot were cooked to perfection and were delish. This is what I love so much about St John’s is that everything we have ever eaten there has always been spot on. Everything has always been cooked to perfection. How can you not love eating here.

I have read a few blogs where people did not get St John’s. It’s not difficult to get. It’s great food, cooked perfectly. End of story.

Puddings in Colombia are normally a little affair. They have something sweet, maybe a small portion of ice cream or a couple of spoonfuls of arequipe (dulce de leche if you are from Argentina). It’s just something sweet at an end of a meal to round it off, not the British Sunday dinner pudding where you needed to lie down afterwards as you felt your sides splitting.

Now, we wanted something, and to show off something totally English to Alonso. The Eccles cake with Lancashire cheese was ordered. Just one to share. But before I could tuck in, it was grabbed from me and a candle was asked for and was not put down in front of me until I had blown it out, and heard happy birthday sung to me. I wished the world would have opened up. Well only a little.

Something so good about an Eccles cake and cheese that hits the spot. Can’t put my finger on it, but I love it.

I’m beginning to feel that it’s time we did more lunches. I know a few places that have great deals for set menus at lunch. Some of Gordon Ramsey’s places do, Theo Randall does, and until last week the River Café also.

Lunchtime treats are here to stay me feels.