Tsuru, Bishopsgate. Simply good sushi.

When I think of a Japanese restaurant in London, I imagine dim lights, low tables and over-priced little bits of fish. Fortunately, Tsuru is nothing like that!

A popular lunchtime destination for the city workers, Tsuru is a cozy dwelling to the best sushi I have ever had and is situated on Bishopsgate near Liverpool street. The decor is not trying to be something it isn’t and this is one of the few places in London I can truly say I’ve had great food without the pretentious atmosphere. The menu features a wide range of Japanese nibbles (or Ippin-Ryouri), super-fresh sets of sushi, as well as traditional Japanese katsu curries and teriyaki dishes. Having tried a katsu curry in Tsuru’s other branch a year ago, and despite being impressed (although I’m not a fan of breaded and deep friend food in general) I wanted to try something a bit more fresh and varied. So Tom and I started with a platter of nigri and maki sushi or “Tsuru premium sushi moriawase” as they call it. The menu gave nothing away and as our platter arrived I was stunned by the beauty of the fresh fish before me, and even more so by the wide variety of it! The rice was light and fluffy, a perfect base for the silky smooth fish. A tuna could have swam out of the sea, filleted itself and jumped onto my plate (I wouldn’t mind nesting on that lovely rice myself) , it had all the flavours of a good quality fish and the wasabi that lie on my plate was left almost untouched. I mean why waste the incredible natural flavours already there by blowing your nose off with overpowering wasabi? I did enjoy the ginger, which was lightly pickled (unlike the overpowering pink stuff you get in yo sushi) and sweet. The maki featured on the platter included king prawns done two ways- one fresh and de-shelled with avocado, the other deep fried in its shell for a good crunch!

Yes once again, bad photography by me. The colours are actually more vivid in real life!

On the right of the picture you may notice 6 more maki, which we ordered alongside our sushi platter. 4 pieces of soft shell crab fried in tempura batter are wrapped in seaweed and sushi while two extra crunchy pieces of crab feature in the other two. It’s great to see what a difference texture can make to a dish even if the ingredients are the same, and we both preferred the less crunchy version, although both were phenomenal! I could have eaten all 6 myself!

We then went for 3 of the Japanese tapas dishes to share, the two you can see in the pictures are a large mackerel fillet, lightly seared and cured and served with a dollop of English mustard on a bed of fine strands of raw carrot, and the other is a carpaccio of salmon with ponzu dressing.

The mackerel had that perfect combination of freshness and smokiness, that I thought one can only achieve by barbequing fish on the beach 10 minutes after catching it. The mustard was pungent and like the wasabi, only good in small doses as the dish on its own is a true celebration of this under-rated fish! The carrots were actually a very clever garnish (which I’m sure some people assume is just there for decorative purposes and don’t even touch it) and provided a burst of refreshing sweetness to contest the delicately smokey fish.

Our salmon carpaccio matched the standards of the other fish, but perhaps a little on the small side (being given fish this good in small amounts is just teasing!). Yet again it was silky and the thin slices had a melt in your mouth quality about them while the zesty ponzu dressing packed a punch and made it impossible for the salmon to simply melt and disappear into the ether! Delicious combination!

Our third dish came out a little later and I’ve forgotten to take a photo. The plate featured three scallops, three meaty king prawns and two and a half baby asparagus spears. The medley was pan fried in garlic butter with some chillies tossed in at the end, but did not pack as much flavour as the rest of the dishes. Maybe I just got used to appreciating the raw form of the fish! As there were two of us and an extra scallop and king prawn left, we ended up playing rock paper scissors to see who would get the last kings prawn (it was scrummy!). Despite losing, I ended up with the prawn due to my boyfriend’s generosity, thanks Tom!

We finished off on a rather curious note with a dessert of ‘Mochi Ice’ (we had a portion each this time to avoid another game of rock paper scissors!), and it is what I can only describe as 3 icey balls of fun! The outer layer consists of a doughy, soft and slightly chewy concoction made from rice (think a cross between cookie dough and bubble gum!) and protects the gooey ice cream centre from melting. The flavours were also unfamiliar to a western palate, the first one is a delicate green tea (or matcha) ice cream filling, but a little sweeter than the real drink. The second was our favourite, a sesame seed crusted exterior revealed a yet another unfamiliar tasting (but again delicately sweet) ice cream centre while the last mochi revealed a zesty punch from a lemon flavoured filling. Aside from the fact I wasn’t sure of the way in which to eat it (quite impossible to get through with a spoon but too cold to hold in your hands), the dessert was extremely refreshing and the perfect way to end an equally impressive dinner.

Everything is fresh, everything is reasonably priced (you should have seen my smile after the 50% discount with my tastecard...) and some chilled, frothy Japanese beer on tap was just the cherry on top of a tasty evening.

Tsuru Sushi: http://www.tsuru-sushi.co.uk/

Quick bites: Thrifty risotto cakes.

So I had some mushroom risotto left over today. There wasn’t quite enough left for a full portion, and I don’t really like reheated food anyway. So I decided to turn them into crunchy little treats; risotto cakes!

This was an easy thrifty recipe, and all it requires is you not being afraid of getting a bit messy! Hey, that’s part of the fun of it!

As you have you flavoursome risotto all ready and made up, all you have to do is refrigerate it for an hour or overnight (mines been sitting in the fridge for over a day, just think of those flavours developing!) and then you’re pretty much ready to go! All you will need is some plain flour, a bit of grated parmesan, some breadcrumbs, an egg and some seasoning.

First, prepare a plate of breadcrumbs. I had a slightly stale bread roll I needed to get rid of which I pulled apart and ran through my fingers until it turned into large crumbs. I then put about half a tablespoon of grated parmesan into the mixture, and seasoned generously with salt and pepper. Set aside...

 Put the cooled risotto in a clean bowl (I actually used a large sandwich bag to save me from washing up), and combine with one egg. Move it all about to produce a gooey mixture, and then gradually add the flour. I won’t give you an exact quantity (because I didn’t measure it myself!) but once it starts to form a thick batter type consistency - probably about 3 tablespoons to an egg - you can stop. Add some grated parmesan, of course you can use another finely grated cheese, work with whatever you have then heat a frying pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil before shaping the mixture into palm sized pancakes. This is the sticky part, and it’s easier to just turn the mixture into oddly shaped balls, roll them around in the breadcrumb mixture before putting into the frying pan and pressing down with a wooden spoon to flatten and shape. I used a small non stick pan which only fit one cake at a time, so if you’d like to work with one at a time like me, transfer the crisped cakes into a warm oven until you are ready to serve! Fry for about 2 minutes on each side on medium heat or until nice and golden on both sides!

The great thing about these is that you can top them with anything! I stuck with the mushroom theme by frying up some chopped chestnut mushrooms with some garlic while my cakes were being kept warm in the oven. A dollop of crème fraiche and some parsley and you have yourself a thrifty little snack!

Getting tempted at Tentazioni.

When you find a restaurant you love and can rely on, you may sometimes forget that other fantastic establishments are just waiting to be discovered. Although we were very tempted to return to the Chancery (new menu again!) which we know and love, I thought me and my boyfriend should break out of the habit and try something new that evening!

We were glad we did. Tentazioni is an Italian restaurant, which can be found in a narrow street near Tower Bridge. The first thing to strike me as I entered was the sensual red decor which contrasted with the all white tables and chairs (which were extremely comfortable I must add!), and the sexy theme seemed to continue via the ‘burlesque’ type images on the walls as well as other quirky and colourful art. A staircase within the main dining area leads to a mezzanine area, which is more traditional Italian in its style with brick walls and simple tables and chairs. The two aspects of the dining area mingle to create a cosy but trendy setting.

The name of the restaurant (which means temptation) is reflected in the menu by giving you a wide range of options of real Italian dishes and taking them a step further by using interesting, opulent ingredients. Before we ordered, an amuse bouche of a warm little quiche arrived which put me in the mood for some good hearty food! We both couldn’t resist choosing the foie gras for starter.

Firstly, the picture doesn’t do it justice (my camera was generally playing up all evening, the foie gras was a deep brown colour, the orange in the dish is merely the flash) but I wanted to exemplify with this image the generous size of the portions and the thought that had gone into the dish. The foie gras was a bulky piece of meat, lightly seared to give it that signature silky texture. The flavour of the foie gras alone was enough to justify the slightly steep price tag of £14.50, but its melt-in-your-mouth quality just sent my tastebuds to the moon! The other elements of the dish complemented the star without outshining it. Three pieces of ravioli stuffed with goose meat were a perfect match, the silky pasta outer played on the texture of the foie gras, whilst the inside created a quick burst of meatiness. The mushrooms were flavourful, and again matched the texture of the foie gras, but apart from that did not do very much for me. It seemed the dish was crafted to complement the dish entirely, which was very pleasant indeed but I couldn’t help but wonder how the dish would have panned out (no pun intended!) if some contrasting textures were added to give the dish an extra crunch- and elevate the soft and wispy foie gras to another level!

Continuing in the theme of luxury, I went for the lobster tagliolini next, which I chose from their long hand-made pasta menu, while Tom opted for red mullet with scallops, raisins, parma ham and spinach. I was very delighted when my dish arrived, the portion was HUGE, and I was glad I tentatively chose half of a lobster instead of the whole one.

The dish on the whole was beautifully crafted. Rustically shaped and served al-dente, the pasta was infused with the aroma and colour of saffron before being tossed with artichokes and fresh cherry tomatoes. A generous dollop of black caviar garnished the dish, which I mixed into the pasta to create a sort of extra seasoning; I enjoyed getting a tiny salty pop with each bite! The lobster was garnished with some beautifully creamy butter and was undoubtedly fresh; the meat was easy to get your teeth into and delicately sweet. The chef got the most out of the whole lobster, not just the typically used lobster tail, and I found the lobster claw had the richest flavours. While the sheer size of the dish was unmanageable for me, I savoured every bite that I had and didn’t get bored for a second; that would be impossible with the abundant mixture of flavours and textures the chef has created. The wine list is extensive, and ranges from £13.50 to £99 for a bottle of Italian white wine. Our bottle of wine of choice was a 2009 Salento Bianco, Feudi di San Marzano a fantastic choice by Tom, a professional sommelier couldn’t have done a better job pairing both of our main courses with a bottle of wine! The wine is from Puglia, south of Italy, and consists of mainly the Malaysia grape variety to produce a beautifully full bodied white wine, to compliment our meaty seafood. The subtle honeysuckle overtones pair perfectly with the sweet elements of both our dishes, my sweet lobster meat and the raisins in Tom’s dish while the apple and lemon hints help freshen our palates from the complex mix of flavours in our dishes.

After two big courses and an amuse bouche, the waiter arrived with a dessert menu. While my stomach was telling me no, my curiosity took over and I gave in to temptation and ordered the Chocolate opera cake, “La Scala Milano” served with Espresso Coffee Sauce and 24K Gold. “Have you eaten gold before?” the waiter asked in response to my bemusement and my reply of no ushered a “good luck” from the waiter.

The cake itself was layered with a range of different chocolate elements including what I believe to be milk chocolate mousse, a light chocolate sponge and biscuit jaconde before being topped with a full layer of thin gold leaf. The espresso sauce was a bit too watery and didn’t compliment the base cake while I felt the gold only created the sense of opulence but added little else for the dish. It was a pleasant end to a meal but not as spectacular and theatrical as the menu would suggest.

The overall evening was a success and I’m waiting to return there as soon as the funds allow. While I don’t like to go into detail about restaurants prices, the bill totalled £68, and that’s with a 50% discount on food- and with the likes of foie gras, fresh lobster, saffron, caviar and even gold consumed in one sitting, I can’t help but feel satisfied!

Tempted? Visit http://www.tentazioni.co.uk/restaurant.htm to get the details and book!

Chestnut, almond and cinnamon twists!

When my mum came back from her weekly food shop with a tin of chestnut puree, I was a little surprised as neither of us had any idea what it was, or what we are meant to do with it. While everything else was slowly getting eaten, it sat in lonesome in the fridge for a week after Christmas until we decided to put it to good use. I thought it might go well with cinnamon and consequently pastry came straight to mind (cinnamon + pastry = yummm). Along with some leftover ground almonds (which we originally used for our Christmas dessert) and a sprinkle of demerrera to sweeten it up, we created some perfect tea time treats.

·         1 sheet of puff pastry (I used Jus rol)

·         Approx 4 tablespoons of chestnut puree (ours had a hint of vanilla)

·         1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon

·         1 tablespoon of demerrera/brown sugar

·         A small handful of almonds, ground.

·         1 egg

Preheat the oven to 200C and line 2 trays with baking paper. Unroll the puff pastry sheet then carefully fold it in half as a guide to cut through the middle. Beat the egg and using a brush, egg wash one side of both halves of the pastry sheet.

One sheet should remain empty from any filling while you should spread the other half with a layer of the chestnut puree (just enough to cover the sheet but not too thick). In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and ground almond and sprinkle over the puree, to cover the whole sheet.

Carefully pick up the empty sheet and place it egg washed side down (this will help it stick to the other half) on top of the filling half of the sheet, to make a sort of sandwich. Then with a cutter or sharp knife, cut about 3 cm thick strips across the sheet. Pick up each strip carefully and twist from the ends and place on the baking sheet. Once all strips are twisted, egg wash the top of each strip before placing in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden and puffed.

 
 For a guide on this technique, watch this youtube video, from Pepperidge Farm:

Enjoy!

A fiery affair with Spice Mountain curries...

Following on from the theme of curries, I thought I would tell you about my recent affair with a food ‘cheat’ product I received for Christmas. As one of my presents, I was eager to be given 6 Indian spice blends from Spice Mountain’s borough market stall, made from all natural ingredients which are personally selected and hand ground. Indian classics include Madras, Vindaloo, Korma and Tandoori as well as other traditional curries such as Sri Lankan curry and Goan Curry. Now, I’m not a cheat but I found this particular gift so appealing as I’ve never quite been able to successfully tackle Indian cooking. After burning some garam masala paste and nearly coughing to death over some to-hot-to-handle hot chillies, I gave up trying.

Fortunately, Spice Mountain make cooking curries easy and foolproof. Adding just 3 teaspoons of the blend to a tomato base created a mind blowing flavour; with spices already taken care of, there’s enough time to get creative with the base of the curry!

I’ve never been a huge fan of the regular old basmati rice so to make up for the lack of carbohydrates; I opted for chickpeas and sweet potatoes as an alternative. The two make a great pair- sweet, soft and appealing to the eye!

Sweet potato and chickpea curry

I served this as a side to some tandoori king prawns (recipe below), but this curry is substantial enough for a vegetarian main course with perhaps a bit of rice or some extra veggies.

·         1 tin of plum tomatoes (roughly chopped)

·         3 teaspoons of vinadaloo mix from Spice Mountain

·         1 small red onion, finely chopped

·         1 large sweet potato

·         1 can of chickpeas (drained)

·         A handful of chopped parsley

·         Vegetable Oil

Start off by chopping the sweet potato into medium cubes before boiling in lightly salted water for 10 minutes or until soft. It is better to peel the skin after boiling as it comes off quickly and easily. In a large frying pan, heat about 2 tablespoons of oil and add the chopped onions. Reduce heat to medium and sweat for 10 minutes until soft and sweet. Add the spice mix to the onion and fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the drained chickpeas and cook for a further 3 minutes before adding the tinned tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes before adding the sweet potato and fresh parsley. Cover and simmer for 10 more minutes so all the flavours have combined and potato and chickpeas tenderized.

Tandoori king prawns

·         De-shelled king prawns (cooked or uncooked) enough for 2 people.

·         2 teaspoons of tandoori marinade from Spice Mountain

·         2 tablespoons of natural yoghurt

·         A drizzle of olive/vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and leave to marinate for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, soak some wooden skewers in cold water (this stops them from burning in the oven). Once marinated, put on the skewers and under the grill for 5 minutes, turning twice.

6 spice blends cost just £12.50 from www.spicemountain.co.uk/ or visit their stall at the Jubilee market side of Borough Market where you will find a range of whole or ground spices from all over the world as well as other spice blends from the likes of North Africa and South East Asia.

Oh Ma Goa that was a good curry!

Everyone craves a good curry now and again. The nagging craving for something rich and spicy was how we ended up in Ma Goa, an elegant but nevertheless homely family restaurant in Putney.

My ventures to an Indian don’t normally extend past Brick Lane, where in my experience the food and service have been very much hit and miss. The food, ambiance and service exceed that of any Indian I have ever been to; did I mention they have Kingfisher on tap?

Once featured on a BBC show about traditional Indian cooking (Indian Food Made Easy), I chose Gallina Xhacutti, after watching the chef intricately blend the spices for the dish in the Ma Goa kitchen. This chicken dish was delicately tender, arriving on the bone, with a well balanced mix of roasted and ground sesame seeds, peanuts, cumin and coriander before being balanced with fresh ground coconut. The spiciness of the dish (which is warned as being hot) comes from Kashmiri chillies, as well as being used as a natural colourant for the deep brown curry. A selection of traditional breads is available, such as Sanna, Paratha and a selection of Naans. We shared the sweet coconut and chopped nut naan, which was fresh, light and to my delight, not overly chewy like the shop-bought ones typically are. I also sampled the Paratha bread, which is made with whole-wheat and fried in butter, an interesting alternative to the naan. I was reluctant to order poppadoms and chutneys, which I find only add to the final bill and not much else; boy was I wrong! The dips that accompanied the crunchy poppadoms were nothing as expected. The mint dip was light and refreshing while my personal favourite which I never got the chance to ask about tasted like an Indian version of satay sauce, so nutty and sweet! My side of coconut basmati was fragrant and fluffy with fresh coconut grated in for flavour (nothing unnatural in this meal!), garnished with curry leaves and arranged in a rustic porcelain pot.

The portion sizes are very fair, so much so that if I’d ordered a starter, a lot of good food would have been wasted. The decor is what you would expect in a modern restaurant, trendy with white table cloths, with attention-grabbing art and neutral decor. Our waiter was never without a smile and seemed very courteous. This Goan was traditional but with a modern twist, so next time you’re on a mission for a decent curry, forget about Brick Lane and head on over to Ma Goa!

I’m choosing to return to Ma Goa soon enough, but for those who are unable to make the trip, here is the recipe for my chicken xhacutti which can be found on the BBC website, straight from their kitchen:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/indianfoodmadeeasy/recipes/episode_5/xacutti.shtml

Ma Goa’s website: http://www.ma-goa.com

Happy New Year!

Having abandoned this blog after a gruelling amount of essays and festive catch-ups, it is time for me to return to the world of food blogging and promise to maintain the blog for the rest of the year- my new year’s resolution.

This really shouldn't be very difficult, after presents like 'Larousse Gastronomique' (THE cooking bible), a shiny new wok and Chinese cook book, a selection of borough market treats such as a range of hand mixed Indian spice blends, white truffle oil and a tangy chimchurri sauce.

For now, I will tell you what I had for my new year’s dinner, fashioned up by my mum.

A traditional Russian celebration dish, 'Kurnik' is a complex combination of shredded roast chicken, rice, boiled eggs, wild mushrooms, onions, parsley and pastry. Layer by layer the ingredients come together before being wrapped up in some homemade pancakes (Russian blini) before being rolled up in a homemade soda-based pastry. The pancakes stop the pastry from getting soggy and add that extra bit of indulgence. Kurnik, I'm afraid to tell my south west based audience, blows Cornish pasties right out of the water!