The Porchester
We were not planning to go here, but due to unforeseen circumstances with our planned dinner venue, we had to change plans at the last moment, and this pub was close by.
It's a fairly typical Young's pub, with their standard taps, including a Real Ale — the Young's Original. I ordered fish and chips, sorry, the "Ale Battered Haddock". My partner ordered the bavette steak. The fish had a nice crispy coating, and as a first for me, came with curry sauce as well as tartare sauce. It worked better than I expected. The chips were a bit on the chewy side, but then again, I like mine mega crunchy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside — like good fries should be!
The portions were large, and we were properly full by the end. I have to admit I was struggling a little.
It got busy soon after we finished our meal and was a little too loud and shouty for my liking. Therefore, we made a swift exit and headed home.
Nazuki Garden
Once in a while, you want to try something different. So we found ourselves on a cold and rainy Friday evening at Nazuki Garden. I had just come back from a work trip to Berlin, and was in need of a good meal.
My partner had booked Nazuki Garden several weeks earlier, at a time which would make it easy enough for me to make it on time to. With London City's efficiency, I was way too early and ended up walking for half an hour first so that I didn't have to sit in the restaurant by myself for an hour.
We were sat at the back of the room, far away from the door, but that unfortunately didn't stop the draft when somebody opened that door.
Their menu is extensive, with lots of tempura, sushi, sashimi, temaki, nigiri, and rolls. However, it was a cold evening, and we preferred something warm.
Luckily, their menu also has a large selection of cooked dinner. Soups and donburis.
We began our meal with a starter of vegetable gyozas and Japanese fried chicken. The gyozas were nice and crisped up, with a slightly bubbly texture. The Japanse Fried Chicken also crisp, spicy, and served with a lovely flavoured mayonnaise.
While we were enjoying our starters and Merlot (we got a bottle, it was Friday, bite us), a fair amount of other punters came to the restaurant. I was happy to see a large Japanese contingent as well. It's often a good sign that restaurants with a specific country's cuisine are frequented by people from that specific country. It adds a flair of authenticity.
After our main, we both had the Teriyaki BBQ Roasted Pork Donburi — slices of well seasoned moist roasted pork in a delicious sauce. It was perhaps not the most adventurous dish on their menu, but sometimes you just want to get fed well. And we were.
After dinner, we were still a little peckish, and shared a chocolate ganache mochi ice cream. A little rice cake richly filled with chocolate ganache icecream. A perfect way to end our meal.
At some point, in summer, we probably should return and try our the sushi (and friends) side of the menu as well.
Akub
From the archive: We visited Akub in January 2023
Just off the main road near Notting Hill Gate station is this cosy multi-floor restaurant serving Palestinian food. Opened last year, and the menu contains mostly sharing dishes.
We started off our drinks with two Palestinian beers, a White, and an IPA, which fitted very well with our selection of mezzes/starters/whatever you want to call it. Before the starters showed up, we ordered a bowl of salted lupin beans, called Turmous, which were very tasty. Similar to a mix of almonds and perhaps Edamame? At least, the way you eat them was like the Japanese bean snack, as it involved removing the skin in your mouth — if you were so inclined. I was; my partner wasn't.
The starters that we ordered included three balls of a goats cheese (Labaneh) covered in three different kinds of spices. Sumak, and two others that I can’t remember right now. Besides that, we got a grilled Nabulsi cheese, which was covered in some oil and seeds, and was slightly squishy like fried halloumi can be, a little salty like feta, but overall a better texture than I think that over-fried halloumi could be. Our third starter were spiced squash dumplings, Shish Barak with Beetroot, which was also delicious.
Our "main" to share was the short rib Fatteh, which was slow cooked beef with spices, with garlic yoghurt, crispy (like really crispy) onions, with some fried focaccia squares to add some more texture.
Even after that, we were still not 100% satisfied, and had a rich chocolate cremeux and pistachio ice cream to finish. It was all so tasty that we forgot to take any photos!
The service was attentive, and our waitress explained approximately how many things we should order from the menu, and she was spot on.
Volta do Mar
We had been to Volta do Mar before, before they moved from their old location in Covent Garden, to their new location in Chelsea.
The restaurant specialises in Portuguese food, including cuisines from countries along Portuguese trade routes.
While we were reading the menus to select our dishes, we enjoyed a cheeky cocktail. I had a take on a Caipirinha, spruced up with blueberries. And my partner had a Martini with added spiced pear.
After making our choices, we found out that beyond the dishes on the menu, they also have a short set of specials. This also meant that their Iberico Pork Bafassa was replaced with an Iberico Pork burger, with added foie gras. As we don't really want to eat that, it meant that my partner had to change to a different main.
In the end, we choose to share a Sardine Pâte and Sourdough snack, and Ham Hock and Chorizo Croquettes. The pâte was smooth and flavourful, and spread excellently on the sourdough. The croquettes full of porky goodness. The other starters on the menu also sounded appetizing.
For our main, we picked their Piri Piri Chicken, served with chips. The chicken was delicious, moist and well spiced and the pot of sauce that came with it was ideal to dip the chicken and chips into.
We had a glass each of their house wine with our main, I had red, but my partner had the white, both wines were lovely and worked nicely with the food.
We enjoyed our meal at Volta do Mar. The food was great and the atmosphere relaxing, and the staff attentive. It certainly was no Nando's!
Burn's Night at Browns
At the end of January, more shops start stocking haggis again. Haggis is a traditional food of Scotland and the main event of a Burns supper, where the life of the poet Robert Burns is celebrated. It is often paired with neeps and tatties (mashed swede and potatoes).
With my partner having Scottish ancestry, we usually prepared our own. In the earlier years with friends and family, in the form of "drink some of Derick's whisky". In later years just for the two of us. This year, we chose to not prepare our own, and instead enjoy somebody else cooking it for us.
We have been to Browns in Covent Garden a few times before — we even had our engagement party there. We know it as a reliable place with good food, and tasty cocktails. For Burns Night they were offering a short set menu, with a whisky pairing that sounded to our liking.
As a starter we both had the seared scallops. They were sweet and bouncy, and just cooked right. There were herbs sprinkled over them, and they were served with Parmesan crisps and a creamy sauce. It was paired with a 12-year-old Glenfiddich, which paired perfectly.
After waiting for a while — too long really — the main event showed up. Three thick slices of haggis, slightly crisped up on the outside, and served on a bed of the aforementioned neeps and tatties. Served with a sweetened gravy, of which more could have been served. I thought that the crisped up edges added a little extra texture to the otherwise well spiced and prepared haggis. This was paired with a 15-year-old Glenfiddich, which is a little spicier itself.
For our desert, the two of us picked something different. My partner had the traditional Scottish Cranachan, where I chose the crumble. I can't resist a good crumble, and this one was certainly one.
In the end, I thought it was a good meal, and certainly filling. The service was a little slow, and some confusion did ensue while we were waiting for our whisky to be paired with the haggis main course. I also thought it was a little on the pricier side of what it is.
I think next year we'll cook our own again, even though means we'll have to do the dishes too!
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