Eating Out

Benares

12a Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London, W1J 6BS Telephone: 020 7629 8886

Mayfair is, as everybody knows, one of the more exclusive areas of London, and within Mayfair, one of the more exclusive areas is Berkeley Square. This exclusivity dates back to the 18th Century, when the influential Kent family had their London house in the square, and other famous residents included Winston Churchill and Charles Rolls, the co-founder of Rolls Royce, and for those fans of Jeeves and Wooster, the fictional character Bertie Wooster. In addition, it has one of the most exclusive private members club, Morton’s Club, reportedly the most haunted building in London. I am not so sure of the existence of ghosts, but one place that high spirits are abound, however, is at No. 12a, where you will find Benares, the well-deserved Michelin starred restaurant.

The front entrance is not flashy, in fact it is rather understated in comparison with some of the other restaurants in the vicinity, but you feel a sense of class and understated elegance which is enhanced once you scale the stairs to a low lit bar, which wouldn’t be out of place in many of the slick and exclusive nightclubs in the area. The bar flanks the far wall, and there was a pleasant buzz of patrons happily partaking of a variety of cocktails before moving into the restaurant for dinner. Cocktail lovers are well catered for here, and many of them have an Indian twist, including the Curry Spritz (gin, aperol and wine bitters with infused curry) or the Passion Fruit Chutney Martini (passion fruit chutney, vodka and fresh lemon juice).

Benares, now under the skilful guidance of Executive Chef, Sameer Taneja, has thrived since it opened in 2003, and in this tough environment that is a notable achievement. It also points to a set-up that moves with the times and continually updates its menus, always drawing on influences and spices from all corners of the subcontinent. Benares offers a fine dining experience where your taste buds are continually being challenged by the subtle spicing of varied and fresh ingredients, where a fusion of regional Indian flavours and spices and British ingredients create a unique modern cuisine, which, from hence forth, I will refer to as Brindian!

The menu, as in all good restaurants, concentrates on quality rather than quantity, so there are 8 appetisers and only 6 main dishes, but what caught my eye was the Tasting Menu of 10 dishes for £119 per person, which showcases all that Benares can offer. Perfect.

Before we set off on this tribute to fine food, we happily made our way through some delightfully light and crispy poppadoms, ably complemented by sweet chutneys, providing that sweet and sour contrast, as well as an onion oil (something I have never seen before).

Our first course was mysteriously named Street Snack, and what a way to start a meal, as it clearly indicated the authenticity of what was to come. The Street Snack is a tribute to all the street traders who ply their trade on the streets of India and rest under the branches of the trees to avoid the midday sun. It consisted of two skewers of delicately fried potato fritter sheltering under the branches of a Bonzai tree. Fried potato, on the face of it, doesn’t seem that special, but in the hands of the chefs at Benares, the texture and seasoning made this probably my favourite dish of the evening. The next course was an Italian Black Winter Truffle Shorba. Shorba is an Arabic word that means a kind of stew or hot soup and was lusciously thick and creamy and packed with chicken and chestnut flavour along with the distinctive richness of black truffle. The delights just kept coming, with a Porlock Bay Oyster and cured Sea-Bream Chaat, and then baked Malabar Hand Dived Scottish Scallop with a crispy bread podi. The small pieces of oyster and diced raw sea bream were mixed with avocado, chickpeas, peas and chilli to provide an explosion of tastes, all bathing in a delicate sweet and sour sauce, and the scallop had the slight sweetness, that Scottish scallops are famous for, and was accompanied by a delicate coconut sauce and a satisfying crunch from the breadcrumbs.

The final fish dish was a Tawa Masala, wild halibut with a clam moilee and again the composition of the dish was spot on, with the fish perfectly cooked and delicately spiced and complemented by the multi-coloured moilee.

The next two dishes were meat dishes of Tandori Muntjac with garlic yoghurt and chilli chutney and then the Baby Poussin Tikka Masala with lentils, rice and breads, again superb.

Our final two courses, pre-dessert and the dessert, were equally delicious, consisting first of a delicate crispy fig leaf complete with veins accompanied by a sweet fig chutney, and then the actual dessert, which was an indulgent Rasmalai (literal translation is juicy cream) which was milky and creamy and absolutely delicious. The Rasmalai was accompanied by a cinnamon cookie, shaped like a flower with a small drop of a sharp raspberry coolie in the middle, which provided the contrasting colour, texture and sharpness.

A visit to Benares is a true delight, with every dish being expertly constructed. Along with wonderful ingredients and textural combinations, there is just the right amount of spice to give the dish its taste without overpowering its ingredients. Very clever, and totally delicious, and it is no surprise that Benares has regained it Michelin star, and continues to go from strength to strength.

www.benaresrestaurant.com

Greek Wine Tasting Brother Marcus

2 Crispin Place, Spitalfields, London, E1 6DW

London doesn’t have enough space to cater for all of the people who want to live and work there, so it has continued to reinvent and redevelop areas over the years to try and keep up with the demand, and one such place that has undergone a dramatic change is Spitalfields Market.

Spitalfields is one of London’s oldest markets, originating in 1682 as a fruit and vegetable market, but over the years all of the fruit and vegetable traders have moved over to a new site in East London, and Spitalfields is now a seven-days a week market destination, with an array of independent stall holders, showcasing handcrafted and hard to find pieces accompanied by a number of restaurants and bars, and it was to one of these, Brother Marcus, that we visited on a winter’s night for a Greek Wine tasting evening.

When anyone mentions Greek wines I immediately think of retsina, as it is the best known traditional Greek wine. Retsina has not always had a positive reputation, indeed, I always remember my father’s description of retsina, when I was much younger, as being very dismissive describing it as ‘gutrot’ as it had a strong aftertaste from the resin added as a preservative. This reputation is actually quite unfair, as Greece is one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world dating back 6,500 years. In fact, Greek wines were highly regarded by the Romans, and as the Greeks spread throughout Europe they introduced vines and quality wines to much of Italy, Southern France and Spain.

Indeed, I had recently been to the Greek island of Santorini, where I enjoyed a few bottles of their wine, so I was really looking forward to our visit to Brother Marcus for the Greek wine tasting evening, as I hoped to enjoy a few more!

Brother Marcus was created by three best friends, Arthur, Alex and Tas, and their objective is to bring the flavours and recipes of the Eastern Mediterranean to London. They currently have three restaurants, one in Angel, another in Spitalfields, and the third, which recently opened in Borough Yards in early March.

When we arrived, the restaurant was already buzzing, even though it was early on a Wednesday evening, with diners enjoying their food and drinks seated in the Mediterranean styled outside seating area, complete with plants and overhead beams. As mentioned, we were there to experience a wine tasting evening, which Brother Marcus holds on the last Wednesday of each month and is designed to encourage Londoners to try and buy Greek wines. These wines are selected by Maltby & Greek, the leading supplier of Greek wines in the UK, and are selected from unknown regions to be paired alongside delicious Greek food provided by Brother Marcus.

The first wine was a complete surprise to me as I didn’t know that there was a Greek champagne, but it was a true delight and would give many big named champagnes a run for their money. It was fruity and crisp and was a great accompaniment to the first small plate of pickled vegetables and marinated olives in preserved lemon, chilli and rosemary. The olives were quickly devoured and replaced with a selection of Greek dips including hummus with paprika chickpeas; fennel tzatziki with Aleppo chilli and smokey aubergine baba ganoush, all accompanied by toasted fluffy pitta bread. The hummus was light and creamy, the tzatziki fresh, and the baba ganoush rich and garlicy. We then moved on to two different white wines, two delicate rosé‘s, and then finally 2 robust reds, all expertly presented and described by representatives from Maltby & Greek. Other dishes that were served during the evening were a dish of crispy and delicate Calamari with a smooth almond purée with basil, a wonderful baked Manouri Cheese with orange and thyme, Kefir Fried Chicken with paprika and romesco, and finally red lentil kibbeh with yellow chilli purée, leek hay and pomegranate molasses. Every dish we tried was perfectly cooked and a lovely example of what Greek food should taste like, and also showcased perfectly the skill of the Brother Marcus chefs.

The clever aspect of this evening was that the representatives from the wine distributors provided just enough information describing the wine and the region it was from, and in a way that us lay people can easily understand and appreciate, which is a skill that many sommeliers could take a leaf from, as they can often bamboozle people with unnecessary facts.

Brother Marcus’s mission is to bring the family together through food and memories, and so far my memories of the evening are very positive, as although we were really there for the wine, the food was tasty, perfectly cooked and gave a positive glimpse of what their kitchen can provide, and I for one, will be back very soon to investigate the menu further.

It is great to have found a fun and stylish restaurant with such a positive message to promote inclusivity by serving quality food accompanied by some exceptional Greek wines. I will now be going back to my Dad with a few bottles of Greek wine to prove to him that his critique of all Greek wines, all those years ago, is truly out of date!

www.brothermarcus.co.uk

Yauatcha

Broadgate Circle, London, EC2M 2QS Telephone: 0203 817 9888

Yauatcha first came to the attention of UK diners with its initial offering in Soho that gained a Michelin star, and is now a firm favourite with London diners.

Not content with resting on their laurels they opened a second restaurant deep in the heart of the city, and this was the restaurant we were invited to in order to share our experience of Yauatcha with you.

I have worked in the city, and my initial concern was that the restaurant would be stark and full of loud, brash city types, drinking over-priced wine and talking extremely loudly about the state of the markets and how they can make more money, but my concerns were totally unfounded.

Yauatcha City, dominates almost the entire second tier of Broadgate Circus, encircling the area where the ice rink is set up every winter, and although it can cater for almost 200 people, the clever design and segregation of the space they have maintains a level of intimacy that is vital when enjoying a meal out.

There is a bar area where you can sit on high tables, with a perfect view into the kitchen where the chefs weave their magic - a perfect place for a quick bite with friends. Other sections of the restaurant include parts replete with aquariums, star lit ceilings, and deep booths, and bookending the restaurant are two large, tastefully decorated outside terraces, where diners can enjoy a drink whilst looking down on the hustle and bustle of city life. Unfortunately, in February, the weather made it impossible to have a drink outside (think Siberian wind and you won’t be too far wrong), but I will be back in the summer to sip one of the many expertly created cocktails and enjoy the comfortable seats in the shade of the cherry blossom on the trees. The section of the restaurant we were seated in was filled with modern leather and metal chairs and wooden tables lit by low hanging lights, cleverly creating an intimate and inclusive atmosphere.

Yauatcha is renown for its Dim Sum, and Dim Sum translated actually means Gratitude. There are many legends based around this, and my favourite one is that, to show soldiers gratitude after a battle, a General had civilians make buns and cakes to send to the front line. If they had been sent the ones Yauatcha make, they would have been lucky soldiers!

The choice of Dim Sum is extensive, so either ask your waiter for some suggestions, or alternatively, you can choose one of the Dim Sum Platters - the Classic Steamed (£36), the Classic Baked (£36), the Supreme Dim Sum (£52) or the Vegan Dim Sum (£28). We put our trust in our waiter’s hands and weren’t disappointed, as he suggested we chose from the steamed section the Seafood Black Truffle Dumpling (£15) which was delightfully indulgent with a mixture of crab, prawn and scallop, subtly flavoured with black truffle wrapped in a pinky red sticky dough. The next two suggestions were from the baked/fried/ pan fried section and were Spicy Soft Shell Crab (£16) and the Sesame Prawn Toasts (£15). Soft shell crab is a favourite of mine, and especially when encased in a light and delicate batter, and this was accompanied by almonds and chilli to provide more texture and heat. The prawn toasts not only tasted fabulous, they looked great as well, and are a must to order. Our final starter came from the Bao Bun section with the recommendation of the Char Siu Bun (£11). Bao Buns are wonderfully sweet and gooey, and this sweetness was perfectly juxtaposed by the succulent pork within, making it a delightful mixture of sweet and savoury.

Before deciding on our main courses, we ordered one of our favourite dishes, half a Crispy Aromatic Duck with pancakes, cucumber and spring onion (£39). I have had duck in many establishments across the world and it is difficult for me to think of one that was better, the duck was succulent and fell off the bone when expertly de-boned by our waiter at the table, the skin was crispy, the pancakes were warm, and the hoisin sauce rich and comforting - perfection!!

Yauatcha’s mains again cater for everyone with an extensive range of fish, meat and poultry dishes, as well as a wide selection of tofu and vegetable dishes for vegetarians, and after extensive discussions we decided on the Pan Fried Silver Cod in superior soy sauce (£33) and Kung Pao Chicken with cashew nuts and dried chilli (£21). To accompany them, we selected Singapore Noodles with prawn, squid and bell peppers (£18) and Egg Fried Rice with spring onion (£10). Cod is a delicate taste and needs to be cooked well to bring out all the wonderful taste it has, and this dish didn’t disappoint, with the slightly salty soy sauce an able supporter. Kung Pao Chicken was renamed for a brief time during the Cultural Revolution to ‘spicy chicken’, due to its association with the imperial system, and although it is not such an appealing name, it is an apt description, as it had a lovely spicy heat all combined with the crunch of the cashew nuts. The spice of the chicken was off set nicely by the Singapore noodles, packed with prawns and squid and the fluffy rice we had ordered, finished off our mains perfectly.

Despite all this food we still had enough room for a dessert, and how lucky for us we did, as they were spectacular. Strangely, at an oriental restaurant, the desserts are described as ‘petite gateau’, so you may feel they are in the wrong restaurant, but when you see and taste them you will be grateful they are here. These small cakes are visually spectacular and are as clever and distinctive as they are tasty, and a perfect end to the meal. We selected, initially, just the Spiky Lemon (£6), as we were quite full by then!, but were persuaded to also try the Year of the Tiger dessert. This is a special dessert celebrating the start of the new Chinese New Year of the Tiger. The Spiky Lemon was a wonderful mixture of soft, sweet and creamy meringue, with the sharpness acidity of the lemon curd, and the Year of the Tiger dessert married two flavours that complement each other perfectly, namely orange (in the form of mandarins) and white chocolate. A truly spectacular end to a spectacular meal.

www.yauatcha.com/city

Burger & Lobster

36 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 4PS Telephone: 020 7432 4800

When it comes to food, there are just some partnerships that just go together, like Fish and Chips, Bangers and Mash or Bubble and Squeak, and until now I would never have added Burger and Lobster to the list, but after my visit to their Soho restaurant I may just have changed my mind.

Burger & Lobster started out in 2011, on an Irish Pub’s rooftop in Mayfair, when four school friends came up with a really simple idea, namely, take a few quality ingredients and focus on making them taste the best that they can.

The quality ingredients are not surprising, given their restaurants’ name, Burger & Lobster, and the best testament to the quality of their offering is that they have rapidly expanded, and now have 9 restaurants in London, as well as restaurants in 5 other countries (including one at the iconic Raffles hotel arcade in Singapore).

Many think that simple things are easy to do, but that is really not the case, as with simple things there is nowhere to hide, and you can’t hide deficiencies with a sauce!

Our destination was the Burger & Lobster restaurant in Soho, which is situated close to many of London’s theatres in that area, and is in the heart of London’s foodie capital. Soho has had a very colourful reputation, but few are aware that it also has an impressive cultural past, for example, it was the place where Lord Nelson spent his last night on dry land, where Mozart used to perform as a young boy, and where Karl Marx used to live in the 1850’s. It is now in the centre of the film and theatre industry, as well as home to numerous advertising agencies, which provides a lively and creative vibe that is mirrored by Burger & Lobster.

Burger & Lobster pride themselves on using the finest ingredients. The best lobsters come from Nova Scotia, Canada, and are caught in the time-honoured fashion in lobster pots, and then flown to the UK and transported to the restaurants where they are released into large tanks whilst still wonderfully fresh.

When lobster is on the menu it is possible to forget the other aspect to Burger & Lobster, namely the burger, but that would be a mistake, as the ingredients for these are also the freshest and tastiest you can get. Provenance is important, and a good burger must have good beef, and the beef in these burgers comes from the pastures of Nebraska where the cattle are only grass fed.

The menu at Burger & Lobster is a simple one to understand, as after the starters there is really only four options for the mains, Lobster, Lobster Roll, Burger, or a combination of burger and lobster. It is simple to understand, but not so simple to decide what to choose, as it all looks amazing, and the smells coming from the kitchen can make you change your mind a number of times!

I looked at the starters, or ‘small plates to share’ as it says on the menu, and was initially tempted by the Calamari (£8.50) and the Queen Scallops (£11), but I have tasted these many times before, so decided on something new and plumped for the Classic Oysters (£3.50 per oyster) and the Spinach Croquettes (£8). Oysters are certainly an acquired taste. Here their flesh was succulent and delicately flavoured (if a bit slippery!) and the taste was enhanced by the hint of tabasco, lemon and the shallot vinaigrette I added. The Croquettes were served with Feta cheese and a moreish green goddess dipping sauce, and I was glad I had selected something different. My wife chose the Queen Scallops that were served in their shell, sitting on a wonderfully spicy sauce, and do be warned, it is a hot sauce!

For the mains I changed my mind a number of times again, as everything was just so tempting, but I finally decided to have the B&L Combo with half a lobster and a 5oz original burger (£28). This was served with fries, salad and a dressing of your choice (I chose the lemon & garlic one). Your lobster can be grilled or steamed, but personally I prefer it grilled as it preserves its meaty flavour, and I chose the lemon and garlic sauce which is frankly a joy without dominating the lobster’s natural taste. I would like to think of myself as a bit of a connoisseur of burgers, as I have eaten many burgers in many restaurants across the world, but I am struggling to remember when I have had a tastier burger than the one here. The burger was packed with salty bacon, cheese, tomato and salad, along with a ‘secret’ recipe burger sauce, but the gem was the patty which was so succulent and just slightly pink in the middle and seasoned perfectly. A true delight to my taste buds.

It is not only the taste that makes eating lobster special, you also have the challenge of finding and extracting every last tasty morsel from the shell. To do this you are provided with a nut cracker (I know it has a different name, but that’s what it looked like to me!), and a long metal implement with 2 tiny prongs to dig into the nooks and crannies of the lobster.

If you prefer a hybrid of lobster and burger then the lobster roll is for you, as it provides another way to enjoy lobster as the lobster is dressed in lemon mayo and served in a toasted brioche bun - a lobster burger no less! If you are visiting with children under 10 there is also a special menu for them, that includes burgers and fish and chips instead of lobster.

There are only two desserts to choose from - a creamy Crème Brulee and a Baked Cheesecake (both £6), and if you still have room I would suggest the Crème Brulee as it has a great crunchy sugary top and is wonderfully creamy, and you can’t have enough sweetness or cream in life, can you?!

I love a restaurant where everything is simple. The concept is simple, namely, take two ingredients, ensure that they are the freshest and tastiest you can source, and cook them perfectly in a comfortable and buzzy environment. It seems simple, but it is hard to pull off, and Burger & Lobster have aced it with consummate ease, and it won’t be long before I return for another one of those amazing burgers.

www.burgerandlobster.com