Meat convert

 

Image courtesy of The Londoner

In the midst of most of the population questioning their decision to eat meat after the horsemeat scandal, I made the surprising choice to start eating meat again. Don’t get me wrong I don’t envisage myself stood at McDonalds on a hungover Sunday and I won’t be gorging on meat but as a lover of food, I felt that I was hindering myself from tasting quality dishes.

For my first experience in over 5 years, I took the plunge and visited the latest buzz restaurant, Bone Daddies. Serving the finest Ramen in London, this was a truly unique experience. Cooked in bone broth, the foundations of each Ramen are intensely meaty, allowing the noodles to soak up the deep, fatty and comforting taste of the broth. I went for T22, a creamy, delicious mixture of chicken broth, soy ramen and the hilarious addition of cock scratchings.

The ramen came topped with egg, ‘ni-tamago’ style which means marinated and semi-boiled, resulting in a glistening yoak that is irresistible. The pieces of chicken were perfectly tender, the noodles moorish and the delicious broth was so good, I couldn’t help but slurp from the bowl once I had finished the main contents.

They don’t take reservations but boy was this worth the wait, as my first meat indulgence, I was happily converted to eat good quality meat and as I thought, the dish would not have had the same impact without the meaty broth.

 

Tyler Udall

Tyler Udall exhibition at The Little Black Gallery. Opens 11th February.

Upstairs at The Ten Bells

Only a year old, Upstairs at The Ten Bells already has a loyal following. Set in the first floor of an infamous pub, not just known as the last drinking location of a Ripper victim but also as a recent stripper joint, this place has already had an interesting history.

With a simple, refined menu, you aren’t overwhelmed with choice which as a hugely indecisive individual, makes things easy. For starter I decided on the buckwheat pancakes with smoked mackerel and cucumber. It was delicious although the pancakes were a little big but the flavours mixed well. My friends went for buttermilk chicken that came placed on some old pine leaves, who said recycling Christmas trees was hard.

Main came and although delicious,Ii was slightly disappointed with the lack of size and variety in the meal. Braised swede with salsify and mushrooms implied a hearty meal and although bursting with winter flavour. I would have liked something with it or on the side. The fish on this course looked amazing with a thick piece of hake on a bed of vegetables and the addition of potted shrimp. The meat also looked grand with pork, lentils and vegetables. In this case, I think the veggie option looked like the poor relation to the other dishes but all the same it tasted great.

Finally, I couldn’t resist desert and this was the showstopper for me. Milk crisps with buttermilk ice cream and rhubarb sorbet was delicious. The sourness of the buttermilk went well with the sharp rhubarb and the milk crisps balanced it all whilst adding a new texture to the dish.

Overall, this was a great meal. The charm of the shabby decor, paired with the interesting history and delicious, yet innovative food makes this a top Shoreditch find.

Recent fun

Gingerbread Man getting me through the day// Coffee and productiveness at Browns of Brockley//Cocktails at The Ritz//Food at Whitecross Market//Sunday Roast at the Owl and Pussycat//Street art in Shoredicth during my many ramblings around the city.

La Bodega Negra

Billed as the new, trendy Mexican to hit London, La Bodega Negra has two locations giving you the option of visiting the café for lunch or the underground, cryptic restaurant for dinner. L

London is having a passionate love affair with all hispanic influenced food at the moment but in my experience it can be a hit or miss situation. 

Similarly to El Camion, the evenings here have a party vibe with a DJ and you have the added novelty of walking through a sex shop but Iafter an intense day of shopping I decided to re-energise with some lunch at the cafe location that immediately grabs your attention with its bright décor of turquoise and black.

The lunch menu is relatively short and we found that it is better value if you choose the set menu of a drink, taco selection and a side rather than a selection of dishes. On this occassion I had the fresh lemonade which had a real citrus kick, the prawn tacos and a side of rice and beans.

The tacos were delicious but tiny (and I mean tiny) portions and the beans were tasteless; I did choose to have them without meat which was a rookie error in this case. My friend had the mushroom and cheese tacos and these lacked flavour and any innovation. I know vegetarian food isn’t always exciting but they could at least come up with something better than bland mushrooms and cheese.

Unfortunately for me, La Bodega Negra isn’t a new star restaurant for Mexican food.  It was £10 for the set menu which was pretty steep for a few small tacos and sides. The atmosphere and good service saved it and after hearing rave reviews of the restaurant for the evening, I think I will have to try it another time to get a better impression. For lunch, I would much rather nip to Benitos Hat or a market stall for a tasty burrito to give me my Mexican fix.

Layers

I do love a crisp white shirt, I found mine at Uniqlo and teamed it with a black high necked jumper, polka dot shorts and a beautiful ethnic necklace I found in a vintage store. Here's to colder weather that allows for layering.

Recent fun

Bowling at All Star, Brick Lane// Treats from Hong Kong//Coffee and Banana Loaf at Flat White//Watermelon fro'yo at PinkBerry//Tower Hill (feeling like you aren't in London//