/ Georgina Does

Everything we ate and drank at Taste of London 2021

Monday, 26 July 2021

I have decided that Taste of London is all about indulgence.

Everything looked and smelt so delicious that I wanted to try it all - and I did, but like I said, that's what it's all about - trying something new, expanding your culinary horizons and indulging in delicious food.

I am not someone who enjoys sharing food, especially with David but on this occasion, it was a great way for us to try as many dishes as possible without filling up too quickly.

So here's a run down of everything we ate and drank:

Champagne and Smokin' Brothers Smoked Salmon Canapes (3 for £12)

We started off in the VIP tent which is where we got the free glass of bubbles, but before heading into the main festival, David was drawn over to the boujie smoked salmon canapes.

Highly over priced in my opinion, but also very high quality. One had an avocado mousse which was obviously delicious but my favourite was drizzled with lime juice, which was a really good flavour combination. I'm a big fan of citrus.

Heading into the main festival, we were ready for some more bubbles so whilst I went off in search of those, David got in queue for our next dish.

Manthans Ghati Prawn Masala (£8)

Turns out chef Rohit Ghai has quite the reputation when it comes to London's higher end Indian food and with Michelin-stars to his name, these quite rightly stood out from anything I've had before.

I'd never tried a dish quite like this; I think I saw the word 'masala' and just assumed (stupidly) that it was some kind of curry but actually I was very pleased we tried them because they were delicious - and also a great thing to start with because they worked well as a starter.

Topped with soothing coconut shreds, the big juicy prawns had a good level of spice and a wonderful crunch. Manthan is yet to open but after these, I am very keen to visit when it does later this year.

Espresso Martini from Artisan Coffee Co. (Approx £12)

David loves an espresso martini so we stopped off for one on the way to the next place. I was just as excited as a kid in a candy shop when the women also gave me a chocolate which they were pairing with the cocktails.

Casa Calaveras Fried chicken taco (£7)

Next was Mexican food which usually I love, but this was just a chicken taco and I wasnt all that excited about it. I took a bite and was quickly ready to find something new. Although having done some more research when I wrote this post, I learnt that Casa Calaveras is part of the Hakkasan group which pipped my interest. But what can I say, it just didnt compare.

Cafe Pacifico Cocktails (Approx £8 each)

Sticking with the Mexican theme, we headed to the Cafe Pacifico stand for some fruity coctails and some free shots of Mezcal which probably wasn't a good idea.

There was lots of talk around agave on their menu, which as a syrup, is something I eat on a weekly basis so I was interested to try. As a spirit however, it's more like tequila and less like honey, go figure.

We went for two different passionfruit cocktails here - a spiced mojito and a caiprinha - my kind of cocktails, both sweet, fruity and strong. Very good.

Flesh & Buns BBQ Pork Rib (£7) and Exclusive Black Cod Bao £10

This was the highlight of the evening by a mile.

We actually queued up for the bao buns but once I realised that the black cod was battered and not coated in sticky miso sauce; David went ahead and still ordered one and I went for the next best thing, a sticky BBQ rib - which turned out to be the best thing I ate all night.

The flavour of the sauce was just something else and it was literally dripping in it, with lots of sesame seeds as well. Plus as ribs go, it was big and very meaty, I would have eaten a whole plate of them given the opportunity. So delicious.

Burger & Lobster Original Lobster & Prawn Roll Slider (£7) & Lobster Burger Slider (£7)

It was getting late by now and having forgone the bao, I just felt like I needed some carbs, something comforting. Having always ordered the full lobster in the past, this was my chance to finally try the lobster roll and boy have I been missing out. It was good.

And surprisinly, so was the burger lobster slider. Initially I just thought it was a burger slider so I was pleasantly surprised when I got a hit of lobster in the little bite I took. I never understood why anyone would go to Burger and Lobster and order the burger but the combination does work very well together so I was gladly proven wrong.

Even though there were still so many things left that I wanted to try, we had run out of vouchers and it was getting cold so we decided to call it a night and left very full, and very satisfied - even without dessert!

Wednesday, 14 July 2021

Ave Mario is the third of the Big Mama restaurants to open up in London; after Circolo Popolare in Soho and Gloria in Shoreditch. These quirky Italian restaurants are well known for their impressive interiors and tasty food, and also that fact that they're almost impossible to get a booking at.

So with news of their new restaurant opening, I had to get smart. I signed up to their newsletter which gave me a little pre-launch nudge. This had me drop everything and log on to find I had the option of any time or day my heart desired within two weeks of it opening.

I finally got my booking. Well done me!

Inconspicuous on the outside - compared to the inside at least, Ave Mario is situated on Henrietta street which seems to be where it's at this summer.

Once you pass the white net curtain and enter the actual restaurant, it's kinda like you've arrived in wonderland - although it's not just the crazy decor that hits you, its the atmosphere too, it's buzzing.

Like the photos I've seen online of Circolo Popolare, the back wall is stacked with 3000 bottles although Ave Mario is much quirkier and in your face than its older sibling. The first thing you see are the thick lines of black and white tiles running along the walls, across the ceiling and back along the other side; with the addition of trashy fluorescent signs and opulent red velvet wherever you are seated, it's like some kind of fun house.

The huge central skylight is a nice touch.

That was just one part of this huge, crazy place. Head down the little stairs at the back and you're in a different place altogether. Instantly transported to what feels like a little family run restaurant somewhere in rural Italy - tiled walls, wooden tables and much quieter; you know the kind.

Down a further set of stairs you'll find a third dining room come cosy cocktail bar - similar to the first room, plus the most amazing rainbow toilet.

Now let it be said, for me, the food itself is nice enough but not really anything to write home about. I had the exact same thought when ordering from Napoli Gang, which was the takeaway service they opened in SW London during lockdown,

But hear me out; when you pair that with the incredibly fun venue, the electric atmosphere and the theatrics of it all, suddenly this average Italian food is worth traveling half way across London for. By the time our two hours were up and we were asked to leave, I didn't want to go. I could have stayed there all night sipping on giant cocktails. It really was a lot of fun and I am very excited to do it all over again, just as soon as I can get another booking.

Wednesday, 30 June 2021

Heading to Borough Market early on a Saturday morning is always an exciting start to the weekend but this time, we had something extra special planned for when we got there.

Bread Ahead are, hands down, my favourite doughnuts. Their raspberry jam filled ones are simple but just done perfectly. I never leave the market without one, so upon discovering that they have their very own cookery school behind the stand, I promptly booked a couple of spots in their doughnut making class.

We arrived at 10 am for the 2 hour class and along with 12 others, we were checked in and ushered to our own tables. In the interest of social distancing, they had pre weighed and distributing the ingredients and of course there was mask wearing throughout, although the kitchen was pretty cool so it wasn't too bad.

Initially I was a little sad because we were given a ready made ball of dough but as it turns out, a good doughnut, like Rome, isn't built in a day. The dough needs to rest overnight so we used the original ball to make our doughnuts in the class - dividing it up, rolling to shape and proving - and then we made our own fresh dough which we took home to have a play with later on.

We also learnt how to make jam from scratch which is something I'm very excited to try at home - super simple and just as good as store bought which can't usually be said for anything I make in the kitchen. The second filling was a thick vanilla custard which was much less exciting and not very special at all so we quickly forgot all about that.

Once our dough balls were proved, it was time to drop them into the deep fat fryer, allowing them to achieve the all important ring of truth (that's the light ring around the middle.) Since the dough floats to the top of the hot oil, the middle doesn't get a chance to fry and instead, is steamed which leaves it super soft. This makes it the perfect place to pipe the filling into.

After two minutes on each side, they were golden delicious, with a perfect ring of truth and ready to throw into a bowl of sugar before being stuffed with the fillings.

Albeit a little uneven, and almost bursting since I was a little eager with the jam, the doughnuts were finished to perfection, and even sweeter knowing I had made them myself (possibly because I was also a little eager with the sugar coating too)

I'd highly recommend the cookery school as a gift experience or just something fun to treat yourself to. If you are interested, be quick because the classes are currently, almost 50% off!

Monday, 21 June 2021

I haven't left the UK since 2019 and actually, I'm not sad about it. Of course I hope to be on a plane out of here as soon as I can but I am in no rush to do so before it's safe.

I have never really had much interest in travelling around the UK - I think this has a lot to do with my main motivation for travel - which is food.

Nonetheless, if you'd have asked me a few years ago, I would have told you I hated London but having spent the past 2 years making the most of it, there is no place I would rather live so - maybe it's time to leave my passport at home give the rest of the UK a chance too.

I have had a few thoughts about a little bit of internal travel and here's what spikes my interest:

Cornwall

This one does slightly appeal to my foodie nature because Cornwall has lots of iconic things to try. It'd be the perfect excuse to indulge in a decadent afternoon tea - and of course where better to sample my first Cornish pasty.

Kent

I actually visited Kent last summer during COVID and had a wonderful time. We hired a car and stayed at a cute little air B&B which made it very easy for us to isolate from everyone else. Once we arrived, there was Dover castle and the white cliffs to explore.

I'd also highly recommend visiting Canterbury as it is very cute.

Brighton

OK this is the one place that I know I do enjoy and in normal times, we visit every summer - something my mum and I have missed over the past couple of years.

After an early drive down, breakfast in the lanes and a morning of shopping, we love to grab a table by the water and eat seafood all afternoon.

Bath

I had a spare hour to wander around Bath once and all it did was leave me wanting more, we had just about enough time to look around the Baths but what I really wanted to do was explore the town, it looked lovely!

Manchester

I don't know why, but I've always wanted to visit Manchester. I guess that should be a pretty easy one to tick off.

Isle of Wight

My boyfriend sailed from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight on a boys trip last week and the photos that were coming back were incredible so I'm making sure he takes me with next time!

In collaboration with Hotels.com, but all views are my own

Thursday, 17 June 2021

I've always loved Gaucho. I've been for birthdays, graduations, date nights and for brunch at the weekend! It was the first place I wanted to go to as we came out of Lockdown one last summer; so yes, needless to say I'm a big fan.

Having just moved to Southwest London, I was very eager to check out the Richmond venue - which is not only my new local branch but it also sits on the riverside. I'd actually not been to Richmond before so having spotted with current promotion on Instagram, I couldn't resist making a booking.

Book your table at any Gaucho restaurant from Monday to Wednesday between 17th May and 28th July and we will give you a fantastic celebratory percentage off your food bill for your birthday decade. If you’re celebrating your 26th birthday, you and your table will enjoy twenty percent off your bill"

I got lucky with this one. I made this booking maybe six weeks ago and it just so happened to be 29° when the day finally rolled around. Ii had picked up one of my favourite dresses from home the week before and it was the perfect opportunity to wear it. I was ecstatic to get a table outside - it was the perfect evening.

The food was as good as ever, plus even more of a treat than usual as it had been a while since I'd eaten steak.

I don't rate the starters at all but it seemed silly not to make the most of the discount so I tried to sea bass ceviche whilst David ordered the empanadas. Nice, but nothing special.

Luckily I can't say the same about the steak, that was just what I needed it to be. We shared a 400g fillet which was served sliced up on a board in the middle of the table. In the heat, I found this much less overwhelming than having a huge lump of meat placed down in front of me.

Buttery soft and cooked just as we wanted it, I ate mine with béarnaise sauce and garlic spinach whilst trying to avoid gorging too much on the mac and cheese we'd also ordered.

Washed down with a sweet, summery blackberry and gin cocktail, I also insisted on dessert after seeing a huge slab of sticky toffee pudding arrive at the table next to us.

It was pretty dreamy too.

It was my first proper trip into Richmond and I thought it was just the most magical place.

We went for a little wander after dinner to let to food go down and make the most of the wonderful weather. Like us, there were lots of friends and couples enjoying green space and waterside paths. The river was filled with local boats and lined with lovely pubs. One particular place had dished out cushions so people were sitting against the walls and on the curbs, with a plastic pint watching the sun go down over the water. I just didn't want to leave.

Next time I'm in the mood for steak, I know exactly where I'm going.

SLIDER