Cronut @ Masters Sandwich Bar

You may have heard of the 'cronut' food fad that's been going on for some time. Billed as part doughnut, part croissant, this hybrid was born on the streets of New York (where else?),

I'm not one to jump onto 'trendy' food in general - quinoa, kale and acai existed long before they were famous and I'm pretty unimpressed by the practice of doubling the price of something because it's a 'superfood' or the like. That said, I had been intrigued by this alleged crossing of textures for a while, and decided to take the plunge. What would it look like, this chimerical beast that had attained near-mythical status in its quick and meteoric rise?

Pretty much like a doughnut, as it turned out.

So far, so ordinary. However, an unusual flavour was on offer in the form of caramel and pistachio. Now it was starting to grab my attention!

At £3.50 for a single piece it was certainly steep, so my expectations were high. As I bit into it I was immediately reminded of...a dense doughnut. It was quite heavy and there was none of the characteristic lightness and flakiness of a croissant in the texture. It was also somewhat dry and the pistachio and caramel flavours didn't hold their own in the overall balance with the dough. I was disappointed.

Wondering what all the fuss was about and thinking of how many decent pieces of sushi I could have procured for my £3.50 (probably 1), I took a second dejected bite -

And everything changed. What was this? A generous river of thick-flowing caramel hiding in the centre of the dough? Hallelujah! It was like irrigation to parched lands, delivering crucial moisture to the dough with a knockout punch of delicious buttery flavour. It was like butterscotch with a pistachio topping: at once devilish and heavenly.

Perhaps the jam version wouldn't have been as good, but I can heartily recommend the caramel-pistachio cronut as a bit of a gem. Try it once - you'll probably spend the next year running it off.

You can find Masters at 53 Great Portland Street; the closest Tube station is Oxford Circus.

@FerventFoodie

£5 Lunch, Match Bar

The novelty of the (actually rather good) office canteen was wearing off, as was the grind of assembling a packed lunch every day. If only there were some way to find a balance between the hole in my stomach and the one in my wallet, alas! So it was that I went, in search of cheap eats nearby.

A chalk board on the street advertising cheap food in central London is always likely to grab my attention – my Fervent Foodie sense is engaged 24/7 (I dream in sushi). Such was how I happened upon Match Bar’s ‘lunch for £5’ deal. 

The lunch on offer is simple fare – eggs benedict or a choice of filling for your ciabatta/pitta/salad. Avocado & prawn and jerk chicken were both contenders, but in the end I could not resist the lure of chicken and chorizo, in a salad.

The food arrived at the table bursting with colour and I was glad to see that the chorizo was in satisfying chunks. The salad consisted of leafy greens, tomato, cucumber and herbs. It looked good, but another of my first impressions was of the portion size – really rather small for a main. That explained the low price.

Meat.

The chicken was in grilled strips and the salad had a good mix of textures between the tender leaves, crunchy cucumber and juicy tomato chunks. It would have been decent, if unremarkable were it not for addition of the chorizo. The rich and oily, almost nutty quality of the chorizo stood out against the mild backdrop of the chicken salad, which enhanced the depth of its flavour. It was a classic example of how judicious use of a bold ingredient can add life to an otherwise plain dish.

Though the taste of it was great, by the end of my meal I was left feeling hungry: the portion just wasn’t big enough. Perhaps the ciabatta option, with its thick wedges of bread, would have gone some ways to solve this problem but on the flavour-balanced salad option I can only recommend it for small appetites or a light lunch.

You'll find Match Bar at 37-38 Margaret St, the closest station being Oxford Circus

Nizuni go, Marylebone Lane

It could be cosy

Nizuni go markets itself as ‘Japanese sushi and sashimi’, but in fact the menu is quite a bit wider than that, with ramen, curry and the like too. It's a takeaway-focused outlet of the main Nizuni restaurant - which spans several floors  on Charlotte St. nearby. Of greatest prominence here seems to be their menu of salads, featuring gyoza and hoisin duck. This didn’t bode particularly well for traditional authenticity, but I tried to keep an open mind.

It’s more of a cafe than a restaurant in feel. The wooden theme evokes a traditional Japanese feel and cosy warmth. This theme extends to the wooden sign hanging out front. Slightly jarringly juxtaposed to all this though is the glaring soft drinks fridge residing in the corner.

I ordered a katsu curry and a couple of pieces of Salmon nigiri sushi. The curry is particularly well-priced at under £7. The sushi came to £3.60 for 2 pieces, which is fairly standard for a hole-in-the-wall type of place.

The katsu curry arrived in record time and the first impressions were good: it was well-presented in a traditional wooden rice tub and was piping hot. It came with a small side of Japanese pickles.

There were only a couple of vegetable pieces in the curry which was a little disappointing. The curry was also by far the mildest I’ve ever had, at the expense of flavour. In fairness, it is described as mild in the menu, but the level of mildness was such that it had only hints of that distinctive Japanese curry spice blend. The katsu itself was well-seasoned, possibly with garlic powder added to the meat during the breading process.

The sushi was surprisingly good considering the curry. The salmon melts in the mouth nicely with an almost buttery texture. It was a little too warm though and the fish, in its softness, lacked a little body. It didn’t feel like biting into much.

The fish is good, but the block as a whole is top-heavy

Never devour the green wasabi mountain whole - it's extremely potent.

The rice held together well but the proportions were off. It may seem great to get a whacking great piece of fish on top but in actual fact, it made the nigiri difficult to handle with chopsticks while keeping it in once piece. The fish was prone to slipping off or engulfing the rice at the sides. Service was attentive throughout despite the cafe feel of the place.




All in all there was enough there to make me interested in trying the salads. It offers decent sushi on a budget - of far better quality than anything you might get at say, Itsu. I’d give the curry a miss though. There’s far better to be had for a few pounds more, with heartier servings too. The exception perhaps would be if you took away - the menu is slightly cheaper in that case.

You can find Nizuni go at 39 Marylebone Lane, W1U 2NP. the closest Tube stations are Bond St. and Oxford Circus.

Follow me on Twitter: @FerventFoodie

Office Porridges of London #2

The little things make mornings better: waking up actually feeling refreshed, getting a seat on the train or catching the connecting tube right as you arrive at the platform.That's why I've taken it upon myself to seek out the sublime in the mundane by finding London's best desk porridge to make mornings that little bit easier. 

This second entry is from Starbucks. (You can find the first one, along with the review rules here.) Judging by the wording in their branding, they set the bar very high:

That's right, *Perfect* Porridge!

On first impressions, Starbucks' offering didn't look too shabby. I choose dried fruit as a healthy topping, which made it look about as good as you'll get for porridge.

That's some seriously sexy porridge. God, I need to get out more.

Unfortunately, appearances proved to be deceiving. Now, porridge-making isn't rocket science by any means - oats, hot water or milk and toppings are all it takes for a basic, hearty breakfast - but there are a few steps in porridge-making that make or break it. The water or milk needs to be hot enough, the ratio of liquid to oats needs to be right, the mixture needs to be stirred properly and the liquid needs time to cook the oats.

In this case the oats had clearly not been mixed properly. Although the dried fruit was flavourful and sweet enough to avoid adding sugar, there were clumps of dry oats that, even when mixed into the rest, hadn't had the moisture or cooking time necessary to become porridge. It was actually rather unpleasant.

It may depend on the branch but I went back the next day and the problem was the same. In other branches, I have been served porridge that was incredibly thin. The devil is in the detail, even for simple things and 'Perfect Porridge' was a description far off the mark here. It looks like Starbucks needs to make sure it trains its staff to ensure consistency in this. Overall, it's rolling the dice depending on who's making it so I can't recommend it as a reliable start to the day.

Office Porridges of London #1

Now that I'm commuting in to London, time is at a premium in the mornings. I like to have a good breakfast, but sometimes there just isn't time. Yet not for me the sinful cereal bar or pathetic breakfast pastry! The Fervent Foodie is only soothed by things delicious and nutritious too.

I like my morning porridge. It's not exactly a gourmet feast but it's homely and wholesome. Therefore, it is my duty towards the office-bound throughout this great city to find the best cubicle cuisine in London. There are a couple of rules for this:

1. It has to be take-away porridge. If there's no cardboard pot to take to your desk, it's not eligible!

2. It has to be from a chain. It's gotta be available to everyone, not some amazing independent place that only few will be able to appreciate. (Woe is me.)

So, that brings me to our first entry, from the imperiously-named EAT.

Now I've got to say, EAT has an image as being a bit pretentious so I was interested to see what they'd do to push the boat out on something as simple as porridge. The toppings they offer are honey and banana, fruit compote, and chia seeds (the fancy pants discerning gentleman's topping). Unfortunately, social mobility was at an all-time low today and they were out of chia seeds, so I had to settle for the reliable banana and honey.

First of all, look at this:

No Instagram filter would save this

 Does this look appetising to you? Granted, porridge is not exactly the Miranda Kerr of the food world but seriously, this? Is this place called EAT or DRINK?

OK, it's definitely EAT. I'm getting confused with all the monosyllabic instructional food joints around these days.

The oats were actually nice and chunky, but the water just made it into a depressing gloop. At £2.24 with a topping it's one of the more expensive pot porridges out there. Maybe it was a one-off but I'm loath to go back again to try. Quite disappointing indeed. On the plus side, the bar has not been set very high for the next challenger. Onward! (Lunch had better be good now...)

  

Fire in the Belly

It's not every day that a place is so good I feel compelled to write about it on the way home - but that's a testament to how Cocoro, a quirky Japanese dive a short walk from Tottenham Court Road station, wowed me.Inside, it's small but spacious enough. The decor is simple but effective. 

The food though. Oh. The food. 

I ordered a piece each of salmon and tuna nigiri, a chicken katsu curry and a pot of green tea. I began with the sushi. My first impression was that it had been served a little warmer than I'd have liked. It looked good but that can be deceptive. I was wary but that went out of the window with the first bite; the texture and flavour for both were pretty fantastic; really melt-in-the-mouth stuff with all the rich complexity that oily fish should have.

 

So delicious I almost ate the glass plate too

Yum.

I've had my share of mediocre katsu curries in England. I often resort to cooking my own since the quality I seek just isn't easily available.This though, was magnificent. It steamed with the heat of a thousand suns. I mean, it was still steaming at the end of my meal. Then there's the other kind of heat; the kind that builds up cumulatively with each mouthful of Japanese curry. The combination was potent. By the end of my bowl I had broken out into a sweat and my body had forgotten all about winter. Instead, I seemed to have acquired a furnace inside. To call the curry robust would be diplomatic in truly understated, Japanese style.
 

Not shown: volcanic vents of steam

 The chicken katsu was hot and fresh, not dry like some others I've had. Crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside, the way it should be. An unusually smooth surface for katsu but it was so good I barely missed the textured rivets that breadcrumbs usually make.
 
The vegetables in the curry had been cooked separately and added later. The sauce is cooked beforehand, and this keeps the veg from getting soggy. I enquired, and curry cubes are used but the chef adds his own spices to it so the result tastes unique. It's the best katsu curry I've had in London and I have no hesitation in recommending it wholeheartedly. Go there now and invite me while you're at it - I want to go back!


Afternote: Cocoro has another branch on Marylebone Lane which I have also visited. The one reviewed here specialises in Ramen and Curry and has a cafe-diner feel, whereas the one on Marylebone has more of a traditional Japanese restaurant vibe, with tatami. The menu there, whilst excellent, is different to this branch and generally dearer.

Hyper Japan 2013 Special: Yaki Japanese Bakery

Yaki (meaning 'grilled' or 'baked') had a street-food feel to its stall, with the spectacle and aroma of takoyaki-making drawing a long queue of people.

How should I describe takoyaki? Octopus...batter...balls? They may not sound particularly appealing put that way but these creamy, fried delights are a staple snack on the sides of busy Japanese streets. Although taiyaki (sweet, fish-shaped waffle snacks filled with read bean paste) were also on offer, I opted for some good old takoyaki and a matcha latte.

Open the box and...Ta-da! Pockets of mystery deliciousness promised within.

  OK, they look a little messy but that's street food for you. Octopus-batter mix gets contact-grilled in a dedicated contraption (similar to a waffle iron), leaving it soft inside with an easy-to-handle skin on the outside. Then mayonnaise,  seaweed flakes and a sweet, brown sauce are generously slathered on top to create a satisfying, saucy mess (ahem) where each piece is perfectly sized to pick up with chopsticks.

So how did they taste? Well, it was a pretty decent effort. Retaining the details of having two sauces plus seaweed was a nice touch, but the mayonnaise wasn't as creamy as the kind used in Japan. I think that Helman's or something similar would have worked, but the giant tub of whatever they used wasn't quite there. This is important because when it's right, the mayo matches the texture and mouthfeel of the soft batter inside, accentuating the creaminess - which I did miss. What octopus was there was great; firm without being chewy, but I definitely wanted more.

The basic idea is there but the balance could use work to make the them delicious. If you've never tried takoyaki before then by all means do give Yaki a visit for the novelty - it's an unusual food find and I loved the way their stall gave a street food feel. I hope that their store follows a similar idea  in that respect.

You can find Yaki in London at 53 Goodge St, or online at yaki.co.jp

Hyper Japan 2013 Special: Bento Ramen

It took some effort to figure out something to write for this entry; my initial reaction was, 'well, what can I really say about the ramen?' and I suppose this says something about the unremarkable nature of it. It's not bad, but it doesn't have any hugely stand-out qualities either.

The soup is based on miso, not MSG-laden packet stock - which is a definite plus - but the flavour of it was rather weak. The few bits of spring onion in there didn't bolster it enough to stop it tasting a bit watery. Points for using real ingredients, but the ramen soup is crucial and should be robust. Despite the humble status of ramen outlets in Japan, ramen chefs take pride in the soup and it plays a large part in the signature of the house.

2 ebi tempuras and 4 fish balls in ramen

The fried fish balls were the flavour highlight, and plump and juicy with a satisfying spring in the texture. The ebi (prawn) tempura was of a decent size and the breadcrumbs held together despite being subjected to the soup for a good few minutes. The noodles were cooked well; soft but firm in texture, slick without being slimy. The problem was, it felt like they were just floating around lost in the watery broth. Even the added ingredients didn't impart enough flavour to make the soup satisfying.

Perhaps the idea was to customise the soup using the available soy sauce, but that shouldn't be at the expense of base flavour. Perhaps the demands of catering for hundreds of patrons at Hyper Japan lowered the standards for the day; but as it stands my experience with Bento Ramen was distinctively mediocre and for £7, I was disappointed.

Hyper Japan 2013 Special: Beschle Chocolate

It takes hard work to get noticed amidst the bustle of London's biggest Japan-themed event, with a plethora of stalls and people dressed in all manner of outlandish costumes vying for your attention. However, I met my match in the deadliest weakness of every foodie - free samples. That drew me to Beschle's stall nicely.

£20 worth of chocolate. I don't really need electricity, right?

As I gazed over the shelf of products on display one thing caught my attention. In quietly understated lettering, the word 'Criollo'. Until last year, this wouldn't have meant anything to me - but until last year, I hadn't discovered the delights of the criollo cocoa bean in artisanal Mexican chocolate. The criollo is the king of cocoa beans, far rarer, more expensive and complex than its brethren. Think deep, intense flavour, nuttiness and a complexity that leaves your palate satisfied (exhausted?) after just a small piece. Simply put, criollo is chocolate taken to the next level.

Since finishing my treasured Mexican bars I had been looking without success for chocolate in the UK that uses these incredible beans, to no avail. Now I found that Beschle's bars used these little-known gems. Think how much more they had my attention now, and how high my expectations suddenly were!

First I tried the matcha (a form of high-grade powdered Japanese green tea). I will say this now: You will not find a higher quality matcha chocolate in the U.K. Just take a look at this packaging - detailed, exquisite.

A work of art in itself.

The contents are suitably premium, with enough matcha to bring out the pleasant bitterness that pairs so well with sweets. Personally, I am a matcha fiend and I would have preferred more matcha and less sugar in the balance to hit the sweet spot, but this is far ahead of anything you will find in import shops.

The pistachio flavour, lightly salted, really brought out the savoury aspects of the bean which is where much of the delicious complexity lies. My favourite of those sampled though was unusually a bar of white chocolate in the lassi (an Indian yogurt drink) flavour. I love dark chocolate but this knocked my socks off. Creamy and mellow with the grounding, satisfying depth of cocoa, mildy citrus and lightly spiced with cardamom all at once, it was everything an adventurous flavour should be.

Brand Manager David with his treasure.

The U.K. manager of the brand has a clear passion for the brand, and I can see why. I have no hesitation in recommending it, especially for criollo first-timers. Pay them a visit at Hyper Japan, or pick some up at Fortnum & Mason's. You might find your chocolate matcha made in heaven.

       

Short Xiao Long Bao

Not exactly homely but it gets the job done.

I stopped for a quick dinner at a Chinatown favourite of mine - Dumplings Legend - and as per usual I left well satisfied. You pass the kitchen on the way to the seating area and it has glass walls so that you can appreciate the spectacle of pastry-making and huge, stacked bamboo baskets in towers, billowing steam. The interior is simple, clean and modern though crowded.

 

Whilst the food in Chinatown is generally authentic, the making of xiao long bao is a rare and fine art seldom done well. It's commonly found on dim sum menus, but even in China - outside of their culinary home of Shanghai - you'd be hard-pressed to find ones of truly high quality. 

There are two main components to a good xiao long bao: a delicious soup, and a pastry casing in which to hold it. The soup varies in quality from place to place but a pleasing one is not difficult to find. The pastry however is where most chefs fall short. There is a delicate balance to getting the thickness of the pastry perfectly right; it must be thin enough so as not to be chewy or obtrusive, yet strong enough to be able to hold the weight of the soup without splitting open - even when handled with chopsticks. This is not an easy task. Given that the soup is so integral to the flavour, keeping the dumpling intact is usually prioritised. Thus most pastries err on the side of being too thick, giving a tough texture that gets in the way, with poor mouthfeel. Conversely, others are too thin and rupture before you can get them to your mouth, losing the soup. Of course, you could use a spoon but the 'chopstick test' is a good way of gauging the quality.

Now for the purpose of this lengthy preamble: appreciation of the elusive perfect balance. As you can see in the photo the weight of the soup is supported very well even with chopsticks - I didn't have a single one break on me. Just look at that sag! It can only mean one thing: epic quantities of soup! Now you're just showing off, Mr. Chef! If you look closely you'll see that the pastry is actually a little thicker at the top to enable easy handling; a thoughtful touch.

So much soupy goodness within, it should be illegal.

I wish you could smell these. Go and order some, now!

The basket of classic pork xiao long bao was brought to us with the dumplings still fresh and hot; the skin still supple and moist. You dip the dumpling into ginger-infused Chinkiang vinegar and pop it into your mouth whole. As soon as your teeth break into that delicate pastry skin the soup floods out and the flavour hits you. This is a complex broth with a wonderfully deep flavour. The vinegar, which in itself has a deep malty flavour complements it perfectly. The moment that soup takes over it's like an explosion of warmth and heady comfort. The first one is the best; savour it because it's all about that initial blanket of intoxication falling over you. Yes it's loud, yes it's cramped, but the food is worth it. Go on a cold day and you will see exactly what I mean. 

Find Dumplings Legend on Gerrard Street in Chinatown. Their website can be found here.