Blog - Flying Fourchette

Social Eating House, London

March 19, 2014

The latest of Jason Atherton’s ‘Social’ empire (whose other restaurants include Pollen Street Social and Little Social), Social Eating House is the more casual sibling, and yet it still managed to be awarded a Michelin Star recently, a little less than a year after it opened. The restaurant takes after its Soho location and greets you with a dimly lit and chic vintage look of mirrored ceiling, distressed leather banquettes, brick walls and a few whimsical touches such as bright pink neon quoting famous poets – a bit like a fancy speakeasy.

The food is British and don’t let that deter you (!) as the contemporary cuisine served here is worthy of its Michelin star and the international touches are bright additions to the bistro fare. The à la carte menu holds on one page which I love and starts with these adorable “jars” meant to be shared as starters.

Jar of Salt cod brandade & potato chips

Following are six starters and seven mains almost evenly split between fish and red meat. We went all in for the meat, a smart choice in this dreary winter, and didn’t regret it as both our choices were succulent. The lamb neck fillet is a specialty of the house and so perfectly cooked and seasoned it didn’t even need the side of creamy risotto, satisfying as it was on its own.

Confit Romney Marsh lamb neck fillet, onion soubise, Vialone Nano, wild trevise, hazelnut

Venison was another winner, covered in a sweet balsamic sauce.

Roast Scottish venison saddle, smoked ricotta, sprout flowers, pear, 12 yr balsamic, Brazil nuts

It’s smart to save room for dessert as their sweet menu is as extensive as the main one and brings up the creativity level considerably. Expect fancy and playful reconstructions of old classics with plenty of layers to keep your taste buds entertained.

“Wagon Wheel” toasted meringue, salted caramel, raspberry

Gin & Tonic sundae

Definitely a fun place to spend the night and I give it extra points for the extra level of comfort i.e. there’s elbow room between the tables and not enough noise to drown your conversation. A very pleasant meal which managed to feel refined yet totally unstuffy and may be one of the most casual places I’ve been to that holds a Michelin star…good on your stomach AND your wallet!

Social Eating House
58 Poland Street
London W1F 7NR
T: 020 7993 3251
Map

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New York Restaurants

EN Japanese Brasserie, New York

March 12, 2014

Fancy some tasty Japanese food in a sexy setting but looking for something other than your ubiquitous upscale sushi place? EN Japanese Brasserie has been serving that need for close to a decade now and is still going strong. The visually-arresting and cavernous room in the West Village bills itself as a contemporary izakaya, a Japanese pub specializing in small plates to share and plenty of beer, sake, or shochu to wash them all down.

Tofu is king here and you should definitely not leave without trying it in at least one form whether it’s yuba (tofu skin), smoked in a salad, fried with mushrooms, or better yet – fresh! Tofu is made hourly here and the highlight of many meals at EN Japanese Brasserie ends up being the freshly-made scooped tofu, served warm, silken smooth, and drizzled with wari-joyu (soy sauce and dashi). It is an absolute must!

The lunch sets are equally impressive, filling up trays as large as the table so you can get your share of small plates accompanying your main dish.

Ordering fried chicken wouldn’t be at the top of my list when eating in a Japanese restaurant, but this one deserves mention as it managed to be super crispy, extremely juicy inside, yet still feeling light.

The Saikyo Miso Black Cod is another mainstay on the menu and lives up to its reputation.

Side dishes of watercress salad, more fresh tofu (this time served cold), housemade pickles, royal fern sprout & shitake mushrooms in a spicy sauce, miso soup, and steamed rice all make for a gargantuan lunch. Wash it all down with one of their excellent sake or housemade ginger beer as I did.

Such good food with such elegant simplicity has been the winning formula here and I would even add the space which brings some much appreciated elbow room, a rare occurrence when eating Japanese!

EN Japanese Brasserie
435 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
T: 212-647-9196
Map

Appetizer Recipes

Tartare of Tuna with Goat Cheese

March 3, 2014

There’s something definitely fancy and special about eating a tartare – wonder if it’s the always exquisite presentation or the fact that we’d only trust a professional chef with such raw and quality ingredients. While I can occasionally appreciate a good steak tartare, I’m much more a fan of the fish and seafood variety, their freshness and lightness encompassing everything I like about an appetizer.

Tuna tartare are especially scromptious and this one tops the bill. The unusual pairing with tangy goat cheese, which breaks the richness of the tuna a bit, manages to make it taste decadent while still being healthy and light. Ready in about 20 minutes, there’s no excuse not to make this at home and bring this seemingly fancy appetizer to the dinner table. All you need obviously are the best ingredients you can find and if possible a round cookie cutter since you’ll still want to make a dashing presentation – it just wouldn’t taste the same without!

Tartare of Tuna with Goat Cheese

Recipe from My Last Supper
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Makes 4 servings

250g tuna, finely diced
1 pinch white pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped anchovies
60g (2 oz) fresh goat cheese, finely chopped
¾ tablespoon finely chopped chives
½ tablespoon soy sauce
½ tablespoon mirin
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 pinch finely chopped garlic
½ teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 small bunch baby shiso (Japanese mint) for garnish
1 small bunch mâche (lamb’s lettuce) for garnish

Mix all the ingredients together (except the garnishes) in a large bowl.

Divide between 4 serving plates, and garnish with shiso and mâche leaves.

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New York Restaurants

Charlie Bird, New York

February 24, 2014

Rarely have I used the words ‘effortlessly cool‘ when speaking of a restaurant. They seem more fitted to describing a fashionable friend than an eating establishment and yet, they fit Charlie Bird like a glove. The Italian-American restaurant at the border of Soho and the Village has a fresh and young vibe with its color-splashed menus and old school hip-hop in the background all the while playing the sophisticated card with a marble bar, elegant setting, and serious wine with bottles reaching $295.

I must admit it’s one of my favorite discoveries of late and while it has something to do with the well laid-out, inviting space and huge windows, the food doesn’t disappoint either. I visited at lunch time so focused on smaller plates than what’s being offered in the evening and everything was stunning, from the briny razor clams appetizer to the luscious polenta and perfectly cooked octopus. Paired with their expertly crafted wine list (and don’t worry they have plenty of original and affordable options) and a super friendly service, it was a meal to remember and my new neighborhood ‘go-to’. I know I’ll get excited every time I visit and will be proud to introduce my new very fashionable ‘friend’.

Razor clams with fennel and pickled chiles

Brussels sprouts salad with clementines, fennel & hazelnuts

Poached egg, polenta, brussels sprouts, duck cracking crumble

Octopus ‘Saltimbocca’, Ceci beans, sage & prosciutto di Parma

Winesap Apple Olive Oil cake, mascarpone & salty oat crumble

Charlie Bird
5 King Street (entrance on 6th Avenue)
New York, NY 10012
T: 212-235-7133
Map

New York Restaurants

The Dutch, New York

February 18, 2014

Already well established as a Soho hot spot for a few years now, The Dutch’s celebrity status had made scoring a dinner table pretty hard, hence why I waited for my office to move to Soho so I could check it out at lunchtime! It’s definitely a more relaxed restaurant at midday and though it makes for a pleasant lunch, it seems to really only get exciting when the sun comes down and the place fills up with good-looking people here to celebrate and get some drinking action going on.

The Dutch has quite a few things behind its success, like one of the most beautiful venues in town as it took over the old Cub Room space and Andrew Carmellini at its helm of Locanda Verde fame. It does a mix of American cuisine where you can get your fix of oysters and champagne if you fancy or dine out on dry-aged steak, fried chicken, pasta and seasonal vegetables.

It’s not quite fine-dining, not quite a casual bistro either so it seems to want to be everything to everyone and it works for most people. While the food is OK (fried chicken is meant to be stellar and my friend relished his burger though my pasta was underwhelming), I’d say it’s worth checking out for the fun evening atmosphere and getting a few drinks and comfort food with friends in a hot venue and neighborhood.

Warm complimentary Jalapeno Cornbread