Takeout from Rasa W1, London

I'm constantly on a quest for good Indian food, and have yet to find anywhere I even remotely like in San Francisco.  I've heard many times that London has amazing Indian cuisine, yet, on all my visits, I hadn't been all that impressed, even when dining at Michelin starred Indian restaurant Beneres (review here), even when visiting Cafe Spice Nameste, the favorite spot of my friends who live there (review), even visiting Dishoom the ridiculous crowd favorite of everyone I asked (review!)

On my last visit however, I decided to take things an entirely different direction.  Not towards the expensive Michelin star Indian restaurants.  Not towards the heavily hyped ones.  Just to one that a friend recommended, a total neighborhood place, Rasa.

Rasa is actually a mini chain, with a couple locations in London, all with slightly different concepts. We had plans to go for lunch on Sunday to Rasa W1, in Mayfair.  I was really looking forward to the meal, as the menu sounded fabulous, and reviews were good, even though not as extensive as places like Dishoom.

And then ... my companion got sick and we had to cancel our lunch plans.  I still wanted to try a few items though, particularly the ones I heard so many good things about, so I stopped by to grab takeout of just a few things to bring back to the hotel.

I thought it would be a quick, easy stop.  It was not.

The place is tiny, and was full.  It seemed to be entirely served and run by two men, who were taking orders, bringing out food, finishing dishes, handling payment, and even making some of the food.  It seemed that nearly every table (there were only like 6-7 tables) needed something from the staff, and were highly annoyed at how long they were waiting.  "We'd just like to order", I heard one table say, repeatedly.  "I'm sorry, I just really need a spoon", said a woman who had gotten out of her seat and come up to the front of the restaurant.  "Water, please, just a glass of water", another said.  At the same time, an appam being made by the staff started smoking and filling the entire room with smoke.  Um, yeah.

I waited patiently for at least 12 minutes before my order was taken.  The staff acknowledged me, but it was clear they were underwater, and just couldn't do more.  Finally they took my order, and told me it would be a while.  When my hot food arrived, they realized they hadn't prepared any of the cold dishes (items that are put together by the front of house, these two poor guys), nor had they wrong up my bill, etc.  It took another 10 minutes, while my hot food got cold, before my bag was handed over.

I escaped, rather annoyed, and assumed it was all a lost cause.

It wasn't.  The food really was good, and I'd like to return to dine-in and have a full meal sometime, but, uh, I'm a little scared by what I saw on this visit ...

Little Sweets.

 While I sat there waiting, I watched person after person come take handfuls of the little snacks near the front door.  Out of boredom, I tried them too.

The one on the far left was crunchy and very sweet.  I couldn't tell if there was more to it than sugar or not, but it tasted a lot like the coating for Jordan almonds.  I almost liked it.

Next was the classic colorful candy coated fennel seed, mukhwas, a nice palette cleanser.

Candied nuts came next, sweet, crunchy, nice enough.

I didn't try the item on the far right, I think it was just rock sugar?

Nice little treats to leave the establishment with a lovely taste in your mouth.

Pickles & Chutneys.  £3.50.

"The spicy fresh punctuation of the best Indian food and as important to a South Indian as the food itself. All of our pickles and chutneys are home made."

People rave about the pickles and chutneys at Rasa, and since I wasn't getting a full meal full of curry sauces, I figured these would be good to dunk my other items into.

The menu listed 6 items: Coriander and coconut chutney, garlic, mango, lemon, and mixed vegetable pickles. I received 5 items, and, I can't really figure out what they all were.  The top row is a total mystery to me.

The first one, top left, really seemed like a spicy tamarind chutney or something, but, if I had to make a guess from the list, how about lemon pickle?  I really have no idea.  It was sour, and really, really spicy, and I didn't really care for the taste.

The next one, I would have guessed was ginger pickle.  With carrots?  Lots of seasoning, lots of flavor, crunchy texture.  I guess it must have been garlic, but it seriously tasted like ginger.  I think I liked this one.  Mostly zucchini?

The bottom row made more sense.  From left:

• Mixed Vegetable Pickle: This I liked, crunchy and fresh.  Mostly zucchini?
• Coconut Chutney: I wanted to love this since I like coconut, and it was creamy, but, I wasn't into it, I'm not sure why.  I think because it was more like gritty coconut and less like coconut milk as I wanted.  Slightly spicy.
• Coriander Chutney: Another one I wanted to love, since I thought it would be refreshing and light, but, it turned out to just be kinda green and mushy.  Not spicy.

I was glad to try these, but, none of them wowed me, and I sorta missed standard mango, mint, and tamarind chutneys.  They did pack them up nicely, clearly, takeout is something they do regularly.

Pre-Meal Snacks. €4.00.

"These light and crispy treats are popular in Keralan teashops for “tiffin” (afternoon tea) and to munch while waiting at the station for the Trivandrum main train. They are best accompanied by our unique selection of home-made chutneys and pickles. A snack tray consisting of: Anchappam, Pappadavadai, Pappadoms, Banana Chips, Murukku."

Ok, so this I got because I love snack foods, and it sounded like a big pile of crunchy random Indian snacks, most of which I'd never had.  I figured we could munch on these in the hotel room later.  It is a bit hard to see in the photo, but my little sack contained 5 different items.

Achappam

"A flower shaped snack made of rice flour and coconut, black sesame seeds and cumin seeds. This snack began life in the Christian homes of Travancore and is now eaten all over Southern India."

This one I really liked, it is the crazy flour shaped thing in front.  It was crispy, and flavorful, and most importantly, not made of lentils!  I'd gladly munch on these anytime.  A bit oily, but in a good way, like, french fries.  It let you know it wasn't necessarily the healthiest snack though.

Sadly, my bag had only one of these.

Pappadavadai

"Pappadoms dipped in a light batter of rice flour, cumin and sesame seeds and fried to give them extra "crunch and crackle" - these are Pappadoms with a difference."

These were really fun, you can see one right above the Achappam.  They tasted mildly like pappadoms, so, a bit of lentil, but they were super crunchy, and had a ton more flavor from the cumin.  I liked these, the level of crispness was awesome, but the bit of lentil was a put-off.

My bag had about 4 of these.

Pappadoms

"Plain crispy snack made of black gram lentils and rice."

Standard pappadoms, I don't like lentil, and these tasted like lentil.  They were light and airy though.  My companion liked them well enough.

These were a lot of these.

Banana Chips

"Crispy banana chips."

Standard banana chips.  A bit different to munch on alongside my indian food, but, still just banana chips.

The bag had probably 8 of these.

Murukku

"Crunchy sticks made from roasted rice flour, black sesame seeds and cumin seeds."

These were the crazy notched little sticks you can see.  They were very seasoned, and you'd think would taste like the achappam, but, they were more flavorful, and not in a way I liked.  Fascinating form factor, but I didn't like these.

The bag had a bunch of these.

Overall, a fun mix, and I'm glad I tried it.

Malabar Paratha £2.50.

"A Kerala speciality - wheat dough layered and coiled into a coir mat shape then cooked on the griddle. A must with our curries."

Rasa is a South Indian restaurant, so most tables were ordering dosa, but the menu does also have a few breads.  Not naan of course.  I was planing to just order the snacks and desserts, but, in my time waiting, I decided to throw on a paratha too.  Reviews all said it was the best paratha they had ever had, and I really do love paratha and rarely get it.

I can't quite fairly evaluate this of course, because mine was wrapped up in a bag, and left sitting there for quite some time while they figured out the rest of my order.

That said, I ripped off a piece as soon as I got out the door, and, well, yup, it was good.  Nice hearty wheat flavor, not too oily, dense and doughy in places, but crispy on the outside.  I used it to dunk in all the different chunteys and pickles, and I'm sure it would be fabulous with some curries, and even more fabulous when fresh obviously.

They also packaged it in a great way, an insulated little bag, metallic on the inside, paper on the outside.  Again, they did a nice job with the packaging for take away.

Madhuram

"Any auspicious feast in Kerala is not complete with out a “Madhuram”. It is said that the Madhuram (the sweet) will make the meal memorable for years."

And then, dessert, clearly I was not skipping that.  If I was dining in, I certainly would have tried the warm banana dosa with ice cream, but, alas, I was taking this away to eat later.  I still couldn't decide on just one though, so, I got two.

Pal Payasam. £3.50.

"An auspicious rice pudding from the famous Krishna temple in Kerala. Rice cooked in boiling milk with cashew nuts and raisins."

I love puddings.  I really like rice puddings, but, generally not Indian style, I prefer thicker set custards.  Still, I always try rice pudding when it is on a menu, so, I had to get it.

The rice pudding was actually warm, which I lamented a bit, since I thought it would be chilled, and I had no way to heat it up again later.  So I had to try it then.

It wasn't great.  Very thin, not much rice at all.  It was spiced with I think cardamom, which I don't really like.  The rice that was there was short grain and kinda mushy.  There were a few chunks of cashew.  I didn't find any of the promised raisins.

This packaging job was less successful.  The container was actually full, and it seeped out everywhere.  The lid for this was just cardboard.  Luckily, they had this inside a paper bag, inside a plastic bag, so, the mess didn't go far, but, a mess it did make.

Kesari. £3.50.

"A Brahmin recipe of semolina, mango, cashew nuts, and raisins, they are more like Halwas but much lighter and with more flavour."

So I'm glad I picked a second dessert too, and this one I actually thought was going to be the random wildcard.  It too was served warm.

I've never had kesari, nor seen it before, so, this was entirely a first to me.  I had read a review where someone described it was "mango bread pudding", which sounded pretty promising to me.  I love bread puddings.

I wouldn't call this bread pudding.  But it was really fascinating, and quite good.

The base was a dense semolina pudding, almost like a polenta I guess, except that it was not remotely savory, and was sweet from the mango and other sugars, and also spiced with indian spices.  Like the rice pudding, it had some chunks of cashew nut, and I didn't find any raisins in here either.  Perhaps they were out of raisins that day?

Anyway, this was sweet, but not obnoxiously so like many indian desserts.  It was dense, sorta like cornbread made with finely milled cornmeal, but, uh, sweet.  And mango-y.

I really enjoyed it, and the price was remarkable for the large, 4 chunk portion, that I did not share with anyone (although I saved half to eat later with some milky chai, which was absolutely perfect!)

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Miss Vickie's Chips

Another day, another review of chips, this time kettle style chips, from Miss Vickie's.  Miss Vickie's is a Canadian company, but owned by Frito-Lay, whose chips I've reviewed before.  

They actually have a cute story.  Vickie (and her husband) started making chips in Quebec at a potato festival in the late 1980s, and they became a hit.  They developed popularity, commercialized, and expanded throughout Canada.  A few years later, they were purchased by Frito-Lay, and are now distributed in the US.  Fairly humble beginnings and a nice little success story.

Anyway, the chips.  I've never found them to be awesome, just basic kettle style chips, not much different from Kettle Brand or Dirty Chips, and not available in ridiculous unique flavors like Zapp's.

Update Review, 2020, Canada Version

If you purchase the chips in Canada, they actually carry entirely different flavors (er, flavours), and bags are packaged in both English and French, which, in my world, just makes them look so much fancier.  But really, the flavors *are* more unique: Balsamic Vinegar & Sweet Onion, Lime & Black Pepper, etc and even the basics like Sour Cream & Onion are amped up into Sour Cream & *Caramelized* Onion.

I was never impressed with Miss Vickie's in the US (see original review below), but, I wanted to try some more unique flavors.

Sweet Chili & Sour Cream.

"Miss Vickie's Sweet Chili & Sour Cream flavour kettle cooked potato chips offer a rich taste experience beginning with the mild spice of chili peppers combined with the richness of sour cream for a sweet, creamy & tangy gourmet snack!"

I went straight for the Sweet Chili & Sour Cream.  This is a combo I discovered in Sydney years ago, and I adore it (properly served as sweet chili sauce and sour cream, separate, alongside potato wedges, that you dunk into both), but often translated into chips there as well (like the iconic Red Rock chips version I reviewed before) and in other countries (like the Kettle Chips found only in Europe, which I've also reviewed).

I was eager to see how Miss Vickie's delivered.

The chip form factor was no different from the US ones, very fried, really standard, kettle chips.  And much like the Kettle Chips version, these reminded me of bbq chips.  The sweeter style of bbq, not a smoky mesquite style.  I didn't taste sweet chili.  I didn't taste sour cream.  Just, well, bbq.  Most certainly not what I wanted.

My companion thought they'd be better dunked in sour cream or yogurt perhaps.

Original Review, February 2015

These reviews are all for US distributed products, by Frito-Lay.  I wasn't ever impressed.

Sea Salt & Vinegar.

"Tangy vinegar seasoning with sea salt—this is a farm-inspired take on a classic."

Basic kettle style chip. Very crispy, fairly oily.

The salt and vinegar flavors weren't nearly strong enough.  Meh.  **.

Sea Salt & Vinegar (2021).

I've had these a few more times, when included in a meal somewhere, not because I sought them out.

They are nicely crispy chips, good tang, but just not my style.

Update: Yes very crispy, but in a kinda oily way. Some vinegar tang, not much salt.  Meh. **.

Jalapeño.

"Made with jalapeños for enough flavorful heat to make things deliciously interesting."

Again, basic kettle chips.  These seemed a bit burnt though, much darker in color and with some brown edges.

While the salt & vinegar lacked in flavor, these made up for it.  Each chip was generously coated in seasoning, and they had some kick.  I didn't particularly like the flavor, but you can't fault them for not being flavorful.  **.

Update: Just basic kettle style chips, very little jalapeño flavor, needed more zing.  **.

Smokehouse BBQ.

"The smoky aroma and taste of a mid-summer barbecue, with a heck of a crunch."

BBQ chips were my favorite flavor, regardless of brand, when I was younger, although I always liked "mesquite" BBQ, not "smokehouse" BBQ.

These did have a smoky, fairly classic BBQ flavor.  Standard oily kettle chip, crispy.

No surprises here, but nothing special either.  Low ***.

Smokehouse BBQ (2021).

It had been a while since I had Miss Vickie's, as, well, I don't go for kettle chips often, but I did recall liking these more than most.

And indeed they were super crisp, classic kettle chips, very unhealthy, yadda yadda.  But what sets Miss Vickie's apart, and makes me appreciate them, is the deep smoky bbq flavor.  The flavor really is fairly complex.  ***.

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Jude's Ice Cream

As you know from my review last week of The Great British Ice Cream Company, I love ice cream and (literally) eat it every day, including when I travel.  I love exploring new brands.

Which led me to another brand in London: Jude's.

"We're a family of ice cream makers. And we're dedicated to crafting unbelievably delicious stripey tubs of joy."

Jude's has a cute background, really, truly a family company, a man and his wife started it in their barn in the country.  The kids joined the effort, took on marketing and awareness gathering, along with sourcing for quality ingredients, etc, etc.   The product was well received, and their business took off.

They now make a wide array of products, including vegan flavors (oat based), low calorie versions (e.g. ~150 calories per tub), ice cream bars on sticks, kid friendly "lolly bars" on sticks (kinda like our fudgicles, but in more flavors, and shaped like popsicles), and even sell their own chocolate, salted caramel, and fudge sauces and packaged milkshakes.  

And don't get me started on some of the flavors.  Sure, they have basic flavors (but even the "vanilla" is actually "vanilla clotted cream"), and all the crowd pleasers like salted caramel, gooey chocolate brownie, rum raisin, mint chocolate chip, etc.  And yes, they have some very British flavors that I really wanted to get my hands on (Sticky Toffee Pudding!), but they also have a "Chef's range", with flavors like black coconut, honeycomb, ginger spice.

My choices were limited however, as I found them in my office ice cream freezer (just the The Great British Ice Cream Company), so, I had to take what they had.  I ... wasn't impressed.

Truly Chocolate.

"With pure Colombian cacao."

This wasn't particularly good.

Not very intense flavor, not very chocolately.

Brown Butter Pecan.

"With Beurre Noisette (brown butter to you and me), swirls of caramel and pecan pieces this flavour will leave you giddy with joy desperately seeking your subsequent scoop!"

Brown Butter Pecan had potential, as I do love pecans and brown butter.  It was better than the chocolate, but, still not very good.

There was only a minimal amount of caramel swirl, and some not awesome candied-ish pecans.  I didn't taste brown butter at all.

It also wasn't very creamy.

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The Rock & Sole Plaice, London

When in London, you have to get fish & chips, right?

Except, well, I had a lot of chips on my visit (including highly mediocre ones at Hawksmoor and pretty decent ones at Heddon Street Kitchen, plus many more at venues I didn't write up).  I was sick of chips.

I also wasn't particularly hungry, as most of my day was spent venturing from one foodie destination to the next, and I was solo, no companions with whom to share.  But still, I wanted to experience a *real* fish & chips shop (is this a chippie?), so I headed to one of the oldest fish & chips restaurants in London: Rock & Sole Plaice, in operation since 1871.

I did't care for it, but, to be fair, perhaps I should have ordered something different, and the environment was more of a problem than the food itself.

Setting

Curb Appeal.

From the outside, it had some curb appeal, with information on the exterior about the age and history.

Outside Seating.

Out front is covered picnic tables, with space heaters, available for dine in members only.

There are many signs letting you know this is for dine-in only, as the shop is also a takeaway shop, and the takeaway prices are considerably cheaper.  I'm sure people try to just sit here instead all the time.

Inside is a takeaway shop, or seating.

When I entered, the establishment seemed full, which was not what I wanted, as I was planning to dine in (*not* outside, as it was not warm out.  Oh, London.).

Inside, Room #2.

I was whisked next door, a bit confusing for me, until I realized it was the same establishment.

The first room had the takeaway, kitchen, and first room of seating they fill up.  The second room, next door, had the bar and more seating.  But there was no connection between the rooms, so staff were constantly going between them, opening the front doors, and carrying everything in their hands.  The also often left us entirely unattended, which struck me as odd., as i

This room quickly filled up too.

It was sparse, hard surfaces, cold environment.  Cold.  Very cold.  I don't think they had heating, and the constant opening of doors didn't help.

I'll admit, I was pretty put off by just being so uncomfortable and cold, but, I sat, and ordered.  I was on a mission.

Food

Menu Page 1.

As always, I had done extensive research on the menu online beforehand.

However, when I arrived, it was fairly different.  The front page had the standard fish & chips offerings (including cod, haddock, plaice, rock, skate, sole, etc), some starters, cold sides (cole slaw, salad, and the like), and hot sides (mushy peas, beans, onion rings), along with warm sauces (gravy, curry, cheese, etc).

Menu Page 2.

The back had the more extensive changes though.  Some savory pies and pasties were the same, as were the limited soft drinks, cider, and wine.  But it was the dessert section that was different.  You know what a key piece of the meal this is for me.  The spotted dick I was seeking out was gone!

Doh.  Undeterred, I asked if it was still available.  I was told no.  Doh.

They still had sticky toffee pudding though, available with ice cream, custard, or cream.  I was a bit sick of sticky toffee pudding, having had versions on my flight, at Hawksmoor, at Tibits, and at Heddon Street Kitchen (all of which I've reviewed already!).  I had declared myself "done" with it, but the opportunity to get it one more time, with ... custard  (or cream ... or both?) seemed fine to me.

But ... when I ordered it at the end of my meal, I was told they had only ice cream.  I was way too cold for ice cream, even though I generally adore ice cream (particularly paired with warm desserts).  Sigh.  I gave up and said nevermind.

Individual Squeeze Packets!

Tables came set with malt vinegar bottles, individual ketchup and mayo packets, and salt and pepper shakers.

I'm forever amazed by Heinz single serve packaging in other countries.  Why do we have those little exploding things and they have these larger squeeze packets?

Starter Size Calamari (6). £6.

I decided to mix it up, and instead of getting a full fish and chips dish, went for the fried calamari, also a treat for me, and something a bit different.  I knew it would be very different from calamari we have in the US, often served with marinara sauce, tiny little pieces, etc.

The menu said the starter portion came with 6 calamari, and the entree with 10, but I got 8.  Score?

The starter portion comes with a lemon wedge, and nothing else, but I asked for tartar sauce as well, always, um, a winning element for me.

My calamari came in ... a boat.  That was cute.  The tartar sauce came in a plastic takeout container.  I assumed this was because I added it on, but then I saw the person next to me get the same thing with her regular dine-in fish & chips.  Interesting.

Anyway.  The calamari was fine.  Large rings, thick pieces, not standard little appetizer rings like we see in the US.  Which I knew, because, otherwise, um, 6 little calamari rings is not much food.  It wasn't rubbery, it wasn't fishy.  It was fine.

The coating was thick and crispy, well flavored.  But very oily.  Very, very oily.  It got to be too much, even with this small portion.

Overall, decent execution, and I enjoyed it I guess, but, I wouldn't get it again.

The tartar sauce was just strange.  It was herby, and smooth and thinner than I expected, and really seemed more like ranch dressing.  Again, I questioned if they just gave me something odd to go along with my request to have tartar sauce where it isn't normally served, but, the others had the same thing.  It wasn't bad, it just wasn't thick, it wasn't pickle-filled or capery, it wasn't what I think of as tartar sauce at all.  I ended up preferring a "secret sauce" I made up by mixing the ketchup and mayo on the table.  On well.

At £1 per calamari ring, this felt a bit expensive.

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Room Service from Plum + Spilt Milk, London

Whenever I visit London, I stay at The Great Northern Hotel, a boutique property, part of the Tribute Portfolio, and thus associated with Starwood (er, now Mariott), where my loyalty status is. It really is a unique hotel, in the heart of King’s Cross, dating back from the 1800's, located right on top of the huge King Cross station, a major, major transit hub. The rooms are ... well, full of character, but quite small. They have no fitness facilities, no extra spaces, etc, but, they make up for it in charm. One highlight, for the foodie, a "pantry" on every floor, stocked with homemade tea cakes every day, jars of British candy (lollies!), and commercial grade Nespresso machines. I adored this perk, and ate way, way, way too much candy during my stays there. And they offer passes to Barry's Bootcamp nearby, another gym, and more.
But of course, we are here to talk about dining (besides tea cakes and lollies). The hotel features a fine dining restaurant Plum + Spilt Milk, a classy bar - Snug Bar, and a street level, "working man's" bar, GNC Bar. An incredible perk with my status is that I got unlimited, a la carte, breakfast at the phenomenal restaurant (or more casual bar if I choose), every day, and it was so, so, so very good. Certainly what made me return time and time again to the Great Northern, despite the tiny rooms (ok, the fact that it is 2 min walk from my office also helped).

If you are curious about the restaurant name, it comes from the colors of the dining carriage of the Great Northern Railway original car: maroon and cream. Which translates to ... plums and spilt milk, naturally?

I'll review the full restaurant, and the bars separately, and focus this review on a new experience for me: room service.

During one trip to London, my traveling companion got quite sick, and couldn't really leave the hotel. Rather than go out and try to find food to bring back to him, I decided to just order him food from Plum + Spilt Milk, the nice restaurant in the hotel that provides the room service. We had been meaning to try out the restaurant for a meal other than breakfast anyway, and, uh, selfishly, I knew I could order the signature dessert this way, and that is what I really wanted to try.

2016 

My first experience was for my sick companion.  He asked for two things: salad and bread.  Not exactly exciting, and, not really what this fine dining restaurant specializes in, but it what he wanted in his sick state.  They did have a "garden salad" on the sides menu, and a tomato salad starter that people rave about, so I ordered those, my dessert of course, and, bread and butter.

The order arrived quickly, probably only 15-20 minutes after I placed it, but it came sans the bread.  Normally I wouldn't have cared, but, he wanted bread to nibble on, so I called down and it was quickly brought back up.

Overall, the food was fine, and it was our first experience ever ordering room service.  I must say ... it was quite easy!

Bread and Butter.

The bread was served warm, large slices of hearty seeded bread.  I am pretty sure this is the same bread that we enjoyed at breakfast, just sliced much thicker, and served warm rather than toasted.  I liked that bread toasted, but it was even better like this.  I really do like the hearty seeds in it, and, well, the butter is magic, as you read about in my breakfast reviews (coming soon!).  I was happy to steal a chunk of this.

 Garden Salad. €4.50.

"I just want to munch on simple greens, maybe a little dressing", is what my companion had requested.  I had no idea what the "garden salad" would be, but it actually met his description perfectly.  Assorted mixed greens (including crisp, fresh endive!), with a very light vinaigrette.

Boring in my world, and not what I think of as a garden salad (shouldn't it have .... more elements of the garden?  Carrots?  Tomatoes?)  But anyway, it was fresh and what he wanted, so, a good €4.50 for a simple bowl of greens.

Isle of Wight heirloom tomato salad, air-dried ham & pesto. €10.50.

This salad reviewers love, and we both had loved the heirloom tomatoes on the avocado toast he ordered one day at breakfast (I promise, review soon!), so, it sounded quite promising.  I figured the air dried ham could add a little protein to his side salad too (... and give me some yummy tomatoes to steal!)

The majority of the salad was chunks of assorted heirloom tomatoes in all colors - red, orange, yellow, green - and all sizes.  They were vibrant, juicy, and pretty tasty.  This restaurant really does an incredible job with sourcing their produce, like the berries I raved about each morning at breakfast.

The ham I did not try since this was for him and there wasn't much, but it was thin slices of crispy dried ham, sticking straight up.  There were dollops of pesto throughout, flavorful and fresh, and tasty with the tomato.  The final garnish was cute edible flowers.

The plating was beautiful, and it really was strange having someone bring this to our room.  We aren't used to this!

Overall, this was good, but, I wanted a cheese element with it.  Did someone say burrata?  Or whipped ricotta?

Plum + Spilt Milk (Little Version). €5.

And finally, a little something for me: dessert!  After all, I did the "hard work" of, uh, picking up the phone to order?

This is the signature, and namesake, dessert of the restaurant, so I obviously had to finally try it.  It is available in a full portion, or, like several of the desserts, in a mini version.  I adore that they have this option, so you can have a reasonable size portion of dessert, or, uh, try a few.

The mini size was perfect, given that I was going out to a real dinner anyway.

So, what is plum and spilt milk anyway?  It is a chunk of brioche, coated in sugar and cinnamon and baked (or fried?), topped with a stewed plum, and served with a scoop of milk ice cream.  Of course, room service hurt this one a bit, as I snapped the photo the moment it arrived, and, as you can see, the ice cream wasn't really in tact.

The brioche was kinda soggy, spongy, and even a bit oily.  It seemed like it was supposed to be more crystalized on the outside from the cinnamon and sugar coating, like the top of a bread pudding, or perhaps a bit like french toast.  I liked the sugar coating, and the idea here, but, the spongy nature was not very nice.  Maybe this was due to it sitting for a bit?  It was lukewarm, and I think normally it is actually a warm dish?

The chunk of plum was interesting, a large chunk of stewed plum, really quite tart and flavorful.

And then, the spilt milk, which, this actually sorta looked like, given its partially melted state.  This was milk ice cream.  Yes, it tasted like milk.  But a bit icy.

I almost really liked this, and I think that fresh, it might have been amazing.  Basically ... a crispy warm top of a caramelized bread pudding, with fruit, and ice cream?  That sounds like a recipe for success.  But ... that also isn't what I had.  Instead I had a soggy barely lukewarm chunk of bread, a kinda too tart plum, and a puddle of icy milk.  Hmmm.  I think I need to give this a real try when I get it fresh in the restaurant, but at some level, I'm not sure the plum will ever win me over, and cinnamon and plums seems a bit of an odd pairing.

2017 Visit

The next year, one night, I really wanted just a little something sweet to end my night.  I tried to just get something to go from the restaurant, and just went down to the bar to order, and I was turned down.  They said they'd bring it to my room.  As much as I appreciated the ease of ordering room service, I just wanted to get it more quickly.  

Sigh.  It took 40 minutes to get my dessert, and of course, I had to pay a room service fee.  I should have just gone to get the Burger King waffle across the street (I'm only half joking, I loved it in Munich! 

Plum + Spilt Milk (Little Version). £5.

I ordered the signature "Plum + Spilt Milk", but I knew it was radically changed.  It was even more changed than I expected though!  This literally looked *nothing* like the previous version.

After 4 years on the menu with a warm brioche base and milk ice cream, they turned it into ... a pudding parfait.

In the little jar was stewed plum compote, cream, and sweet toasted brioche croutons.  Totally different.  Gone was the ice cream component, replaced with the cream.  Gone was the huge plum, replaced with the compote.  And the single hunk of broiche, turned into bite size pieces.

I really like the plum compote, sweet and flavorful.  This was far more successful than the prior version.  

The cream layer seemed to just be ... slightly sweetened, slightly thick cream.  Kinda boring.  Toss up on which was better, as before it was kinda icy and melted, so, neither was really a star.

I liked the idea of the sweet brioche croutons, but I didn't like them.  Good texture, cinnamon sugar coating, but ... I didn't like them.  Too hard, not good flavor.  Like the prior version, this element was not a success.

Overall, this is probably a more approachable item, definitely better for room service, but I didn't think it was really any better.

Iced Peanut and Salted Caramel Mousse (Little Version). £5.

Another night, I again wanted just a little something when I got back to the hotel. 

I had been at a work event all night, and, gasp (!) the organizers had the nerve to not include dessert in the menu. I even tried to order a la carte (and pay myself), but, alas, not allowed.  Being a dessert girl, I had to fix this situation, stat.

I stopped at Pret a Manger on my way back to the hotel to grab a baked good to meet my sweet tooth needs, but, alas, I didn't really care for my choice (Mince Pie).

So when I got back to the hotel, it seemed totally reasonable to order another little pudding.  They were little, right?

Of course, by the time it arrived, my body had caught up with the heavy buffet food I had eaten all night, the mince pie, etc, and I wasn't actually hungry anymore.  Good thing it was small.

It wasn't quite what I expected, ordering a mousse.

First, the top layer was chocolate.  Whoops.  I don't eat chocolate in the evenings.

Second, it didn't really look like a mousse.  Not light and fluffy.

Third, what was "iced" about it?

I still don't understand the name.

It was a peanut butter bar shaped thing, I guess "mousse", but not light and fluffy.  Firmer than an (American) pudding.  I don't know what I'd call it.  Sorta like a soft cheesecake?  It was very rich, and had decent peanut butter flavor, but not as intense as I was hoping.

The top was thick chocolate ganache, obviously a great pairing with peanut butter, but alas, I mostly avoided it due to the time of day.

The "salted caramel" part of the name was the drizzle over the top.  I didn't taste salt, but it was thick sweet caramel.  I think this is the same caramel they use on the Brioche Eggy Bread with salted caramel at breakfast (which of course I had already tried).

Also on top?  Candied peanuts!  These I loved.  They were also totally a breakfast ingredient, used in the Coconut and Cardamom Quinoa porridge.  I'm onto them and their ingredient re-use! (which, is smart).

On the side were two puffs of cream, that I think was supposed to be either caramel or peanut butter flavored, but, it was too mild to really detect, garnished with some cocoa nibs.  Doh.

So, overall, not "iced", not "salted", not "mousse", but, good enough?  The plating was lovely, the chocolate, peanut butter, cream, and caramel were a classic combo (candy bar anyone?), and the size was perfect for one.  I really like that they do these tiny desserts!

Macarons. £4.

I dislike macarons, so I certainly didn't order these.  But my hotel left them for me in my room one night.

They were ... macarons.  The cookies were particularly chewy in a way I didn't like.

I ate the fillings though, the chocolate  ganache was my favorite, thick tasty chocolate.

But alas, macarons.

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The Blind Pig, London

A hidden speakeasy.  Reservations required, far in advance.  Amazing cocktails, including ones that come with mini kettle corn containers attached to them.  Bar snacks by a Michelin starred kitchen.  Um, yes?

The moment I heard about The Blind Pig, the upstairs cocktail bar that shares a kitchen with the Michelin starred Social Eating House, I knew I wanted to visit.  I quickly worked it into my plans for my few days in London.  It also seemed like a great place to bring a small group of coworkers, as the cocktail program is a highlight and bar snacks seemed like crowd pleasers.

So, weeks in advance of my visit, I made a speculative booking for Friday night for six of us, and knew I could fill the seats.  I easily did, and we found our way there on a rainy, dreary, London evening.

Crazy Cocktails, Amazing Bites.

Overall, it was a success.  The cocktails tasted as good, or better, than they sounded or looked.  Service was fast.  The food was excellent.  But ... the place is not designed for groups, so, we did have a bit of an awkward evening with the seating.  Still, I'd gladly return.

Setting

"Opticians" Sign.

The Blind Pig, is, sorta a hidden speakeasy.  I say sorta because it isn't *that* secret.  There is no signage for the actual establishment, and it is reservation only, but, as I said, it is well known.  It is located above the Social Eating House, which does have a real sign.

I knew what to expect though, so the random "opticians" sign, plus the pig knocker on the door, didn't take me by surprise.  Of *course* this is where we were going.  After 6pm, there is also a doorman, with a strict guest list, blocking the entrance.

Quote from The Eagle, Alfred Lord Tennyson.

To reach The Blind Pig, you go up a stairwell, with a quote from Alfred Lord Tennyson glowing in red.  I'm not sure the connection.

The restaurant is on the ground floor, the bathrooms, wine cellar, and I think the kitchen, below.

Bar.

Given that the cocktail program is the big focus of The Blind Pig, the bar is a constant flurry of activity, with multiple suspender-clad bartenders in constant action.

There are a handful of seats at the bar, but these too are by reservation.  You don't just walk in here.

Interior.

The place is small, and it is cramped.  Most seats are tables for two, with small wooden tables, appropriate for having a cocktail and a little food.  We were a group of 6 however, and, uh, we had a smaller table, really, just a tiny cocktail table, barely large enough to hold 6 drinks, let alone any food.  I clearly hadn't done my research well enough, as I thought that we too would have a table, but, there really were not any bigger spaces.  Just tables for two, and a handful of coves like we had.

The interior of the restaurant featured wood everywhere - wood floors, wood tables, wood chairs, even wood walls and ceiling panels.  Dark tones, and dimly light with candles on the tables, and fancy lights with exposed bulbs that had visual filament.  It somehow didn't feel that trendy though, as it had some kind of elegance to it as well.

How I failed to get a photo of our table is beyond me, but, we basically had a curved leather bench for four of us, a itty bitty little table in the middle, and two more wooden chairs.  It was certainly an awkward setup, on a number of levels.  For one, the table was lower than us, so, all eating required bending over strangely to reach.  Second, well, as I said, it wasn't big enough for our drinks, and certainly not for food.  Our server did bring a second, even tinier table that he perched near the two in chairs that helped at least move their drinks off the main table, and we strategically ordered food slowly so that we'd only have one item at any given time (all was share plates), but it also meant that we had absolutely no room for any share plates, turning the entire meal into finger food ... when it wasn't necessarily designed to be that.  More on this soon.

So, yes, awkward and not ideal for a group.  I'd recommend a visit with only one other person, but, we made it work.

The room was also very loud.  Our group was close together, given our teeny tiny table, but it was still hard to hear each other.

The service was great though.  As busy as the place was, and as complicated as the food and drinks were, everything came out at a reasonable pace.  I really expected that we'd order cocktails and wait 20-30 minutes, and even ordered my second one before I was done the first, as I expected a lot of lag.  They really have service down here, and we were never left wanting for anything, well, besides a bigger table.

So the downsides were all due to the setup.  The cocktails, food, and service totally made up for it though, and I had a great time.  I'd love to return, just, uh, with a smaller group.

Bathroom Sinks.

Yup, I'm including bathroom photos, which you know means I have something to say about the bathrooms.  First, look at the sink area.  Maybe this is just old London style, but the tiles and woodwork were really quite striking to me.

Stalls.

But even more striking?  The stalls.

Each located behind a wooden paneled door, with more tile work, and a wooden toilet seat (!).

Pull Chain Flush.

It took me a moment to figure out how to flush.  The tank, as you saw, is elevated about the toilet.  Hanging from it is a wooden handle on a chain.  I thought that must just be for looks, and assumed the little toggle on the wall was the actual flush.  Nope.  Pull chain it is.

Cocktails

The Blind Pig is, at its core, a cocktail bar, so that is where we began our evening.  

We only had a table for <2 hours (we arrived a tiny bit late), we were all able to order several cocktails, and everyone was impressed with their drinks.   The cocktail menu was unique and quirky, but, the drinks tasted good, even if they looked a bit ridiculous, and that is what mattered.

Cocktail Menu.

The cocktail menu is quite impressive.  I wanted nearly every drink.  Every single one had interesting elements, ranging from avocado puree, broccoli tincture, and tortilla chips in the Wholly Guacamole to Skittles washed Ketel One vodka in the Kindergarden Cup.

They even had a section for "Designated Drivers",and they weren't just fruit juices.

Silver Screen. 10€.

"Popcorn infused Buffalo Trace bourbon, Bespoke-a-cola reduction, “3D” bitters, lemon oils, snacks."

The Silver Screen was the drink I had my sights set on before I visited.  I saw photos in advance, and I knew that it came with a little container of kettle corn (!) attached to it.  Plus, um, how awesome does popcorn infused bourbon sound?  I'm obsessed with popcorn ...

But once at The Blind Pig, I read the full description more closely, and saw that it had "bespoke-a-cola", which I assumed was caffeinated, and thus, not for me.  In fact, far too many of the awesome sounding drinks had caffeine in them.

Anyway, one of my dining companions ordered the Silver Screen, and I was able to steal a little of the kettle corn.  It was pretty standard kettle corn, but still ridiculously fun to include clipped onto the drink, in its own mini popcorn bowl, attached via a tiny clothespin.

One diner said the kettle corn was his favorite dish of the night, but I think he was slightly exaggerating. 

Porch Side. 9.5€.

"Buffalo Trace Bourbon, grapefruit, lime, raspberry."

For my first cocktail, I went with the Porch Side, a bourbon drink with grapefruit, lime, and raspberry, garnished with a big slice of fresh ruby red grapefruit.  I selected this mostly because I was quite curious how the bourbon would go with all the fruity elements.

I was pretty surprised by the result.  Somehow, I was able to taste grapefruit, lime, and raspberry, all distinctly.  It was a fairly balanced drink, not too fruity, not too boozy, and I thought it was good, until I had my next drink ...

Are you a Mexican or a Mexican’t? 9.5€.

"Olmeca Altos blanco tequila, Aperol, grapefruit, lime juice, elderflower, Tabasco salt solution."

For my next cocktail, I went tequila based, for a drink that sounded a bit odd, and I'm really not sure why I picked it, besides that I was sorta feeling in a tequila mood (hmm, that happens?)

I loved this cocktail, one of the best cocktails I've ever had.   There was a ton of flavor, with each element perfectly complimenting the others.  The "tabasco salt solution" gave it a slight kick, but just in a way that enhanced everything else.  It was just this hint of spice that gave it quite a complex undertone.  The grapefruit and lime made it quite sour, in a way that made my mouth pucker, but, then there was some sweetness to balance that too.  And of course, the tequila, plenty boozy enough to taste the tequila, but just enough to appreciate it, not regret a long night of drinking.

 It came garnished with another slice of grapefruit, plus a large chunk of lime and a little flower.

I really, really liked this cocktail, and would get another in an instant.

Buck Stops Here. 9.5€.

"Bulleit Rye, Fernet Branca, lemon, maple ale reduction, ginger ale charge, Benjamin Franklin."

I didn't try this one, it belonged to a dining companion, but, seriously, little tiny $100 bills were attached, using the same mini clothespins.  The drinks may look like they were kinda silly in the garnishes, but, they delivered in taste, so I don't care.

Designated Driver: Due Dill-Igence. 9€

"Seedlip Garden 108, elderflower cordial, ginger syrup, fresh dill, cucumber, smoked salt, lemon juice."

Our non-drinking diner tried several Designating Driver drinks, and I didn't manage to take photos of the others, nor even try them.  To be honest, I was too busy with my amazing cocktails, or, with the elaborate garnishes on others.  This one was cute though, again with a mini clip, this time holding on a sprig of fresh dill.

Food

The Blind Pig shares a kitchen with the Michelin starred Social Eating house.  I had high hopes for their elevated takes on bar snacks, even if the menu still read as fairly standard offerings.

The cuisine lived up to my hopes.

Food Menu.

Amusingly, the food menu is a fraction of the length of the drink menu.  Again, cocktail focus, but, that does not mean the food was an afterthought.

The menu is arranged as "Bites", nicely shareable bar snacks, "Jars", dips and spreads that come in jars, "Steaks", uh, steaks, and "Sundaes", some token desserts.  Steaks seemed totally out of place on the menu, and, since we had no space for food in the first place, we certainly couldn't order a steak, so, we skipped that section of the menu entirely.  We also skipped the desserts, even though I'm a dessert lover, the Pimm's Sundae with orange sorbet didn't really inspire me, and the only other option was a very chocolately B52 Sundae with a chocolate brownie and espresso syrup, both of which I didn't want at night (although, the Bailey's ice cream certainly sounded great!)

So, we stuck with the Bites, and, one selection from the Jars.

Bites

The majority of the food menu is "Bites", which includes small little bar snacks, like olives, prawn crackers, and fried padron peppers, plus some fun things like a chorizo dog, fish & chips, and fried chicken.

We started with a few Bites, some of which I doubled up on in our initial order since I knew the dishes were small.  Some were so good that we immediately ordered more.  All the dishes came quickly, so it was easy to keep ordering more as we figured out how much more we wanted.

Duck fat chips, curry aioli. 5.50€.

The first thing I ordered for the group was simple: duck fat chips.  Nearly every review of the food at The Blind Pig mentioned these, so, it seemed like we needed to get them.  Plus, um, perfect bar snack.

The chips arrived piping hot.  Like, burn your fingers as you picked them up hot.  They were super thick, large format chips, with a perfectly crispy exterior, and a very fluffy interior.  They were a touch oily, but only in a I-just-came-out-of-a-fryer way, not in a greasy way.

The curry aioli was, well, curry aioli.  I am not a fan of curry, so, I was a bit sad no other dipping sauce came with them.

Overall though, nicely executed, and a fairly classic British offering of nicely prepared chips with a Indian curry influence.

You can see a sense of scale here though with our tiny table.  Yes, these were large chips, but, the chips, the curry, and the little candle that were on the table took up the entire table.  There were 6 cocktails on their way (the chips actually arrived before our drinks), and more food soon to follow.  We did away with the candle, and the one plate/knife/fork we were provided, and covered our laps with napkins.  Most of us managed not to spill *too* much, but, uh, Ojan's shirt did not escape unharmed.

Beer battered fish & chips, vinegar powder, Tartare sauce. 9€.

Soon after the chips, our drinks arrived, and our table was overflowing.  And then the fish & chips arrived, which I had wisely doubled up on.  As soon as the first one of these hit the table, we realized how awkward the food situation was going to get.  I demanded that someone finish the chips, to at least clear that dish off the table.

The fish and chips came with large chunks of fish, battered and fried, plus more of the same chips.  Had I realized that the exact same chips would come with the fish & chips, I would have skipped the initial order of chips, and wish the server had warned us.  This dish came with a bowl of ketchup and a bowl of tartare sauce though, no curry aioli, so, maybe he thought we really wanted that curry aioli?  It also came with lemon to squeeze over the fish.

Anyway, the fish and chips was fascinating.  The coating was unlike anything I've had before.  It was sorta like tempura, yet lighter, more airy, if that makes any sense.  Yet it was crazy crispy.  I really can't explain it.  The fish inside was moist and mild.

The tartare sauce was nicely done, thick, loaded with little bits of pickle and I think capers.

Everyone was very impressed with this dish.  One diner couldn't get over exclaiming just how notable the fry job was.  How fresh it was.  He loved it, and quickly had us order another round.  This was a very easily sharable dish, since we could all take our own fish chunks and chips, and reasonably priced at 9€.

This was the favorite dish of 2 diners, and the popcorn lover's second (um, behind the popcorn).

Chorizo dog, Monterey jack, onion jam, fermented cabbage. 8€.

And then ... something far less sharable, but, I adore hot dogs, and I needed to try this chorizo dog.  Of course, I doubled up on these as well.

Our server brought the two chorizo dogs, and started to walk away.  "Uh ... could we have a knife?", I suggested.  I'm really not sure what he thought we were going to do with two chorizo dogs, no cutlery, and no plates.  He had told us everything was for sharing and would come as it was ready, and we had indicated we were sharing everything.  Each chorizo dog was a full size hotdog, a bit strange to have as something considered a "Bite" on the menu.

He returned with a knife and fork, and we used them to cut each dog into thirds, somehow managing not to totally mangle it, and I'm not really sure how.

On the side were two little squirt bottles, that looked like ketchup and mustard, but we were quickly told that the orange one was paprika aioli, not mustard.   The wooden plank was a cute serving vessel.

Chorizo Dog: Side View.

As we awaited our silverware, everyone admired the chorizo dogs.  One person made a comment about a pickle spear on it, but I assured him there was no pickle spear.  Others agreed that there was something just under the cabbage layer that looked like a pickle.  I quickly identified it as the mozzarella, an element they all forgot was part of the dog, but of course I had written down.

So, what did we have here?

A thing of beauty, really.  A soft fluffy, slightly sweet, brioche bun.  A chorizo dog, topped with a layer of ridiculously flavorful, delicious, onion jam.  A thick layer of melted Monterey jack cheese.  Tons of flavorful, crispy, slightly fermented, cabbage on top.

This was actually really delicious.  I loved the soft fluffy bun, I loved the flavorful onion jam, the gooey cheese, and the fresh cabbage topping.  The only thing I didn't love?  The chorizo dog itself.  It was a thin thing, and I didn't like the texture, which seemed kinda gristly to me.  Others liked it though, so, maybe I just got a bad chunk?

Even so, this was my favorite dish, along with two others, so, the overall top dish.  I would have gladly had more than my third, or another chunk, but we opted not to order another, just because it was too annoying to split.

Fried chicken, ponzu, mirin, soy. 7€.

I don't eat chicken, but, the others were all eyeing the fried chicken, so, we put in an order for it.  It came with 4 chunks, for our group of 6.  It was no problem since I didn't want a chunk, but, the other 5 did.  I really felt our server could have a done a better job guiding us here.

Anyway, I didn't try the chicken, but the others liked it, said it was crispy and moist.  They ordered another round.  It was the second pick for one diner.

I still didn't try the chicken, but, I did try the jalapeños (yum!), and the dipping sauce.  You can't see it, but, the entire bowl that the fried chicken skewer is setting on is filled with a ponzu/mirin/soy sauce.  The sauce was very flavorful as you'd expect given those ingredients, and a bit salty.

Jars

The "Jars" section of the menu contains 5 different jars.  Most are spreads or dips, like duck rillette (spelt "rillet" on the menu), salmon rillette (this one spelt "rilette"), and hummus.  Those are all served, in jars, in the main restaurant too, as starterts.

But there was also ... mac & cheese.  In a jar?  Obviously, not a very sharable item, but, I had heard great things about the mac and cheese.  A version of this, not in a jar, is served in the main restaurant as an actual entree (yup, Michelin star mac and cheese), so, even though a bit strange to order for a group, we did it anyway.  Granted, if we had any share plates or any space, it really would not have been a problem.  But of course, our server just brought us the jar, with one set of silverware, and started to walk away.  I at least asked for more silverware, not that I had any idea what we'd really do with it.

Then I remembered that we had been brought a jug of water and little cups.  We didn't use them, since we didn't have space on the table, but I figured they would work to serve some mac into.  Except, lols, we were only given 3 cups for our group of 6.  Still, 3 cups, and the one big jar, got us closer to 6.

Mac & cheese, shaved mushroom 9€ + truffle (7€).

The mac normally comes with shaved mushrooms on top, but there is an option to add on truffle.  Our truffle-hater inquired if it was real truffle, not truffle oil, as you know he loathes truffle oil.  We were told that it was real truffle, shaved on top.  So, we added it, because, why not, right?

Our mac came with a decent portion of shaved truffle on top.  It was very fragrant.  While we sat waiting for silverware, we enjoyed the earthy aromas.

Under the truffles was a layer of other mushrooms.  The menu said "shaved mushrooms" but these were not shaved mushrooms.  The menu for the main restaurant lists girolles too, aka, chanterelles, and I'm pretty sure that is what these were.  They seemed ... dried?  Fried?  I'm not sure, but they were super crispy, and added a crunch on top, as you'd expect to come from a bread crumb topping.  Several members of my group actually thought there was bread crumbs in here, but I'm pretty sure the texture all came from the mushrooms on top.  The chanterelles were also crazy salty.  I liked the salt level, but, I can easily see it being a big much for some.  Chef's palette required.

The mac was very large elbows, nicely cooked, in a fairly creamy sauce.  It wasn't super cheesy, but I think that is just me being used to fake cheese powder and its intense flavor.  It also wasn't stringy.  The sauce tasted more like actual cheese and cream, plus, uh, truffle oil.  I'm pretty sure there was truffle oil in here too.  Doh.

Overall, I thought this was fairly tasty, a very grown up version of mac and cheese, which really should be called something more like "elbow macaroni with truffle oil infused Monterey Jack cream sauce, topped with crispy chanterelles" ... or something.  It wasn't really mac and cheese, but that isn't a bad thing.  Still, no one's top pick of the night.

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