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One of the greats

When I heard there was a place in London who not only had consistently been one of the greats for years but also had an eclectic, somewhat eccentric décor both inside and out I knew I had to check it out. Which place am I talking about I hear you saying…none other than the Churchill arms in Notting hill.
 
The Churchill Arms
119 Kensington Church St
London
W8 7LN

The first thing you will notice coming up to pub is the amazing front. It is covered from top to bottom in various potted plants, which apparently in summer flower making it look amazing.

(photo credit https://littlelondonobservationist.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/churchill-arms-pub-london/)

I will have to go back in the summer…any excuse really.

Inside the Churchill Arms it is divided into two halves. At the front is the pub and the back is the restaurant. The pub still gives you that old English pub charm despite every nook and cranny being covered in every conceivable piece of Winston Churchill memorabilia.

You would never believe that this pub coated in flowers and foliage and filled with all this stuff would be home to a beautiful Thai Restaurant. Apparently 20-30 years ago the ‘in thing’ in London was pubs serving Thai food. There aren’t too many survivors of this trend. I have mentioned one before in my blog post The Old Packhorse and now I can safely add The Churchill arms to the list and I can see why it has survived.

The menu is small but what it does, it does well! There was five of us who went so we got to try a fair few dishes and all the food was excellent.

We had
Spicy prawn crackers and spring rolls to start

Then for mains
Pad Siew with beef
Noodles fried with soya sauce, egg, peas, mixed vegetables and bean sprouts.

Kaeng Kiew Waan with chicken
A traditional Thai green curry made from fresh green chilli and Thai herbs cooked in coconut milk with bamboo shoots, peas, red and green peppers.

Kaeng Panang with chicken
A spicy red curry made of dried red chili with coconut milk, Thai lime leaves, red and green peppers.

One Rad Na with mixed meat and one Rad Na with vegetables
Fried thick noodles with mixed green vegetables, red and green peppers topped with corn starch gravy.

The food was not only tasty but it was really reasonably priced, especially considering the size of the dishes, as you can see they were huge.

The only downside, if I can even call it that, is that so many people have cottoned on to how good the Churchill is so is gets extremely crowed. My advice make a booking, preferably a few days in advance as it fills up quick! That can only be a good sign right?

I can see why they are one of the greats but don't just trust me listen to critics. The Churchill Arms has won the Boozers on Bloom award, the Fuller's coveted Griffin Award three times and the Stella's "Love Your Local" award.

So you have no excuse not to check this place out.

Aroi mak mak
(its very delicious)

Don’t you forget about me?

Firstly apologises for the absence. Life kind of got away from me for a bit there. Who needs small talk though, let’s get straight back to it. I finally made my way to the much talked about 'Breakfast club' a few weeks back and I have to say it did not disappoint.

Note - be prepared to wait! Since opening its first location in Soho in 2005 Breakfast club has been fiercely popular with longs queues nearly all of the time. You'll be lucky if your wait is only thirty minutes but it’s more likely to be an hour to an hour and half.

We decided to chance it and go for a Sunday brunch (probably there busiest time) and as expected we waited roughly an hour before we were seated. You can't book which is kind of annoying but becoming the norm in London these days (frustration). I will say however the staff were good with the queuing patrons, giving out small cups of free hot chocolate (very tasty) and giving realistic time frames etc. Luckily I was with a friend who I hadn't seen in a while so happily chatted away while we waited in queue.

The breakfast club as the namesake suggests is an all-day diner that is dedicated to the most important meal of the day...Breakfast. It also does its best to give of the vibe of the 1985 film of the same name. With six locations across London, the original cafe lies on D'Arblay Street in Soho...you can't miss it with its brightly painted, sunflower yellow shop front. We however decided to hit the London Bridge location.

The Breakfast Club
11 Southwark Street,
London Bridge
SE1 1RQ

Despite the name they do also open for lunch and dinner where they do burgers, tacos, salads etc. typical diner food and off course have their late breakfast menu but I thought considering the name, we would go at breakfast...well more of a brunch (1130am), it was Sunday after all.

The breakfast menu is stacked with options for every type of taste bud. From club classics, to pancakes both savoury and sweet, to eggs any which way and of course porridge, fruit and granola.

We started off rather boring with a cup of tea, an Ever-so English breakfast tea from the Joe's tea range. It was really nice and I heard a lot of people talking about how good the coffee was (I myself, not a coffee drinker)

 

After looking at the menu for far too long, practically wanting everything we both settled on Chorizo hash browns, a Breakfast Club original which is chorizo, mushrooms, home-style fried potatoes and fried eggs.

It was ridiculously big and super tasty and very reasonably priced. Well worth the hour wait in the cold. The staff also made it worth the wait, polite with genuine smiles and conversation. We didn't feel at all rushed, which can happen with places with large queues. The staff seemed capable and unfazed by the popularity which was a nice change.

I have to go back and try the pancakes one day with my friend Paula and I will let you all know how that goes, you know how much I love my pancakes.

This is definitely one to put on your restaurant bucket list, just make sure you bring something or someone to keep you occupied in the queue *smiles*

Enjoy!

 

Shake, Shake, Shake Shack!

The American food chain takeover of London is hitting an all-time high and I have to admit, I'm pretty happy about it. Every now and then you need an indulgence and American fast food is just that….indulgent.

Last week I headed over to Shake Shack with my cousin.

Shake Shack Covent Garden
24 Market Building
The Piazza
London
WC2E 8RD
01923 555129

Shake Shack is like the story of the little engine that could. It began in 2001 with a little hot dog cart in New York City's Madison Square Park. It wasn’t long after it opened that the cart developed a loyal following and soon had a huge line of hungry customers. The cart grew into the original 2004 Shake Shack which was exactly that, a shack/kiosk serving food from sliding windows with no indoor seating.

Today the burgers, dogs, shakes, concretes (Shake Shack's most unique signature item) and fries can be had from hte US, to the Middle East as well as in Dubai, Turkey and Russia. Of course let’s not forget our UK locations in Covent gardens and Westfield Stratford. The biggest difference from the first humble shack is that they now offer a dine-in option.

While the large chain does serve very good shakes, as its name implies and still offers up the hot dogs that started it all, it has become synonymous with its tasty tasty burgers. It is at the forefront of the huge ‘gourmet’ burger sensation that hit London over the last ten years. Gourmet, in this instance just means a better than industry standard fast food burger.

In the UK they use 100% UK Aberdeen Angus Beef which is meaty, juicy, fresh and flavourful. The quality of the toppings is also above the other fast food chains with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, yummy bacon, mushrooms, pickle, onion and cheese and you can’t go past the secret "Shack sauce," a slightly spicy, sweet and sour blend of mayo, ketchup, mustard and spices.

Of course they still do the hot dogs that started it all but they are clearly playing second fiddle to the burger and I am yet to try one as I just can’t go past the burger and can’t fit in both.

You can’t have a burger or a hot dog without fries right? The fries aren’t bad, but also nothing to write home about. They remind me of the from frozen crinkle-cut fries, probably not worth the money but again you just can’t not have fries. It just feels wrong. They also do the American staple of covering them with melted cheese if you want (at a cost of course).

A unique signature of theirs is call the concrete. It is dense frozen custard ice cream blended at high speed with mix-ins. You can make your own, or choose from a selection of signature concretes (the crazy-great combinations are specific to each Shack). Available in single or double.

 

 

For me I couldn’t go past a shake….it is called SHAKE shack after all. They do the originals like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry but then also do black & white, Carmel, peanut butter and often have really impressive specials. The special when we went was a salted chocolate and peanut butter which I couldn’t pass up. It was divine! My cousin got the Cranberry shake made lemonade which was also pretty good.

The only thing that is a bit of a bummer with Shack Shake is probably the price. It’s not cheap. My cousin and I got two burgers, a portion of fries to share, a shake and the cranberry lemonade and it came to £26. I thoroughly enjoyed it but its definitely something I won't be doing often, price wise and healthiness wise. I'm guessing my shake alone was at least a 1000 calories.   

I would say to try it out though, give it a go at least once because it shouldn’t disappoint.
Go on, treat yourself!

British love

Something I love about Britain is the pub culture. You have probably noticed this from my Chiswick pubs series reviewing The Old Packhorse,  The Bollo,  The Gunnersbury, The Pilot, The Lamb and Smokehouse. I, of course don’t just go to pubs in Chiswick.

One of my favourite pubs in London is The Black Lion on Kilburn high road.

The Black Lion
274 Kilburn High Road
London NW6 2BY
West Hampstead

The Black Lion pub is a beautiful old English pub steeped in history dating back to the Roman times. It has a friendly atmosphere and the service is really polite and upbeat, the people who work there seem like they really enjoy it. In the winter it even has open fires surrounded by couches where you can snuggle up with a winter warm drink.  I really love the atmospheric Victorian charm it has about it.

The food is delicious and what I would consider pretty reasonably priced. The quality and freshness of the food is second to none and I have never had anything I didn’t like.

I usually opt for the Tapas menu where you can get 4 plates for £14. This way I get to taste a lot of different flavours and its great way to share food with friends.

Looking over the Tapas menu now I realise I have tired most of the dishes on there!

Some of my favourites are

Italian style mixed olives

Fresh pitta break & homemade hummus

Toasted bruschetta with tomato, onions & cucumber

Deep fried calamari and hand cut triple cooked chips

Trio of sliders, chicken, pulled pork and beef

They also have great Sunday roast options. Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Pork belly and vegetarian Wellington. The biggest range of roasts I’ve seen in pub.

I have tried the Lamb

and the ½ corn feed chicken

Both were very good. The Yorkshire puddings were the best I think I have ever had. The veggies were so so but with the gravy were very tasty. The meat (both the lamb and chicken) was tender and full of flavour. Exactly how you want a Sunday roast to be. It is literally drenched in gravy though so if you aren’t a big fan make sure to request yours on the side.

I actually haven’t ever had the A La Carte menu but they seem to have a good range of starters, mains and desserts in a very traditional English pub style. I can’t see them not being as good as the tapas or Sunday roasts so I look forward to trying some of the dishes one day…especially the chocolate brownie!

The Black lion is also a lovely place to just go for a drink. They do some really great cocktails and of course they have lots of beers and wines.

There is nothing about the Black Lion I don't like so go check it out and let me know what you guys think.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM

Time to try one of the new crazes in London. The edible art that is the Amorino rose ice cream.

 

Amorino
41 Old Compton Street,
London
W1D 6HF
 

Amorino is an ice cream shop created in 2002 by two childhood friends Cristiano Sereni and Paolo Benassi. The quality is so good there ice cream is sold around the world and made according to traditional Italian methods with a dedication to using the very best ingredients from all over the world.
 
When you walk past their first London based shop in Old Compton street, you can help but want to go in. I has a really warm, inviting atmosphere.  Once inside you are presented with the counter of all the amazing flavours. Their products are not cheap but it isn’t a something you are going to have every day, more a special occasion treat.
 
You have a lot of different choices. Drinks, cakes, ice cream cups but what they are known for is there Amorino rose ice cream cone. So that’s what I decided to go for.

How it works.
One main flavour forms the "core" of the ice cream, and the rest of the flavours which you choose are petals carved and put around the cone to get the pretty looking flowers you see above.
The first flavour you chose becomes the core so make sure you pick your favourite as this one. It’s like you get one full scoop which is your core and then small carvings of the other flavours you choose around it.
 
They have a really great selection of flavours from mango and passionfruit sorbets to amaretto, tiramisu and speculoos gelatos.

There is a flavour for every taste bud.

I got a Ciocclato base with Tiramisu and Amarena petals. The flavours were really good. Full of flavour and rich and creamy. It was a perfect end to a fun night with friends.
 

Again it isn’t a place I am going to go to often as it’s pretty pricey for ice cream but it is somewhere you have to check out at least once. I have no doubt you will enjoy it.
 
 

The Blues in Red

Sometimes when I get blue I bake because it makes me forget whatever is going on and lets me focus on something. 

Although Im feeling blue, I decided too change it up a bit and I took my first shot at Red Velvet cupcakes.

Red Velvet cupcakes

Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 large beets
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup coconut oil
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Methods

1. Preheat oven to 180 C.
2. Remove beet leaves and scrub the beets clean. Place each beet on a large square of foil and sprinkle with the salt, olive oil and a splash of water. Wrap each beet loosely with the foil.
3. Place foil-wrapped beets on a baking sheet and roast until a knife or fork comes out with ease when inserted into the beet, about 30 minutes. Remove the beets and set aside to cool just enough to handle.
4. Preheat oven to 160 C. Line a 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
6. Peel the cooled beets and grate finely, until pureed.
7. Add coconut oil, milk, eggs, vinegar and vanilla to the beet puree and mix together. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, until combined. Scoop batter into lined cupcake tins, filling about ⅔ full.
8. Bake in preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9. Let cakes cool

Turns out cream cheese frosting is not easy when you don’t have an electric mixer. Yes I know, a baker without a mixer…crazy. Well until I invest in one it is all hand mixing for this little baker. Without the mixer my fluffy cream cheese frosting turned to a cream cheese glaze...which in the end was actually pretty nice…just not the effect I was originally going for.

Cream cheese glaze/frosting
Ingredients

• 300g icing sugar, sifted
• 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 125g cream cheese, cold

Methods

1. Beat the icing sugar and butter together. For best results use a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment or a handheld electric whisk on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. I on the other hand used a wooden spoon to begin with and then a whisk and mixed by hand.
2. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. If using a mixer, turn it up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 mins. Again for me I hand whisked it until it was mixed together, it just never really got light and fluffy, more glazy liquid.
3. If yours is fluffy spoon or pipe the cream cheese frosting on top of the cold cakes. For me I coated a few times with the glaze and let them dry.

If I do say so myself they tasted pretty awesome. An intense flavour and super sweet. One with a cup of tea will do the trick quite nicely.

Try out the recipe yourself and see how you like them…hopefully your icing works out a bit better than mine but either way they will taste great!