London Archives - Page 3 of 3

Sake No Hana: Japanese cuisine made fun in London

Sake No Hana offers a curious mix of traditional Japanese food and customs with contemporary lifestyle in the heart of London. As a less successful, younger sister to the popular modern Cantonese Chinese restaurant Hakkasan, that prides itself in a trendy ambience and Michelin star rating, it tries to reach up to its role model. In terms of design, it does a great job in being visually arresting. It is fun, fashionable and buzzing, not a serious Japanese sushi bar.

While the food is delicious and the chefs, no doubt, highly accomplished, the level of comfort is not to everyone’s taste. Closely placed tables, a gaggle of wait staff poised to tend to your every whim and the overly loud dance music, piped throughout the entire restaurant, can leave you feeling like you are in a crowded night club, with little to no chance of an intimate conversation.
The food and drinks menu is vast and even for London expensive with cocktails costing no less than £15. The restaurant though offers a deal which is excellent value for money considering that it includes a bottle of sake.
For £30 per person, you can order a five-course meal from the set menu. There are vegetarian options for every course and the dishes are quite large. This is certainly not a tasting menu, as one may expect.

Four of the five dishes from the vegetarian menu were exciting and delectable. Unfortunately, I found the main course of tofu, aubergine and peppers quite inedible, not least because of the gelatinous gloop that covered the tofu.
The first course was a miso soup, a light and wholesomely appetising way to start the meal. Traditionally, this it is slurped from the bowl, and at Sake No Hana there are no spoons to help capture every last morsel which is a shame.
The vegetable tempura was perfectly crunchy, which of course, is a must for good tempura. The plate came with a lovely sweet and sour dip and cold noodles, which you could do without. The side of a horseradish puree packed a punch but adds to the flavour of the dish.
Vegetable sushi has always been a little shrouded in mystery but is well worth the plunge into the unknown. Served with a cold citrus flavoured rice adorned with radishes and edible flowers, this course is fancier than a cucumber roll. The sushi provided some much-needed spice, but once you start trying to break it up into a smaller mouthful, they lose some of their appeal.

The standout dish of the evening was the desert. Outstanding, with flavours and elements, to die for. A beautifully plated little pieces of fresh mango and meringue placed on a pannacotta base, encircling a mango sorbet laid on a bed of sesame seeds. It felt light while remaining full of sweetness and it rounded off a meal of ups and downs on a high note.
Sake No Hana is a fantastic restaurant, but it is more suitable for groups. Do not expect much privacy or not straining your ears to your dining partner trying hard to hear what is being said to you.
🕗 Mon- Sat: lunch 12noon-3pm; dinner from 6pm.
✉ 23 St James’s St, London SW1A 1HA
☏ +(44) 20 7925 8988

CLOSED Grain Store: model of sustainability for London's dining scene

The Grain Store’s expansive “veg-centric” casual dining room is devoted to sustainability, sociability and fun. By reducing the function of meat and fish into a garnish size on the plates, sourcing locally, seasonally, when possible organic produce, being more energy efficient, limiting waste, and by using eco-friendly materials such as refillable glass and paper boxes, sustainable business is ensured. Awarded The UK’s most Sustainable Restaurant right when it opened in 2013, the Grain Store continues to inspire other dining businesses in London.
Rather than assuming the leading role the [animal] flash held in our abundance-born generation, it is sided next to a starring vegetable or grain on each plate that is not vegetarian or vegan. Otherwise for the less limited diners, sustainably certified seafood and ethically raised grass pastured or local grain fed meat like the Denham Castle Lamb that grazes freely on a sprawling Suffolk estate, are used in the food preparations.

The French-born chef Bruno Loubet is of a heavy Michelin calibre, but his rejuvenating trip to Australia a couple of years ago lead him to the enlightening ideas for this new venture in London. As a co-owner, he wields more power over the concept as well as the menu itself. Although he hails from the meat-centric Libourne, his recent travels opened him more to cooking with vegetables, grains and even wild Atlantic seaweed. The halo of sustainability is about being as close to its saint’s dwelling, so the ingredients at the Grain Store are as local as possible.
Healthier eating is made simple right on the menu. A carrot symbol for a purely vegetarian dish, leaf for vegan, yet if you don’t have any dietary restrictions and allergies and are just searching a balanced plate, you can order anything you momentally crave. Some popular dishes remain on the menu throughout the year as their seasonal availability allows for, while others are shuffled around with the changing seasons. Locally grown produce is preferred to imported stuff, but the chef could not resist to shipping some French cheese through the London branch of a Paris-based centenary master cheese monger Androuet. They also supply local British cheese owing to their partnership with Paxton & Whitfield, the oldest cheese shop in London. Naturally fermented ‘slow’ organic sourdough bread by nearby-based Boulangerie de Paris, accompanies the cheeses perfectly.

From the year around menu I enjoy the lushness of the Sprouting seeds & beans, miso aubergine, crispy citrus chicken skin, topped with air-thin potato wafer. For a warm main course the Hot seaweed sushi, glazed pak choi, black garlic purée, hake à la plancha in vanilla butter feeds and nourishes in a perfectly balanced plate.

Although the portions are smartly sized for managing both a starter and the main course, if you cannot finish your meal, ask for a take-away recyclable paper box and they will happily wrap the leftovers. Reducing food waste is one of the tenets of the sustainable movement in developed countries globally.

To drink, if you want to avoid alcohol, it is easy here. Cocktails made with fresh pressed juices are seductive. Try the ROMAN REDHEAD squeezed from red grape juice, beetroot and verjus or the FRENCH BLONDE of grape juice, elderflower cordial, lemongrass and verjus. For a fizzy energiser the GOOSEBERRY LEMONADE sweetened by gooseberry syrup, fresh lemon and bubbled with soda is fun.
For a warm pick up the Matcha latte with soy milk is cholesterol free, while the caffeine-free Orzo, a roasted barley drink enhanced with Indian spices satisfies any coffee craving abstinent. Ethically sourced tea from the award winning We are Tea warms you in a cold day, comforts in a typically rainy London weather or helps to flush toxins after an indulgent night out.
If you feel like sinning a bit then most of the wines are organic or biodynamic, plus the skilled cocktail master Tony Greco invented tempting blends inspired by ancient Roman custom of infusing wines with herbs. Try the Gewurtztraminer infused with herbs in CHAMOMILE VINUS LUPUS or Grenache Blanc in ROMAN SMOKED PAPRIKA WHITE WINE.

The drinks menu offers pairing suggestions with certain dishes. Filtered still and sparkling water is served in a glass carafe since plastic, bottled water and bros. do not have a fan base in the eco-freindly community. Additionally, half of the proceeds from it will be donated to a local charity.

The Grainstore as its name suggests is located in a former wheat granary, where now after the immense regeneration project of a large warehouse area just behind the San Pancras train station, the space invites for a more forward looking dining. Being next to the Central Saint Martins College of Fashion and near to Google’s offices, the crowd certainly is more young, energetic, creative as well as futuristic. In front the Regent’s Canal, a pedestrian only zone and bubbling water fountains do not fit the London box, but feel more like smaller English town. Still, the restaurant is ideal for a social brunch, a work lunch or dinner with friends rather than a romantic candlelit occasion.

The interior design of the restaurant itself feels very busy and rather factory rustic, highlighted by its “exploded” open kitchen. Transparence is what defines the Grain Store’s philosophy – from the no-fuss, open kitchen through listing their purveyors on their website to providing dietary guidance for its diners. In a democratised world of restaurants this is how everyone should be doing it. In the ravishing competition for survival, now is the time to be as much consumer-friendly as each restaurant can to keep going. Of course, still, the food has to taste good, and the Grain Store manages the appeal of their dishes very well.
Address: Granary Square, 1-3 Stable Street, Kings Cross, London
Contact: +44 20 7324 4466
Opening hours: Daily for lunch noon-2:30pm (Sat: 11am-3pm & Sun: 11am-4pm); dinner except Sun: 6-10:30pm

Postcard Teas London: trust in small tea plantations yields high quality tea

Postcard Teas nests in an ultra premium location in central London, but still the rejuvenating calmness of this naturally lit tea boutique is shielded from the wild herds of shoppers cruising the Bond and Regent Streets.
As your smartphone directs you through dwindling, almost passers-by-free streets towards the workshop-squared glass face pinched on Dering street, you will be ushered into a calm oasis of honest business. Providing its customers with only the best quality leafs from precisely focused small tea plantations (less than 15 acres), has attracted the most savvy tea connoisseurs into its parquet little world. Currently, teas from China, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam are in store, always the newest release of the particular year, with the exception of pu-erh that tends to be better older.
Recently, also limited quantities of organic herbal infusions were added into their portfolio. These are pleasant caffeine-free brews perfect warm or iced, made as you momental mood desires.
This calm and secluded space is an ideal spot for a tea shop, so you can remain focused on the moment of selecting or sipping tea. Even if I intend just to pop in briefly when in the area to get a specific refill of my favourite tea or check out the new arrivals, I end up chatting with whomever is behind the till, effortlessly slow down and get out positively tuned.

There are dozens of brought-back-to-life (The East India Company) or centuries-old tea shops in London, but most of them are staunch devotees of an English style of tea. Increasingly more spurs of pure teas reaching beyond India are appearing on the London tea scene though. The shop offers some classic London blends based on black teas and also many ‘English’ items such as teapot covers that keep warmth inside the pot for longer, but it also features rare handmade Japanese ceramics and tea accessories made by contemporary artists in Japan. The very English teapot covers sold at Postcard Teas in London are all unique and handmade, all in tune with the company’s traditions, handcrafts, fairness and honesty promoting ethos.

Two concepts of tea define its precise selections – working solely with small plantations and maintaining direct relationships with tea growers. In this way, the quality and also fair wages for everyone involved with the tea growing and making process can be assured. Particularly, in China and India it is challenging to find a consistent supply of comparable quality, thus sourcing this way not just supports the small growers and cooperatives, but motivates them to stick to their fair practices.
The Postcard Teas was founded by Timothy D’Offay over 20 years ago. While living in Kyoto, the Japanese centre of tea culture, he was enamoured with great tea and began to explore other tea growing regions in Asia. First he imported tea directly from people he met during his tea travels, later he co-founded his first tea shop called ‘East Teas’ in London, and then grouped together with a passionated and varied bunch of tea lovers, a Japanese tea family descendant and a Chinese ceramicist, who is also the creative director at Postcard Teas, he pioneered working with exclusively small tea growers and thus inspired a new generation of global tea business based on direct ethical trade.

It may seem disparate then placing his store in the Mayfair high-heeled society-environment, but it is a welcome and easy to reach escape for anyone who travels to the metropolis and stays at one of the central hotels as I do. If they were too far North, in the trendy East or Notting Hill, they would probably keep local customers, but could not spread the word beyond the British world.
The choice from about 60 teas and blends, all sold artistically labelled with colourful cartoonish images reminding of the old colourful Japanese placards you can find around Kyoto, makes it hard to narrow down, but trying some of their teas during on of the thematic weekly tastings will swoon over their qualities.
My first picks were a green Korean Nokcha reminding me with its light roasted aroma of slightly oxidised oolong, and and exquisite shaded Japanese steamed green Gyokuro by Master Yoshida.
Look at the descriptive Gyokuro tea tin bellow, that is characteristic for each tea with its precise details. Since 2008 as “the first tea company in the world to put the maker’s name and location” on the package, the Postcard Teas forged transparency. Made by Master Yoshida, a 16th generation tea master and head of the Japanese Hand Rolling Association, the for 20 days shaded rare Gyokuro comes from the Yoshida family fields in Ogura, where gyokuro was first grown and shaded with traditional honzu reed and mochi rice straw covers. Using the kyusu (hobin) ceramic teapot with a small spout, that can be bought at the store, you steep this tea for a very short period in slightly warm water (50-55degreees ideally), then let the umami and the endless aftertaste take you for a long journey.

I also like the flavoured Chinese green tea Huangshan Mao Feng with Morrocan rose buds reminding with its delicate bouquet of a white tea. The La Vie en Rose is delicate, fresh and not too overshadowed by the fragrant roses. Since, there is not any white tea in their repertoire yet, this is an interesting alternative for a lighter brew.
From the pu-erh I enjoyed the typically earthy yet balanced with sweet licorice cooked 2006 vintage LIU FAMILY NANNUO SHAN. Although broken to pieces, it is sealed in the container so still retains its quality. About the raw pu-erh you need to inquire with the staff about availability.
The artistic labels for the airtight tea tins at Postcard Teas can be also used as greeting cards to be send on your behalf to anyone, anywhere in the world. Either at their location in London or online, choose the Tea Postcard™ you’d like to send, write the message in any language and address with a country name in English, and surprise a friend, family or a lover with the old-fashioned, yet today even more appreciated, reminder that there is someone in some other destination who thinks about you and wants to share the very personal experience of enjoying a great tea.
Once you buy a tea in a tin, you can purchase a cheeper refill of the same tea. A sustainable and more economical path to enjoy your favourite teas again and again.

The Postcard Teas reputation has won over many of the leading London and Manchester cafés and restaurants, serving their loose teas with their quality-focused food. To name a few: Fera at Claridges, Balthazar, Quo Vadis, River Café, Umu, … From Michelin dining, health cafés by yoga studios, cake shops and even cycle clubs, they all share the love and support of small tea growers and pickers.

If you purchase any of the artisan Japanese ceramics, you will get it like in Japan beautifully wrapped inside a wooden gift box. I bought kyusu (hobin) ceramic teapot that is ideal for preparing Japanese green teas, made by the ASAHIYAKI KILN (BREWERS) in Uji, the Japan’s tea capital town. It has been serving me well for over two years now.
The Tea school is organised regularly each Saturday morning, lasting for about one hour starting at 10am. The tasting and talking opens your mind about each group of tea and aids with finding the perfect tea style for you. Try before you buy is popular in Asia, in particular in China and Hong Kong, but in Europe, unfortunately, tea tastings are generally paid and organised affairs. At Postcard Teas though their limited supply justifies the cost.
The new arrivals come with changing seasons. In spring you can get a freshly picked Long Jing from China, in the summer an Indian Daarjeling and a Japanese sencha are shipped, gyokuro comes later as do the best fall harvests from India.

9 Dering St, London W1S 1AG, United Kingdom

+44 20 7629 3654

Tea school booking costs £20 per person.

CLOSED Hibiscus: casting an exotic aura upon artisan produce in London

As flowery as the name of this two Michelin stared restaurant sounds, HIBISCUS, the eye-catching plant known as flor de Jamaica in Mexico and originating in warm and tropical areas, serves bold and daring dishes.
Hibiscus is also a national flower of Korea, Malaysia and Puerto Rico, thus bearing a flagship character was not novel to its founder and awarded chef Claude Bosi, when he chose this name for his restaurant originally based in Ludlow, a quite small town in England. After a two Michelin star fanfare it received there, the chef moved Hibiscus in 2007 to the most prestigious address in the UK – to Mayfair, and there it rests today.

Cuisine: Modern bold gastronomic using French techniques and local British ingredients .
The chef Claude Bosi comes from Lyon, the gastronomic capital of France, where his admiration of artisanal high quality raw produce originated and later made him falling in love with the UK, where the independent farmers and artisans pride in upholding the high standards of their harvest as well as well-fed animals.

Although hibiscus [the plant] is popular in the Traditional Chinese Medicine and Indian Ayurveda, known since the ancient times to lower blood pressure and in modern times additionally highlighted as an antioxidant power plant, the food at the restaurant is far from being health oriented.
Yet, its antipodal quality lies in the fragrant, satisfying and opulent taste profile appreciated by numerous foodies.
Before your ordered meal arrives, the chef’s affair with farmers is introduced in a small paper case filled with decorative dried grass [real] and eggs. Shrug worries aside, you will not be eating raw eggs straight from their shells. Albeit, in today’s highly competitive culinary climate, where chefs throw unusual plates in front of their bemused customers, it would certainly not be a mission impossible.
Here, the chef intervenes with each raw ingredient in his flamboyant style. Inside the egg-shell Bosi created a rich creamy savoury custard with mushrooms, making it my favourite delicacy in the entire meal.

Being it fall I fell for a Pumpkin soup with truffles. I was curious how a two-star restaurant could upgrade such a classic simple purée and was not disappointed by its originality. Yet, the harmony of the contrasting while not mutually communicating textures and temperatures was far from achievable. The warm rich pumpkin veloutée did not assimilate well with the frozen cheese snow thrown into it like a snowball to a window. The more, under the Gaugin orange blushing pumpkin was a heavy dense blue cheese cream that hid any sensible fragrance of truffles, which were supposed to be in the soup. I felt cheated. Where are my truffles?

Unlike the nectar in hibiscus flowers attracting hummingbirds in tropical climates, most of the food at the restaurant will not lure me back. With my main course of The Poached Cornish Skate à la Grenobloise tasting like a heavy bomb that splashed cream around something I could not distinguish if I did not see the fish, I was taken aback how a dish that on eye looks delicate and elegant, can turn into a weighty on the palate.
I know that a traditional Lyonnaise cuisine is generous and heavy, yet Hibiscus doe not advertise itself as a traditional brasserie (neither do its prices and portions) but a high dining contemporary restaurant, so I would expect a more nuanced food.

A nice surprise for the end in the form of tea time. I selected a pot of high grade Darjeeling, served in British fashion with milk on the side and exquisite petits fours. While the French sea shell-shaped madeleines were not a unique pastry per se, their soft texture and kernels of pistachios made it for me. Nested in a cobalt-hued dish, likewise the stripes of fleshy sweet dried figs were of utmost quality. A haughty silver bowl of imaginative airy light dark and white chocolate and caramel cubes was marvellous! The airy bubbles in between the sweet matter popped gently as I bit into each morsel moving into a creamy delicacy calling for a sip of tea.
Price: Very expensive (chef’s table available for £180-£255 including a wine flight), although a three-course lunch menu for £35 is a much better value.
Cookery masterclass lead by the chef himself is offered once a month on a dedicated Saturday for £225 per person and includes a four-course lunch.

Drinks: The wine list is very good and the sommelier knows which wine to pair with the chef’s dishes very well. The wines by the glass are intriguing. In particular I enjoyed the white from Gut Oggau, from a biodynamic vineyard in a village with the same name in Austria’s Burgenland. The drawings on the label are supposed to capture the character of the wine. From the picture above, can you tell me, how do you think did mine taste?*
Atmosphere: The service is good, but not overwhelmingly friendly and helpful as one would expect from a Michelin restaurant, plus it is a common complaint by many diners.
Opening hours: Daily except Sunday for lunch 12noon-2:15pm; dinner 6:30-10:30pm.
Address: 29 Maddox St, London W1S 2PA, United Kingdom
Phone:+(44) 20 7629 2999 or book online at http://www.hibiscusrestaurant.co.uk
*HINT from Oggau’s website: “Multi-faceted in the nose, winning and expressive. Powerful, balanced, confident and determined on the palate. Down-to-earth and open-minded, and after a wild life he has settled back into placidity.”

The Story about the London's Story

The Story is buzzing through London’s gourmet discourse as the utmost place to try now. Its name has nailed it down – the restaurant became the story of the summer 2013 as one of the hardest dining establishments in London to get into. The chef‘s intriguing background is one teaser. Thomas Sellers is only 26 years-old head chef, who already managed to work at Rene Redzepi’s Noma in Copenhagen (the world’s best restaurant after Ferran Adria’s El Bulli packed it up), Per Se in New York (where America’s top chef Thomas Keller set the tone for innovative gastronomy in the US) and Tom Aikens in London – all the highest calibre of restaurants in their cities.

Cuisine: Gastronomic international, full of surprises.
Visit: August 2013
Price: Medium to high (six-course tasting menu £45 is not that high for London, neither it is an average what you would pay for a meal, although not for such a creative multi-course feast).

Atmosphere: Built on a former site of a Victorian toilet block, the Story captures attention. The tale goes on with its current location lying in a busy intersection just behind the Tower Bridge, glass windows from top to bottom, and open kitchen allowing not only to the diners but also to the staff behind the stoves to observe the happenings of South London. This unusual and even for many London’s super-educated taxi drivers hard to find spot is further challenging everyone inside with possibility of unwelcome visitors such as happened to us.
I have a great story for you from The Story! Read below …

Just as we dived our spoons into our second desert a wild lady burst into the restaurant shouting, upset on the kitchen stuff, or at least she appeared to be in her outburst of craziness. Calling police from her portable phone and communicating with herself in an accent so different from a typical Londoner that we could not make a clear sentence out of her monologue! Most of the staff was hiding at the back and the only person who said something, but not much, to the intruder was the sommelier standing by a table she chose to make her own for the moment. Luckily the women did not pointed a gun at us after searching hastily in her back from something … that (sigh) showed to be an innocent mobile phone. Surprisingly, the young staff did not handle the situation up to professional standards, which was disappointing and shocking at the same time. It was about 11 pm and they should have either immediately called police or take the woman out of the restaurant, before half of the guests made quaintly their way out through the back door.
The story ended up safe for us. I am just not sure about our stomachs that through that shock and digestive process of multiple-courses at the same time, must have had quite some stressful time!

Food: Intriguing, can be awkward, reminding you of your granny’s cooking with its rewarding rich flavours, yet it is innovative and simply different. The first thing that came into our mouths was a small tapa of crispy cod skin with dollops of smoked fish mousse. An awkward and quite dry start.
Then came more fun hidden behind an innocent term “Bread and dripping“. As the waiter lit a candle made of beef fat, it started quite quickly drip into a small container under it. Now we were advised to dip in the slivers of dark ash bread served with it. Needless to add – we were hesitant and did not know whether it is time to be a bit adventurous right now with this weird food stuff or rather run around naked shouting “apocalypse!”. Favouring our inner adventure we dipped in, … and it tasted weird. Well once was enough for me, while my fiancée tried to “savour” it two to three times. Now he is describing as “rich and strong, really not kind of my thing“. With the bread also came a bowl of diced veal with apple, which was more palatable for a woman of a delicate nature. There were some other dishes in this acquired and highly individual arena of taste. Not the Nasturtium flowers filled with oyster emulsion, that were exquisite, while unusual. Buns (not bunnies!) of fried rabbit sandwiches with a tarragon emulsion covered by sliced carrot were rich, but more normal for British table standards. The “Oreo Cookies” (perhaps chef’s reminiscence of his stay in the US) were not sweet, but savoury tender biscuits squeezing in between a fresh and creamy filling. The best a mouse-bouche were Pea husks with truffle foam. Freshness of the green peas married harmoniously with the rich truffle aromas.

We went for the six-course tasting menu. So after the medieval bread style, more country cooking emerged. “Onion and apricot” as written on the menu sounds simple, while not exactly fitting. Who would eat onion with apricot? Well, that is exactly the admirable skill of the chef – bringing together ingredients that do not seem to work together and making them taste surprisingly good together. Stewed red onions with grilled white onion rings in rich apricot-based juice, reminded me most of my grandmother’s gravy with duck. While not exactly the same the effect was rewarding with intense and satisfying flavours.

Next came a bit lighter mashed “Heritage potato and broad beans”, also resembling a humble weeknight dinner in a countryside house. It was yummy, mouth-filling and generous.
My favourite savoury plate was the “Veal, apple, peas and thyme”. As tender as the meat was, the peas with their shoots added intriguing refreshing texture. This was the only dish I wished it came in a bigger size. My knife sliced softly through the small morsel of veal, dipping the bit into the juice, enveloping it with a pea shoot and crowning with one of the tiny yellow pine berries (Noma’s foraging influence) turned into a pure hedonistic joy. This was my dish and I wanted more of it.

Before I called the compliance line, dissatisfied with the portion of my favourite dish on the tasting menu, I was silenced once more by the slightly sweet “Almond and dill“. Incredible combination of impossible flavours! Green dill sherbet with milky almond ice cream, frozen almond powder sprinkled with flower petals – hard to explain, but it works and how deliciously! Balanced, deep while refreshing and tasting like nothing else I have ever had before. I call it culinary art with taste in its mind.

A dessert number two arrived in the form of “Wild berries, chocolate and buttermilk“. Currant sorbet with shavings and a powder of cocoa drizzled with frozen buttermilk concluded the tasting with recharging fanfare. I do not know if one could go straight to bed after all this sugar and energy from cocoa (I had to have more wine at my hotel before I was able to transfer myself to bed), but it tastes good, while not heavy.

Drinks: After all that food and desserts one would not expect anything more, but one of the chef’s favourites, the Rhubarb and custard cream soda, served in a school milk bottle with a straw, arrived just before we were about to leave. It is basically a liquid dessert bringing you back into your school years.
I am more of a wine buff, so I was enchanted by the sommeliers selection of wines-by-the glass, mostly less-known and some untypical. Starting with a British fizz I went for a dry Gusborne Brut ‘Blanc de Blanc’, 2009. It was refreshing but not very interesting. My next glass was much better.
Wines from Jura in France often have a hint of oxidative nuttiness, but the Julien Labet, ‘Fleur de Savagnin en Chalasse’ Jura 2011, although being the most expensive white wine-by-the glass on the list (£15 for 175ml-a generous size), it was complex fruity while mineral and with a very long tail.

From the reads the ‘Intellego Red’, Swartland, South Africa, 2011, demonstrated that even African wines can be elegant while keeping some of its punchiness.
The best find was a glass of Australian red from Shobbrook Wines, ‘Ebenezer Mourvedre’ Barossa 2011, that reminded us of a well-matured Bordeaux, rather than a New World bunch of fruits.
The list offers a wide selection of small grower champagnes alongside the bigger names in the sparkling world. The list is really showing the passion of the young sommelier and the chef for new and unusual wines, while offering its clientele also the old classics like Burgundy, Bordeaux, Chateauneuf du Pape and its siblings.

Opening hours: Tues-Sat fro lunch: 12noon – 4pm (last seating 2pm) and dinner: 6:30-11.30pm (last seating 9pm).
Address: 201 Tooley Street SE1, London, UK.
Contact: Tel +44 (0) 20 7183 2117

Hedonism: wine luxury triumphs in London's Mayfair

The finest and rarest wines and spirits from around the world can be found at this ambitious wine and spirits store in the heart of the luxurious Mayfair. Yet, the quantity is not the sheer focus of Hedonism because the quality of the curated selection of around 4500 wines and 1500 spirits is on par with the London’s well-heeled customers. The wondrously designed interior stretching over two brick and wood floors will feed the eyes of architects and designers with its originally crystal and brick-themed morsels. Inverted wine glasses form chandeliers and glass baubles bring the spotlight on the wine racks flashing the precious bottles to be savoured once you sign the credit card receipt.

Next to the wonderland lavishness of Hedonism, the highlights are a vast collection of the bizarrely quirky bottles of Sine Qua Non from California, a complete vertical of Italian superstar Masseto, half bottles of Lafitte (who knew they exist?) and magnums, jeroboams, methusalems and all the XXXXL sizes of other great wines like Mouton Rothschild and the probably most desirable wines of all collectors the Burgundian Domaine de la Romanèe Conti.

An impressive collection of sweet Sauternes from Château d’Yquem is displayed neatly along glassed wall, so not only the admirers of this golden-hued sweet vinous concoction will surely be imbibed just by its scale. The only other cellar where I have seen anything nearly eye-popping as this was the much bigger and more vintages covering collection at the Palais Coburg cellars in Vienna.

You can taste some of the wines from the Enomatic machines downstairs in the cellar. There are nice blankets to keep you warm down there as the temperature is adjusted to be ideal for the wines. The selection rotates daily, yet like at Les 110 de Taillevent in Paris and now also in London, it may surprise with many rarely seen wines by-the-glass and in tasting portions. The professional staff of mostly ex-sommeliers from Michelin star restaurants from around the world is ready to assist you with selection.

For the liquor fans the selection of whisky is impressive and possibilities of joining a degustation session are a welcome addition to Hedonism’s already abundant portfolio of gustatory indulgences.

Shipping abroad is possible and managed in the highest standards possible since each bottle is individually wrapped with the appropriate care in a special bubble pack.
3-7 Davies St. W1K 3LD, London, UK
+44 20 729 078 70
Mon-Sat: 10:00am-9pm. Sunday 12pm-6pm.

The East India Company: reviving global legend in London

The East India Company was once the biggest company in the world with a monopoly in foreign trade across all the British colonies (in the East from India to Singapore to West Indies). Created in England in 1600 through Royal Charter granted by Queen Elizabeth I. overtime it became de facto an independent imperial power with its own army, policies and even currency and governance. Overlooking some its unflattering historical influences, the Company was one of the first to introduce the English palate to spices and the world’s best teas, established global trade routes and elevated great tea producing regions (mainly in India). The East India Company brought back home tea, coffee, speciality sugars, salts and chocolates.

Tea and the queens

The company placed its first tea order in 1664, long after its foundation and far not the first to import tea to Britain, yet its esteem between the English high society had surely contributed to an increased desire for the products it imported to the country. Tea was becoming very popular between the upper classes and royalty in Europe and it was the Portuguese princess Catharine of Braganza, the wife of the British king Charles II., who made tea attractive and fashionable. She was also the first tea-drinking queen of England. After taxes were lowered on luxurious goods (tea, coffee and cocoa including), these delicacies became also accessible to a wider public.

Shaping the world’s history

The company stirred the wheels of history a number of times. Perhaps, the most famous was the Boston Tea party on December 16, 1773. After officials in Boston refused to return three East India Company shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, a group of colonists dressed as native Americans boarded the ships and threw all the tea into Boston Harbour. The North America-based colonists objected to the Tea Act imposing taxes on tea imported to America because they believed that it violated their right to be taxed only by their own selected representatives. In the name of Liberty the Boston Tea Party became the tipping point leading to the war for Independence of America on Britain. To commemorate this event the history buffs can savour the Boston Tea Party Blend.

Reviving tradition in modernity

It ceased its operations in 1875 together with the colonial system being shattered. After 135 years of inactivity, in 2010 it was once again reborn through the efforts of one wealthy Indian businessman, for whom this colonial power evoking institution is very personal. His mission to continue its legacy in importing a wide range of the highest quality goods and offering them to distinguished palates of today’s both less as well as well-travelled gourmands is year after year becoming close to its fulfilment.

Today, the company stocks over 120 authentic, seasonal, rare and exclusive teas, coffees and other epicurean delights made according to traditional recipes such as:

fine chocolates (e.g. Fine dark chocolate with Mukhwas inspired by a traditional Indian breath freshener and digestive is perfect afar a heavy meal);

savoury snacks including mustards (e.g traditional Mrs Clements English Mustard), sauces, chutneys, oils, gourmet salts (e.g. Persian Blue Salt, Hawaian salt) and crackers (with a bold red wine the Filled Thin Biscuits with Roquefort Cheese according to a 19th century French recipe are exquisite);

sugars (e.g. Vanilla and Chocolate Sugar) and sweet delights such as jams, marmalades and butter cookies (e.g. the Sweet Biscuits Caramel and Sea Salt inspired by the sugar voyages of the Company that are perfect within a cup of deep dark Darjeeling tea) and Crystalised Stem Ginger Enrobed in Belgian Chocolate (the best I have ever had with soft ginger stem spicing up the sweet dark chocolate, that are delicious on their own, but can be enjoyed with a cup of intense black tea or an earthy and deep red wine.

Tea selection

The Company prides itself in having a direct relationship with the tea estates it works with, so its teas are some of the freshest teas available as they arrive in its flagship store and online just 28 days after the leaves have been picked on the tea estates.
The Company’s signature green tea is The Joseph Clarks Gunpowder tea, for the black teas it is The Staunton Earl Grey, the Royal Breakfast Tea, its Darjeeling teas (First, Second and Autumn flush), Assam, and the Blend 63 of a green tea with jasmine and mandarin oils.
The Staunton Earl Grey with Butter Shortbread & Clotted Cream Biscuits – authentic Chinese recipe with Neroli Oil – version of this tea invented by Sir George Staunton, an officer of The East India Company.
Royal Breakfast tea ideally drunk with Twelve Spice biscuits. This original full-bodied English breakfast tea is blended to provide a rich, robust tea that compliments a hearty English breakfast. Its Royal name is in celebration of the moment The East India Company gifted tea to King Charles II upon returning ships from the long journeys.

Rare Teas:

Ceylon White Teas such as the Golden Tips, Silver Cloud, Silver Dawn white tea with saffron, black teas such as the Darjeeling First Flush a fine tippy golden flowery orange pekoe grade, Pedro Orange Pekoe – one of the finest tea producing provinces in Ceylon, Ceylon Uva – ShawlandsEstate – A bright yet delicate tea which is a result of the “Kachaan” winds that blow over the fields in the months of July and August, Assam Second Flush – with a golden tip in the leaf; and many others.

Exclusive specialities are:
Knotted Tea: This one-of-a-kind tea is created by meticulously hand-knotting silvery tea stems, and then oven-drying at a mild temperature in order to retain its shape and preserve its purity as a white tea. When infused, the little knots open up to create a magnificent cup of tea. The flavour is subtle, sweet and classic.
Hawaiian Makai Black: There are only two kilos of this tea available. It is grown on coastal regions of the island at an altitude of 900 feet above sea level creating a sparkling amber liquor with delicate flavours of roasted barley and caramel.
They also have the popular green, white, jasmine, oolong and black teas from China (Dragonwell Lung Ching, Silver Needle white tea, Jasmine Pearls, Taiwan (Blue teas) and teas from Japan (Sencha).
Located at a London’s prestigious and central address in Mayfair it is easily accessible to most visitors and locals who get to taste the goods from the far-flung countries. The new fine food store offers food gifts, gourmet food from artisan suppliers and luxuries such as rare coffee, tea and chocolate influenced by global tastes, cultures and traditions.
Address: 7-8 Conduit St, London W1S 2XF, United Kingdom
Contact: Tel: +44 (0) 203 205 3395
Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 10am – 7pm, Sun: 12pm – 6pm.

CLOSED Fino: Spanish tapas at a contemporary London setting

Food: Contemporary twist on traditional Spanish dishes. If you select from the classics such as the Jamón de bellota senorio (Bellota ham), ham and piquillo croquetas (deep-fried and battered potato balls with ham or not spicy sweet red peppers) Pimientos de padron (small green peppers fried and served sprinkled with crunchy salt) and sliced Manchego cheese (hard sheep cheese from Spain), you cannot go wrong. All these tapas are indeed very good and authentic.

Choosing something perhaps less common for a Spanish tapas bar table might be interesting for those of you preferring innovative and less oily dishes in the style of the popular London-based chef José Pizarro. One such treat are the Crisp fried artichokes, that look like a lovely flower decoration, but taste like real artichokes. Fried just enough, with no oil dripping from the crisp vegetables and the mayonnaise-based dip is rich yet spicy with some hot paprika powder sprinkled over it.

Another, more refreshing contemporary tapas is the Fennel, radish & pomegranate salad. It is so crisp and zesty that it reminds me of spring and sitting on the beach by breezy see. Lovely salad that can freshen up your palate between the fatty meaty, fried and cheese dominated spanish dishes.

With wine the bruschetta-style toasted bread goes very well. The Pan con tomate is great with young red wines or refreshing white Verdejos. It is rather a big slice of bread and not a tiny piece of baguette, so be ready for a proper sized plate. The juicy tomatoes spread over the crunchy bread balance the dryness of the toasting process.

From the seafood the grilled Octopus & capers served on a wooden tray is very good, although a larger portion than is common for a tapa. The multiple pieces of baby octopus were tender, not chewy and spiced just right.

The deep-fried Fino sandwich is as its name suggests the signature dish of Fino so we had to try it. The name of the sandwich is also a bit deceiving, but you have to try it. I will not tell you what it is all about, but picture below can give you a hint. Just come to Fino and try it for yourself, it is quite interesting and if you like something crunchy and are not a vegetarian you will probably like it a lot.
Drinks: The mostly Spanish wine list is very good. Depending on how deep into your pocket you have, select one of the the top ranked Ribera del Dueros (such as the Vega Sicilia Unico), the middle-of-the-road Priorats or one of the more affordable Riojas. Red wine is in general a better choice because of the richness of the food, nevertheless a crisp Verdejo or deep Godello for an aperitif is a great start and both will surely go well with the seafood dishes. We went for one of the newer wines of the Alvarez family, of the Vega Sicilia fame. Their Alión Cosecha 2006 is deep and structured Tempranillo expressing in its concentration the dry climate of the Duero area. Complex wine with very long finish that calls for intense dishes to match.

Atmosphere: Modern, fresh, fun and vibrant. There are many people coming straight after work, so you will see some ties there, but overall you can wear something casual. Comfort lovers will love the cosy booths, bar fans appreciate a corner bar area with views of the restaurant, curious minds will surely often peak into the open kitchen and exciting interiors seeking crowd will be amused with interesting decorative finishes. It is a great place to go with friends, business partners not relishing overtly pretentious gastronomic restaurants or bringing there a first date since it does not feel too intimate.

Price: Medium (very reasonable for central London as both the quality of food and the portions you get are well above average).
Mon-Fri 12:00–2:15 pm, 6:00–10:15 pm, Sat:6:00pm-10:15pm , Sunday: Closed.
33 Charlotte St London W1T 1RR, United Kingdom
+44 20 7813 8010

Italian ‘la dolce vita’ in wine

That Italians erupt with passion, mastered style and are proud of their traditional food is a well-worn truth, but that they infuse their wines with the enviable attitude of ‘la dolce vita’ infuses more joy with imbibing socially. A meal cannot go without sharing a bottle of vino di tavola. At least within the older generations, for times have changed even in the proud Italy. Debating with Italian winemakers, I learned that wine drinkers are now endangered species there. I have noticed myself that most of my Italian friends in London rather sip on a cocktail or beer than a glass of wine.

The traditional craft of Italian hands

The winemakers nevertheless strive to improve their wines. Natural, unfiltered, without added sulphur, no pesticides, herbicides and fungicides in the vineyard, has become a widespread culture in the Slow Food nation. The Italian fashion-embracing style is recognised across the world as are their spaghetti. They get creative not only with the labels [the fashion maven Roberto Cavalli crafted a stunning bottle design for his brother’s estate in Tuscany], but also with their brochures. Fingerprints, drawings by friends and family members, even poems elevate the artistic soul of the wine brand.

I was further recently reassured at a wine tasting event Passione Vino held in London’s St. James that the lively sweet live energy still sparks from the Italians working the land. The winemakers there often engaged in an all-expressing discourse, a blend of musical Italian speech with an amicable body language, that I was seduced to skip my afternoon psychology lecture to longer enjoy savouring their operas in glasses full of their liquid passion instead.

I admired drawings of the wife of Eugenio Rosi on his wines’ labels and leaflets. He and his wife Tamara live by and breathe wine and you can taste it. The wine of the day was his white “Anisos” Vallagarina IGT, 2007. An organic blend of Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay and Nossiola (a local variety reminding the more known Ribolla). I found myself on a short trip to Burgundy for a minute as the wine swirled through my mouth. Although not a 100% Chardonnay as the Burgundies, delightful creaminess and dried fruits came through in this wine. Hay and straw nose made me wonder who is the main culprit in this masterpiece. Is it the Chardonnay or the mysterious Nossiola? Perhaps the oak casks were imported from Burgundy? The winemaker shares the secret on his website, but before tasting I prefer not to know and wonder. I would rather pay a visit to Volano in the Northern Italian Trentino region where Rosi has vineyards. I also recommend another indigenous bottling by Eugenio Rosi Poema Vallagarina rosso that captured my palate. This bright red beauty ages gracefully, keeping its freshness well over five years.

There also are many mass producers in Italy these days and this sometimes cost for example Amarone its reputation. The Amarones have changed their style dramatically. Today we drink them sweet, and high in alcohol, sometimes too much. Not all producers took the road of popularity-driven winemaking though. There are still some keeping the production small and all their effort and focus go into each bottle they produce, piece by piece. Some like to experiment and trust their taste buds, while others take their wine drinking philosophically. Dott. Umberto Ceratti likes his Amarone sweet, lower in alcohol, bottled in low, flat and round containers. From a recommendation on his web site you get an idea of how much time he has devoted exploring the best way to enjoy it at its best.

Consumption: “alone, in conversation or in meditation or as an aperitif, accompanied by spicy cheese biscuits or hard cheese or fresh fruit after a meal.”

I can imagine meditating with ease after two glasses of this 13% + 3% Vol wine. Perhaps that is why he lets the precise percentage of alcohol in a safe + 3% zone – for some its after effects might be surprising. I tasted one of his ‘Greek White’ wines – the Greco Di Bianco DOC, 2006. It is produced in a ‘passito style’ where grapes are dried like raisins and then fermented. In Calabria the Greco Di Bianco grape gets plenty of sunshine necessary for this sweet wine. The most famous sunshine passito is Passito di Panteleria from the namesake island half way between Sicily and Tunisia. Calabria is South enough and the producer Azienda Agricola Nereide Ceratti exploits its sunny potential fully. Caramelized soft honey and dried exotic fruits transfer you to a hot sandy beach from the cold and cloudy London in a nick of a second, and – it feels really good as it lasts with its long, warming aftertaste.

Italian cheese

La dolce vita on your palate

The Roman ancestors stirred the passione vino as well as improved their cheese making, so today we can be grateful for their creation of cheese icons. La Credenza, an Italian delicatessen supplier to the UK, won’t disappoint real gourmets with their heavenly truffle pecorino or the intoxicating with passito (dried grape sweet strong wine)infused blue cheese or Umbriaco matured in Amarone. I received no financial incentives for promoting them, they are just so good. Cheers to la dolce vita!

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