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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.

Yauatcha: Osmathus Oolong

You taste a flower garden on your palate with this scented oolong tea. The tiny, cute osmanthus flowers shine between the tea leafs add lovely colour to this tea. Shake the container well before taking your measure for brewing so the flowers and tea are both more equally dispersed.

Origin: Taipei, Taiwan. Oolongs from Taiwan are the most cherished partially fermented teas.
IMPORTER: Yauatcha, based in the UK.
Brewing: 5-7min; water temperature: 85-90 °C
Dosage: 1/2 of a tea spoon for a cup (200ml); two to three infusions
Strength: 2
Appearance: Thick shrunken leafs with dark green hues dispersed between fresh light green are witnesses of a partial-fermentation. In water it is light brown with yellow tinge and tiny red and yellow coloured floating on the surface.
Taste: It is very different from the High Mountain Oolong, since the tiny osmanthus flower petals add an intense aroma dominated by apricot scent on the nose. Flowery taste from the osmanthus shows its full character creating warming and relaxing brew.
Pairing: Elegant flowery teas like this oolong are enjoyable the most on their own so their aroma stands out. Delicate desserts such as madeleines or a sponge cake can benefit from this tea adding flower aromas to these pastries.

Yauatcha: High Mountain Oolong

My nickname for this oolong tea is “brain tea” because of the leafs appearance – they form a small shrunk bunches shaped like a human brain. As the Chinese often attach meaning to natural forms, I would incline to a superstition of gaining a better memory after drinking a lot of this tea. One could drink buckets of this light liquid and think of miraculous deeds, yet so far, to my disappointment, science has not proved any of the oolong’s effects on brain function. On the flip side, the polyphenols and anti-cancer effects of tea are known, so cheers to that with a cup of a High Mountain Oolong!

Origin: Ali Mountain, Chaiyi Taipei, Taiwan. Oolongs from Taiwan are the most cherished partially fermented teas.
IMPORTER: Yauatcha, based in the UK.
Brewing: 5-7min; water temperature: 85-90 °C
Dosage: 1/2 of a tea spoon for a cup (200ml); two to three infusions
Strength: 1
Appearance: Thick shrunken leafs with dark green hues dispersed between fresh light green are witnesses of a partial-fermentation. If it was a green tea, the leafs would all remain lighter. In water it is light brown with yellow tinge.
Taste: In the first brew it is refreshing. With the second and third brews the taste profile changes and moves towards a more pronounced tea. Partial fermentation of this oolong shows in its slightly roasted aromas, especially in the first brew. It is not a bold tea, rather delicate and nature evoking. It is not bitter and only slightly sweet on the nose.
Pairing: Its rather neutral character makes an ideal thirst-quencher and not a complex food companion. It is suitable with any type of food, especially Asian spicy, for its balancing neutrality.

Fortnum and Mason: heritage of catering to tea-refined British palates

For over three centuries it has served as a Post Office, grocery store, supplier for the British soldiers and for the expeditions to the Everest. Since 2008 this eponymous department store has even got its own beehives! A plan to put beehives on Fortnum & Mason’s rooftop in the middle of Piccadilly may seem adventurous, yet there is now a waiting list for the bees’ produce, the delicious honey. Fortnum & Mason has also a lovely old tea parlour on the ground floor, where you can smell, watch and even taste some of the department’s tea.

For these of you preferring your tea sweet the F&M honey could be handy to naturally ‘enhance’ a bitter cup of black tea. The traditional English way is to add milk and white sugar into tea, which not only partially masks the tea’s aromatic credentials but also makes it a much less healthy drink. Nevertheless, I would not add it to most of the quality teas sold at F&M as these really do not need it. If you brew the tea correctly it should not be bitter at all.

The Fortnum family links to The British East India Company secured access to spices, the world’s best teas and other exotic goods, therefore it still offers the top quality produce from all over the world. The department store today is more known for its supply of British produce such as marmalades, chutneys, shortbreads and other tasty delicacies, yet it is the tradition of taking an afternoon tea that Fortnum and Mason has become the most known for.

Tea selection

Nevertheless, there are not many tea (and coffee) plantations in England (except one small tea plantation in Devon) that could supply and cover the demands of the F&M’s customers. Thus, the department store remains with its roots when it keeps importing the world’s best teas from India, China and other places.
Most of the signature teas are blended in-house: F&M Breakfast tea; Coronation Blend Tea; Afternoon Lighter Tea Blend, …
Others are rare or high quality pure teas mainly from the former British colonial India: Darjeeling Broken Orange Pekoe; Assam Superb, …
Recently, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opened personally the new elegant Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon on the fourth floor in a celebration of her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. There are 60 unique products sold exclusively in memory of this occasion making these ideal gift or a souvenir.

Chocolate selection

In the gourmet section you can also find various tea delicacies such as cookies, shortbreads, and accompaniments such as sugar, but also an intriguing selection of chocolates. The chocolates are from various chocolatiers, many of them from the United Kingdom but some also from abroad. I have tried Vietnamese dark chocolate bars by Marou. The Bà Ria 76% Single Origin made from Trinitario cocoa in Bà Rja province was bursting with sour fruit and citrusy flavours finished by a long aftertaste. Contrary the Lâm Dông 74% Single Origin is more earthy, rich, dry almost dusty and extremely satisfying with its depth and fresh finish. These complex chocolates are crafted in Saigon and produced in small quantities. Fortnum and Mason also has its own range of chocolates. From white, through milky to truly dark chocolates, the selection is worth exploring. The F&M Chocolate No4 is 100% dark chocolate from Madagascar with dry, sharp wall nutty taste because of its high cocoa content. It is rich yet has certain creamy quality ending with roasted coffee bean aftertaste.
Address: 181 Piccadilly London W1A 1ER, United Kingdom
Contact: Tel: +44 (0) 845 300 1707
Opening hours: Mon – Sat: 10am – 8pm, Sun: 12pm – 6pm.
Tea Salon Savouries & English Afternoon Tea: Mon – Sat: 12pm to 9pm, Sun: 12pm to 8pm.

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

Mazi: Notting Hill going casually Greek

Atmosphere: Cosy, fresh, friendly and vibrant. This small dining spot in the heart of Notting hill is casual and unpretentious. As you enter you will see a selection of Greek specialities available for purchase so if you want to prepare some dish at home, you get the ingredients right here. There is a tiny dining area just at the entrance, and a bigger one after you pass an arched door with a sign “Life is beautiful” suggesting that Mazi’s owners enjoy what they are doing. Wear jeans or shorts and you will feel fine, there are no rules here in terms of clothing.

Food: Traditional Greek dishes reinterpreted to modern world with aesthetically appealing presentation. Owing to its name, Mazi means “together” in Greek, the food is designed to be shared on one table with your friends, family, partner or anyone you feel comfortable with. Mazi has received lots of attention from the press so far and its innovative approach is celebrated by many distinguished palates, nevertheless my experience was not as overwhelmingly exciting. The food was nice and interesting, but I cannot say I would put into my Top 20 restaurants to dine at in London.
To start with, one should go for one of the “Jars”. We tried the Kolokithopita, broken filo pastry, feta and mint and Beetroot, goat cheese and grape reduction, both original but not appealing to my palate. The ingredients are mixed together and presented to you in a glass jar from which you can serve the dish on a plate.
I much preferred the warm dishes such as the small Tiger Prawns “Saganaki”, Ouzo and smoked Metsovone. The prawns were grilled in the Greek speciality spirit called Ouzo and were intensely fragrant and tender. Another tasty nibble to share was the Feta Tempura with lemon marmalade and caper meringue. The fried cheese slightly creamy, but rather on the drier side, enveloped in a fried batter and served with sweet and sour condiments, perfect to flush with a glass of crisp and aromatic white wine such as the Greek Semillon we had.
My favourite dish was the Lobster with Orzo Pasta, lemon and dill (picture above), which is the most expensive dish on the menu, yet really seemed to be the most balanced and tasty. The orzo pasta in the shape of a large rice grain had a delicately chewy texture combined with the tender lobster and aromatic lemon foam were superb.

From the vegetarian selection I would highly recommend the Spinach Mousaka with Basil and Courgette purée. It was all about the melting cheese and the refreshing power of the basil and courgette purées, when all mixed together tasting like a roller coaster of vegetal flavours. It has some oil in it, but not as much as in traditional moussaka.
Drinks: Mazi has a great purely Greek wine list (with an exception of sparkling wines) with very reasonably priced wines. It is an excellent opportunity for the adventurous wine drinkers to explore the fruits of this ancient wine-producing country. It was in Greece where the philosophers once pondered over breakthrough ideas while sipping on a glass or a jar of wine. We went for the fresh, yet quite deep (short barrel ageing) and easy to drink Biblia Chora Ovilos Barrel, Semillon, 2011. Although on the more pricy side of the list, for £58 per bottle it was much less than at most fancy restaurants in London. Otherwise the wines start at £23. The Semillon was rather different from the oily character and burn-toast Semillons from Bordeaux (blended with Sauvignon Blanc in Pessac Leognan and used for the famous sweet wines from Sauternes) as its Greek version has somehow kept more freshness despite its generally low acidity.

Not in mood for alcohol? Then perhaps the Wild rose, Fresh mint or Greek Mountain pot of tea will warm up your spirit. The Wild Rose in particular looking very appealing and exotic. On the other hand the Greek Mountain tea known also as Shepherd’s tea is very popular in Greece to alleviate colds, respiratory problems, improve digestion, strengthen the immune system, and also it is a great source of anti-oxidants. It is also used as an anti-inflammatory to reduce fever and pain.
Cuisine: Greek modern tapas style.
Visit: March 2013
Price: Medium for London.
Opening hours: Monday – Thursday Lunch: CLOSED | Dinner: 6:30pm – 10:30pm
Friday – Sunday Lunch: 12pm – 3pm | Dinner: 6:30pm – 11pm
Address: 12-14 HILLGATE STREET, LONDON W8 7SR, UK
Contact: Tel: +(44)0 20 7229 3794

Sketch: afternoon tea, eclectic design and Pierre Gagnaire's Michelin twist

Chef : The head chef Pierre Gagnaire, who is behind the menus across Sketch, is a twice awarded three Michelin star French gastronomic hero. He has spread his influence worldwide from his restaurants in Paris, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul and Dubai. At Sketch he influenced the executive chefs creating the food in all restaurants across Sketch. It is though at the Lecture Room & Library, Sketch’s two Michelin starred fine dining restaurant, that his influence comes to life most vividly.
Atmosphere: The Parlour can transform from a breakfast venue, through comfort lunch and original afternoon tea until the last drink before heading to bed at home. After 6pm it turns into a cool bar scene here, while the afternoons are popular for the tea-to-tellers enjoying a cup of a warm beverage with a cake or sandwich. It is quirky, eclectic and warmly decorated. One can enjoy the same treats (except for breakfast), yet in a very different environment at The Glade (pictured below). The rather ‘foresty’ design of the room attracts the “natural” crowd with tendency to prefer organic produce and cotton t-shirts rather than leather jackets and fur coats. Rattan furniture, plant-based design and vibrant natural colours were created by the duo of artists Carolyn Quartermaine and Didier Mahieu.

Another and the largest room is the Gallery designed by Turner Prize winning artist Martin Creed and merging all shapes, colours and materials you can possibly imagine. The gallery os more of a gastro brasserie also headed by Pierre Gagnaire. The crème de la crème is the fine dining Lecture Room & Library upstairs that is a bit more serious affair, while still keeping its wonderful design in focus. Oh, and do not miss the opportunity to visit the legendary toilettes at Sketch, you will be surprised what you see and hear …

Food: With the exception of the gastronomic restaurant upstairs, the menus tend to intertwine so you will find some of the brasserie features at the Parlour and Gallery as well as at the Glade. One of these tasty dishes is the Artichoke salad. This starter of chopped baby artichokes, fennel with blue Stilton cheese, capped with fresh herb bouquet and baby salad leafs is refreshing a great with fresh green tea or a glass of white wine such as Sancerre.

Another common feature is Pierre’s salad of beefsteak tomatoes, salad, chicken breast, anchovies, crunchy croûtons, Parmesan cheese and refreshing creamy horseradish dressing. For the Caesar salad style lovers this is the right choice.
A healthful cup of Green soup blended from watercress, spinach, cucumber, green apple and a dollop of cream will please vegetarians and nutrition conscious diners.
On the other hand the more hearty Beef tartare served with potato “fondant” is perfectly tender (hopefully no horse meat in it, but I doubt it as it would not taste so smooth like this) and presented lovely with a shell of tiny quail egg with slightly running yolk in a mollet style.
Sandwiches, Mac and cheese, burgers and afternoon tea specialties such as daily made macaroons, scones, signature cakes with apt names such as “London to Paris”, King of Sketch” or a very French “Gâteau Chocolat” (the later being a chocolate sponge cake with mousse and passion fruit ganache) as well as finger sandwiches are great options too.

Drinks: From rare coffee, herbal infusions to Jing tea selection of real teas from green to black pu-erh, one can get plenty of energy and youthful antioxidants for an entire day or an afternoon caffeine kick. On a quite chilly cold early spring day I felt like soothing my bouncy mood with a pot of earthy and balanced pu-erh from China. Its is a speciality from Yunan province that is usually kept and sold in the form of cakes (the tea leaves are rigidly dry and stick together in the form of this cake or a bird’s nest that is actually baked to keep its longevity). Presented in a transparent pot and cup it was pretty, yet I did not have the opportunity to separate the steeped leaves from the water thus the tea got bitter over time. As I do not like to sip my tea too fast , I ended up with a bitter aftertaste after my last sips.
The wine list is done with a wit. I love the drawings above each wine with ties, scarves bows and other possible tops of shirts that a man can have, that probably had stirred the author’s imagination while he was sipping on each wine and drawing each representative of its taste above. The selection is good, yet the gastronomic restaurant above has much wider list that has got the Award of Excellence from WS.

Cuisine: New French
Visit: April 2013 (Since Sketch opened in 2002 I have dined there on a number of occasions, yet it is the forefront Parlour where I found my inner gourmet soul. The gastronomic restaurant still remains an interesting place to have a dinner and the Gallery is a fun room with great food while listening to the newest tunes of world music).
Price: High to very expensive at the gastronomic restaurant.
Opening hours:
The Parlour: Mon-Fri: 8am – 2am, Sat: 10am – 2am & Sun: 10am – 12am.
The Glade: Mon-Thurs: 1pm-2am, Fri&Sat: 12pm-2am, Sun: 12pm-12am.
The Gallery: Mon-Sat: 6.30pm – 2am, Sun: 6pm – 12am.
Lecture Room & Library: Tues-Sat: Lunch: 12pm-2:30pm, Dinner: 7pm-11pm.
Address: 9 Conduit street, London W1S 2XG, UK.
Contact: Tel: +44 (0) 20 7659 4500

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