The drinks master: Marcis Dzelanis on why you need to reconsider the virtues of cognac September 12, 2018 When you ask people about Cognac it often conjures up images of gentleman’s clubs, mahogany furniture, leather bound books and postprandial cigars. But Cognac is starting to shake off its stuffy image, with a new breed of producers embracing a dynamic approach to how the spirit is produced. They are challenging the conventional wisdoms, such [...]
Here’s what to do with your old watermelon skins, turn them into a watermelon preserve September 12, 2018 In South Africa, Waatlemoen konfyt is as normal to them as Branston Pickle is to us. I first came across this preserve in the Ken Forrester vineyard restaurant, 96 Winery Road, in Stellenbosch outside Cape Town. It was served with cheese and it was a completely new experience to me. Following on from last week’s [...]
Weekly Grill: Nathan Outlaw on baking ‘dead fly biscuits’ as a child and falling in love with mackerel September 12, 2018 WHO ARE YOU? I’m Nathan Outlaw, dad, chef, restaurateur, writer of cookbooks and aspiring Jedi! Mostly, I cook seafood. I have a restaurant in Dubai and three in the UK including Outlaw’s at The Capital in London. I also write cook books. And I post lots of pictures on Instagram. WHAT'S NEW? Exciting things are [...]
The resurgence of vermouth: Saverio Vicari of The Capital Bar on how this unloved drink is making a comeback September 5, 2018 While most of the UK has been sipping on G&Ts and stockpiling Aperol, vermouth has been quietly but confidently transforming the bar scene under our noses. To be honest, vermouth never really left. It’s always been a key ingredient in some of the most famous and classic cocktails, such as the drink du jour Negroni, [...]
Mark Hix on how to make an amazing watermelon and haloumi soup September 5, 2018 I’ve just got back from Kalkan in Turkey where my mate Robin Hutson, the man described by Forbes magazine as “Britain’s most influential hotelier”, introduced me to a wonderful pair of restaurateurs called Uluc and Claire Bilgutay. The Bilgutays own the Korsan Fish Terrace on the sea front and I couldn’t resist going in the [...]
Japanese whisky is eating scotch’s lunch – but which should you buy? Zuma bar manager Pawel Rolka reveals all September 5, 2018 Unless you’ve been hiding under a barrel for the last decade, you’ve probably noticed that Japanese whisky has become an internationally recognised force in the world of booze, challenging – and often beating – the equivalent scotch. Fewer people know what, exactly, makes the two so distinct. Firstly you have the fermentation process, with Japanese [...]
The Weekly Grill: Santosh Shah, executive chef at The LaLiT London, explains how the tandoor oven changed his life September 5, 2018 What’s new? For the return of game season, we’ve launched a new six-course tasting menu at Baluchi, the pan-Indian restaurant at The LaLiT London. It’s all about bringing out the amazing smoky notes of game through the use of carefully balanced spice blends and traditional tandoor cooking. What’s your earliest food memory? Eating Bagiya, a [...]
How Tampa went from forgotten fast food badland to supercool street food trailblazer September 3, 2018 On a Friday night in Seminole Heights, The Refinery restaurant is buzzing. Every seat is taken and diners spill onto the terrace, their tables heaving with colourful food. This isn’t what I expected to find in Tampa, a city that was once known as the best place to trial fast food franchises. “We opened in [...]
Native restaurant review: Neal’s Yard’s loss is Southwark’s gain as this zero-waste restaurant moves across London September 3, 2018 Last month I wrote about how Covent Garden is changing from a bunch of fancy shops to an all-singing, all-dancing billionaire’s paradise, complete with luxury flats and restaurants like Petersham Nurseries, where you can drop £200 before you’ve even glanced at a wine list. In a fortuitous segue, this month I’m writing about Native, a restaurant [...]
Working Lunch: Jikoni in Marylebone is an excellent fusion restaurant that feels as cosy as your nan’s kitchen August 29, 2018 Jikoni 21 Blandford Street, W1 WHAT AND WHERE? A cosy, cushion-filled spot in Marylebone that feels more like your nan’s kitchen than a neighbourhood fusion cafe. Jikoni actually means ‘kitchen’ in Swahili and the food reflects the culinary influences of its founder, the food writer-turned-restaurateur Ravinder Bhogal, who was born in Kenya to Indian parents, [...]