Crema Catalana | cheriecity.co.uk

Dinner at Tapas Revolution Shoreditch

November 5, 2015 by cheriecity

Tapas is such a joy when it’s done well, especially when grazed on leisurely in the sunny climes of Spain. London has some fantastic tapas restaurants, but there is certainly a lack of neighbourhood drop-in tapas bars that are such an integral part of Spanish culture.

That’s where Omar Allibhoy comes in, bringing a taste of the Madrid tapas bar scene to London with the excellent Tapas Revolution Shoreditch. This boutique group of casual, modern tapas bars had humble beginnings in Westfield and Bluewater shopping malls, but the latest outpost is its first standalone tapas bar, occupying a prime spot in between Shoreditch High Street and the top of Brick Lane.

Chef Omar Allibhoy excelled in the world of innovative fine dining at elBulli under Ferran Adrià and at Maze with Jason Atherton before joining El Pirata in Mayfair as executive chef and then opening Tapas Revolution.

I visited on a mid-week evening and immediately liked the warm design and lively yet chilled out atmosphere at Tapas Revolution. You can park up at the spacious bar or grab a table overlooking the open kitchen and counter.

The friendly, welcoming staff explained the menu to us and made some good recommendations. We chatted about Spanish gastronomy with our waiter and he told us that everything is made completely from scratch in the kitchen.

The meal got off to a great start as we were presented with the most visually-pleasing Gambas a la plancha (£7.95). One of my favourite indulgences when in Spain is fresh seafood, so this dish brought back memories of happy days in the sun. The majestic king prawns had a lovely smoky taste and were doused in a punchy garlic, herb and olive oil sauce.

I can never resist Croquetas de jamón (£5.50) and these ones were very authentic and moreish. The golden, hand-rolled croquetas were filled with oozing, silky bechamel but only a few tiny flecks of jamón, so that flavour was rather muted.

Patatas bravas (£3.75) are a must-order staple of any tapas meal, in my opinion, and these ones were exemplary. I’m not a fan of the spicy ketchup breed of patatas bravas, but here, the fried potatoes had a naturally sweet flavour and were drizzled in a bold, piquant tomato sauce and a yummy, intensely garlicky aioli.

Tortilla de patata (£5.25) was served as a lightly golden cake, rather than a large slice. It was filled with layers of soft potato and caramelised onion and had a typically runny centre that made it even more of a comfort dish. It could’ve been seasoned with a little more salt, but the aioli made up for it.

Carne a la parrilla (£6.75) was a tasty dish of succulent, medium-grilled flank of beef with slim slices of crispy potatoes on a bed of juicy roasted red peppers. The acidic red peppers brought out the rich flavours of the beef and the herby potatoes were a perfect accompaniment.

Albóndigas en salsa (£5.50) was a beautifully-cooked, homely dish with the kind of recipe that you can imagine a Spanish grandma would pass down through generations. The tender, melt-in-the-mouth beef meatballs were coated in a sweet, slow-roasted tomato sauce studded with soft carrots and peas, topped with fresh chives. Be sure to order these meatballs for the table and mop up the heavenly sauce with some bread.

Tapas is a crafty kind of cuisine – the concept of small plates can make you feel virtuous but in fact, the dishes tend to be rather rich to make a lasting impression. Napoleon complex, perhaps? Of course, I always find a tiny spot of room for dessert and there can be none greater than Torrija. This traditional dessert, usually eaten at Easter in Spain, is similar to French Toast. A thick slice of brioche is soaked in milk and fried, then topped with orange blossom-scented Crema Catalana and a generous dusting of cinnamon.

It’s the most delightful sharing dessert to end the meal, but would also work well as an indulgent afternoon treat. I’m definitely tempted to try and make it at home, or better still, go on a hunt for the perfect Torrija in Spain!

Tapas Revolution Shoreditch is a great spot to enjoy authentic Spanish bites over a few glasses of Sangria with friends. With a nightly happy hour and menu rapido including a drink for just £7.95, there’s no reason not to!

For more information, visit: www.tapasrevolution.com

Chérie City was a guest of Tapas Revolution

Photos by Chérie City and Tapas Revolution

London, Restaurants

Boqueria Tapas, Brixton – London

October 26, 2012 by cheriecity

Boqueria tapas bar is a real hidden gem on a quiet residential street in Brixton. However, its reputation precedes it and just as we visited a few nights ago, it was named Time Out Eating & Drinking Awards 2012 Best New Cheap Eat.

Named after the famous food market in Barcelona, Boqueria is a contemporary, stylish yet homely neighbourhood restaurant with a separate bar and dining room. The menu is a tempting mix of traditional tapas and more innovative dishes, prices are very reasonable and the staff are warm and friendly – what could be better!

As always, the tapas arrive at the table when they are ready and the first to arrive were the Pan con ali-oli (£2.20) and Patatas Bravas (£3.90) – smoked paprika salsa brava and ali oli.

Tortilla Española (£4.90) was very authentic with thin slices of potato and caramelised onion – a tiny bit runny inside, served at room temperature. It was perfectly accompanied with a slick of deliciously rich, spicy tomato sauce.

The Chorizo a la Sidra (£4.50) came served in a terracotta dish and was infused with subtle flavours of cider and served in plump chunks. The generously sized, high quality chorizo was dense and soft, with a little bit of the melted fat still intact. It’s a tasty, comforting dish and is perfect for sharing.

Another favourite were the mixed Croquetas (£4.75). The long-shaped croquetas were filled with small pieces of Iberian ham and a rich, gooey cheese filling, coated in fine, golden breadcrumbs. The round cheese croquetas had a more intense, mature taste and were equally delicious and flavoursome.

Presa Iberica con Puré de Boniato (£7.20) included thick slices of tender, juicy Iberian pork with salted Padrón peppers and matchstick fries, instead of the sweet potato purée on the menu. The pork was simply cooked on the charcoal grill and the peppers were a great accompaniment.

Cochinillo Asado (£8.50) – suckling pig with parsnip, sweet potato crisps, apple sauce and lemon sorbet – was the most exciting and innovative dish. The tender, shredded pork was covered with a thick layer of crispy crackling and was served on top of thin, crunchy parsnip and sweet potato crisps. The meat wasn’t overly seasoned, so the acidic freshness of the green apple puree and lemon sorbet added an interesting flavour.

Desserts at Boqueria are exceptionally well-priced and very authentic. The Crema Catalana (£3.50) had a satisfyingly thick, crunchy layer of burnt sugar covering a creamy, slightly warm custard. It’s big enough to share, however, you won’t want to miss out on the heavenly Tarta di Santiago (£3.50). The generous slice of cake was dense, sweet and sticky with a crumbly crust and dusted with icing sugar.

It went beautifully with my glass of Pedro Ximénez, Triana Hidalgo (£6.20) red sherry, which was sweet, syrupy and full-bodied, with notes of raisin and prune.

Boqueria is an absolute delight to visit, as you can eat extremely well for a modest price in a friendly, laid-back setting. Even though it has only been open since February this year, it already seems to have a good following. The Boqueria Cafe next door is also worth a visit for churros and melted chocolate, bocadillos, tortilla and pinchos.

Boqueria feels like a great London secret, however, this award-winning restaurant won’t remain under the radar for long.

For more information and reservations, visit: www.boqueriatapas.com

Chérie City was a guest of Boqueria

Photos by Chérie City and Boqueria

London, Restaurants

Camino Puerto Del Canario opens at Westferry

October 6, 2010 by cheriecity

Last week, London’s ‘in the know’ food bloggers and journos boarded the Thames Clipper ‘Sherry Ferry’ on a boozy expedition to authentic tapas bar/restaurant Camino’s new opening, Camino Puerto Del Canario in Westferry. I say ‘in the know’ because anyone who has tried Camino’s simply incredible food will be hitting Canary Wharf quicker than you can say ‘Pedro Ximénez’!

Before the sister restaurant opened, Cherie City was invited to the original Camino at Regent’s Quarter to taste the menu, wines and sherry and to observe the thorough staff training session. So of course, I was dying to see the results of such hard work and preparation and to see if it would live up to the high expectations confirmed at the training session.

Camino Puerto Del Canario certainly didn’t disappoint and the restaurant’s formula of beautifully cooked authentic Spanish food served in a cool, sociable surrounding has clearly travelled well to the stunning, waterside location.

We started off the evening with a glass of dry and nutty Amontillado fino sherry at the bar, followed by an tour of the kitchen. Head chef Nacho del Campo gave a brief talk about where the high quality ingredients are sourced from – fish from Cornwall, steak from Scotland and cured meats from different local regions in Spain.

After some more sherry quaffing and tortilla canapés, we sat down to a set dinner of delicious tapas – sociable and sharing, just the way it should be.

As my previous article on the staff training event at Camino Regent’s Quarter detailed the full menu in almost encyclopaedic detail, I won’t overwhelm you with the multitude of dishes that we tried from the Sherry Ferry Set Menu.

There were subtle differences between the way that some dishes were cooked at each restaurant, but this is a good thing and shows how fresh and unique each dish is. Everyone will have their own favourite Camino dishes, but after two separate visits, I’ve come to the conclusion that their steaks and meat from the parrilla grill are definitely their forte.

The Chuletón a la parrilla (Scottish rib-eye steak, matured 28 days, served Basque style) is beautifully tender and presented in easy to share slices and the Presa Ibérica (Ibérico black pig shoulder blade cooked medium-rare) had the whole table talking about how surprisingly tasty pork could be.

Other top dishes included crispy Croquetas de jamón (Serrano ham croquettes), Pinchitos de pollo (herb marinated free-range chicken skewers) and Chipirones a la andaluza (crisp-fried baby squid with alioli and lemon), which were beautifully coated and far from being rubbery.

With each course, we tried a different wine – Godello followed by Pinot Noir, Torre Silo and finishing with a delicious dessert wine, Moscatel Solera 1847.

Our wonderful host Krista also introduced us to a new beer called Inedit by Estrella. This light, smooth and easy to drink beer was created by the people behind top Michelin Star restaurant El Bulli as a beer that can be successfully matched with food. Inedit is exclusive to Spain, but both Camino restaurants are one of the only UK stockist.

It’s £9 for a litre bottle but it’s very much worth it. It is light, mellow and a pleasure to drink, with crisp, dense bubbles and a pleasing matte golden colour.

The Sherry Ferry Set Menu was less of a full on tapas avalanche than the staff training session, so there was room for some Spanish desserts. We were presented with a plate of miniature desserts such as Tarta de Santiago (almond tart from Galicia), Bombitas de crema (cream-filled profiteroles topped with chocolate) and Crema Catalana; all delicious, of course.

This was followed by Helado con Pedro Ximénez (bourbon vanilla ice cream served with PX), which came topped with chopped nuts. Never have I tried fino sherry on top of ice cream before and it really is even more decadent and indulgent than it sounds.

Camino is sure to make a huge impact on the Canary Wharf dining scene, which is gradually moving away from high-end chain restaurant blandness. While the Regent’s Quarter restaurant has more of a laid-back, daytime venue atmosphere, Camino Puerto del Canario has a more buzzing, night time feel, with a slick bar and low-lit warehouse style restaurant.

A ride on the Thames Clipper sherry ferry makes it feel like you’re dining out of London, especially with the stunning waterside location. Get ahead of the bankers and financial folk and book a table before they make it their local.

Barcelona, Restaurants

Notes From Barcelona: La Dolca Herminia

June 3, 2010 by cheriecity

On our second night in Barcelona, we wanted to try another restaurant from the Fork & Pillow group and the one with the most delicious sounding menu in the area we wanted to be in was La Dolça Herminia.

After a long day of walking and a well-deserved nap, we ended up arriving pretty late, even by Catalan standards, at around 11pm. Not that this mattered, as we were shown to a table and didn’t feel like we were imposing.

We were offered the three course set menu with bread and water or a ¼ of wine each for just 19 Euros. There were four choices for each course and true to form, we both started with the Patatas Brava.

The starter arrived on a large platter with piping hot cubed potatoes, a spicy tomato sauce with thin slices of chorizo and a drizzle of mayo on top. Everything tasted fresh, liked it had been immediately served and the portion size was so large that the main course seemed a bit daunting.

The courses were pinging out of the kitchen like lightning bolts, perhaps because it was getting close to the end of the evening. The waitresses kept us amused, as there were some real characters there!

Breaking the pattern of copycat ordering, I chose the duck leg confit with orange sauce and cinnamon potatoes. Having always eaten duck breast, I was surprised at how tender, succulent and colourful the leg meat is – comparatively tastier than chicken legs. The meat was so soft, it just slipped away from the bone so easily and there was a good amount of meat to tuck into.

The orange sauce was tangy, sweet and just thick enough and the potatoes were slowly cooked and well seasoned, although ordering two courses of potatoes wasn’t the smartest move.

Steven went for the grilled chicken with a pesto sauce and grilled vegetables. It must have been good, because he polished off the lot and has a new found liking for our veggie nemesis…the courgette!

I’m not sure where the house wine was from, but it was quite full-bodied and sharper than the Rioja at Market. It was pleasant and drinkable but it probably wouldn’t have been my first choice of wine.

Trying the find the lightest dessert on the menu, we both ordered the Crema Catalana, which was covered with a flower pattern made with a caramel sauce. It had a hint of orange and vanilla and came under a crisp layer of burnt sugar.

Service was unbelievably speedy, although I’m sure if we arrived earlier, we would’ve had more time to digest between courses.

The restaurant is tucked away on a side street in a quiet area just behind Urquinaona metro between the Barri Gotic and El Born. It’s not the kind of place you’d just stumble upon, and doesn’t have the atmosphere or slick touches of Market, but it’s worth visiting for the high standard of food and a great value set menu.

All photos: Cherie City