hazelnut praline

Saturday night barbecue in Shoreditch is my kinda night out, and where better than the newly-opened Smokestak?

It’s amazing to see stars of the London street food scene thrive and launch a restaurant of their own. While Smokestak’s branding has always been on point, the food market set-up has its limits, so it was exciting to see what founder David Carter had in mind when given free reign with the menu, design and location.

Smokestak opened to rave reviews and I’m pleased to report that it’s just as thrilling and brilliant as expected. The first thing you’ll notice when approaching the restaurant is the intoxicating aroma of smoked meats and secondly, the unique exterior designed by Red Deer, taking urban-industrial cool to another level.

Inside, it’s buzzing and loud – a slick operation and clearly the place to be on a Saturday night in Shoreditch. As if you aren’t already drooling by this point, the open kitchen offers a glimpse of what’s to come out of that wood-burning smoker and there is table and counter seating at either side, as well as a more zen basement bar for cosy cocktails and bar bites.

The moody interiors are inspired by the inside of a smoker with black carbon-stained concrete walls, steel surfaces, solid wood seating, leather banquettes and even black metal cutlery. It’s like a gloriously charred, steampunk workshop and I can’t think of any restaurants with this kind of dark and sexy look.

I wasn’t thrilled at being seated at the end of the counter, next to a narrow pathway to the less glam side of the kitchen, as it was quite chaotic. Luckily, service is speedy and charming and I was quickly dazzled and distracted by the arrival of some real eye candy food. The concept is all about sharing, so we ordered two different meats and two sides, which was more than enough for a good feed.

The Beef brisket with barbecue (£9.50) was magnificently tender with a rich flavour and a small layer of melt-in-the-mouth fat. The home-made barbecue sauce had a mellow, spiced taste and the pickled red chillies added a tangy punch. It can also be served packed inside a brioche bun, but for the first visit, I preferred to get the full flavour of the meat on its own.

I thought the brisket couldn’t be matched, but the Thick-cut pork ribs were also divine and made for a nice contrast. The lean meat had a very pure taste and was enveloped in silky fat with charred edges enhanced by a bold, full-bodied dry rub. The portion size of the ribs was particularly generous and they were just so satisfying.

Sides aren’t merely an after-thought either, in fact, the Jacket potato with smoked rarebit (£5) was quite an event in itself. The crispy smoked potato skins were filled with a lovely mix of scorched, gooey cheese with mild rarebit seasoning and soft, slightly sweet potato. I think we scored an extra portion, shhh…

Another gem was the Roasted carrots and parsnips with thyme and honey (£4.50). The aromatic, sticky glaze really enhanced the flavours and I could detect some additional herbs and zesty orange.

We were feeling pretty full by that point (I blame the boulder-esque jacket potato) but found room to share a light dessert. Salted caramel ice cream with hazelnut praline (£4.50) was ultra-smooth with an intense flavour (you could actually taste the salt in the salted caramel) and punctuated with a layer of golden crunchy nuttiness.

It was the perfect end to a fabulous meal, but if you have an appetite for further indulgence, try the Sticky toffee pudding or Plum crumble with malt ice cream.

Smokestak not only does the most mouth-watering barbecued meat, but it’s a fun destination restaurant with tons of atmosphere, modest prices and really dedicated staff. I know I’ll be back pretty soon to indulge my barbecue cravings on these cold winter nights.

For more information and booking, visit: www.smokestak.co.uk

Photos by Chérie City

Heralded by Vogue as the ‘Picasso of pastry’, Pierre Hermé is known for creating exquisite pâtisserie, leading the way with innovative flavours and experimental pairings.

Carrying forward the family trade of Alsatian bakery and pastry-making, albeit with a more libertine approach, Pierre Hermé trained at Gaston Lenotre and worked with Fauchon before setting up his eponymous company with Charles Znaty. The first Pierre Hermé boutique opened in Tokyo in 1998, followed by his return to the gastronomy scene in Paris, where his creations were met with immense praise.

I was invited to try the new macaron flavours and explore the Pierre Hermé store in Belgravia.

My experience of a Pierre Hermé store has been limited to the counter at Selfridges, as the Paris stores have always had queues out of the door. The Belgravia store is a petite jewel box of edible treasures, tucked away on a quiet row just off Sloane Street. The loyal clientele are generally macaron enthusiasts on a pilgrimage, rather than passers by clicking away at the displays.

Macarons are the main feature of the boutique and exciting new summer flavours include liquorice and violet, apricot and pistachio and and pea and mint. My personal favourites from the classic collection that I usually choose at Pierre Hermé are Rose and Mogador – milk chocolate and passion fruit.

The chocolates are just as exciting as the macarons and I couldn’t resist the Ouvre-Toi – sesame praline, sesame nougatine, enrobed with milk chocolate. The Tsuki was also a pleasing new taste discovery – a dark chocolate with roasted and salted corn and orange fruit paste.

The Bonbons de Chocolat au Macaron are a delicious compromise between a macaron and a chocolate, for when you can’t decide. I tried the Pietra – hazelnut praline, chocolat macaron biscuit and almond paste, enrobed in dark chocolate. It was crunchy, dense and velvety, an absolute delight.

One of the pleasures of Pierre Hermé are the beautiful presentation boxes and this year they have collaborated with illustrator Soledad Bravi on a limited edition London Landmarks box.

If you’re after a gift that lasts a bit longer, Pierre Hermé offers a selection of rare aromatic teas and indulgent hot chocolate presented in colourful tins.

I also loved the boxes of chocolate-covered candied fruits and the candied fruit paste sweets that reminded me of Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, a Pierre Hermé cookbook or one of the divine scented candles would make a wonderful gift.

Another exciting discovery was the selection of jams created by Christine Ferber for Pierre Hermé. The delicious combinations include Strawberry and Pistachio, Violet Pears and Blackcurrant or Ispahan – Raspberry, Rose and Lychee – which I selected to take home with me.

I was kindly given a London Landmark box filled with seven classic and new macarons to take home. The absence of the Rose macaron was the result of not enough will-power at the end of a long, rainy day!

I was also given an elegant box of assorted chocolates, which was well-timed for impressing my friend visiting that weekend. The slim, rectangular chocolates are petite but with intense flavours. One of my favourites was the Azur – bitter chocolate and lime and yuzu ganache enrobed with dark chocolate.

My third delightful gift from Pierre Hermé was a pot of Confiture Ispahan – a delicate combination of raspberry, rose and lychee.

The jam was the best I’ve ever tasted, bursting with fruit and fragrant rose. It wasn’t overly sweet like other jams and had an ultra smooth, refined texture. For me, it’s too exquisite to just slather on bread, so I’ve tried it on Madeleines and various cakes and on top of ice cream. It would also make a perfect cocktail ingredient, so why try it as a Raspberry, Lychee and Rose Martini.

The staff at Pierre Hermé are so passionate about his creations and love to share their knowledge and experiences with customers.

The two London outposts are the only ones outside of France and Japan, so we can feel proud that Pierre Hermé has chosen to share his dreamy patisserie with us before the rest of the world.

For more info and boutique locations, visit: www.pierreherme.com

Thank you to Pierre Hermé Paris in Belgravia for such a memorable afternoon.

A Great Dinner at Smokestak in Shoreditch

Pierre Hermé Paris in Belgravia, London