Matt The List - Archives: The Jolly Gardeners - Chick'N'Sours

Today on the blog - three completely unrelated new food & drink spots that I checked out in May. I could try and segue between them, but it wouldn't be pretty.

Read on for gastropub fare with an Indian twist from a former MasterChef winner; all the fried chicken and Negroni sours from DJ Carl Clarke; and a villainous dim sum and cocktail joint in Clapham North.

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Friday 15th May - Dhruv Baker embarked on a career in food after winning MasterChef in 2010, gaining experience in Le Gavroche & The Kitchin amongst other top restaurants. More recently he teamed up with Adam Pomaro to launch catering company Earlsfield Kitchen before deciding over a bottle of wine (or two) that they might as well go one step further and take over an actual kitchen in Earlsfield - that of The Jolly Gardeners pub.

I went down primarily to take some photos but ended up eating a whole lot of wonderful food with Jo The Sis. A quick scan of the menu reveals standard pub items - pork belly, lamb, asparagus, steak etc. It's only after a second look that you start to spot Dhruv's Indian influences sneaking in - tamarind yoghurt, cardamom puree, turmeric and fennel better, and so on. This is what takes The Jolly Gardeners dishes to the next level.

Our two starters were simply magnificent (and oh so photogenic - beware NSFW eggporn below).

- English Asparagus, Soft-Boiled Burford Brown Egg, Bacon & Sage Crumble, Hollandaise - £8

- Spiced Crab Cakes, Shaved Fennel, Tamarind Yoghurt £8

You can't really go wrong with egg, bacon, asparagus and a tonne of butter - the Burford Brown egg was beautifully cooked and presented in a light crumb batter. A generous portion of moreish crab cakes were elevated by shaved fennel and that tamarind yoghurt.

English Asparagus, Soft-Boiled Burford Brown Egg, Bacon & Sage Crumble, Hollandaise

Spiced Crab Cakes, Shaved Fennel, Tamarind Yoghurt

Pork Terrine, Pickled Vegetables, Honey & Mustard Dressing

We sought out more of Dhruv's unconventional flavours in our mains:

- Pan-fried Sea Bream, Turmeric & Fennel Butter, Coconut Green Beans, Cumin Sautéed Potatoes - £14

- 28 day aged Ribeye Steak, Teriyaki Glaze, Shallot Puree, Fries - £22.50

If you want your kids to eat their greens, invite Dhruv round for tea and tell him to bring his coconuts. And if you think you've had steak and chips one too many times, I can highly recommend their teriyaki glaze twist, supported by a scene-stealing dollop of shallot puree. Delicious.

Pan-fried Sea Bream, Turmeric & Fennel Butter, Coconut Green Beans, Cumin Sautéed Potatoes

28 day aged Ribeye Steak, Teriyaki Glaze, Shallot Puree, Fries

Pork Belly, Carrot and Cardamom Puree, Curly Kale, Chimichurri

Portions are generous throughout, but do not under any circumstances skip dessert, however full you are. £7.50 may look a little pricey on the page, but once you've tasted Dhruv's bonkers creations you'll be going back for seconds. Here are four of the best:

- Raspberry Mille Feuille, Chantilly Cream, Raspberry Sorbet, Raspberry Tuille - £7.50

- Chocolate Cake, Guinness Sauce, Hazelnut Brittle Ice Cream - £7.50

- Rocky Road, Blood Orange, Vanilla Cream, Banana and Black Sesame Ice Cream - £7.50

- Banana Tarte Fine, Sea Salt Caramel, Peanut Butter Parfait - £7.50

We demolished the bottom two on that list, both of which had even more fun on the plate than mentioned above. It's real Willy Wonka stuff (though not quite to Parlour's level) that'll send you back on to Garratt Lane with a big grin on your face.

Chocolate Cake, Guinness Sauce, Hazelnut Brittle Ice Cream

Banana Tarte Fine, Sea Salt Caramel, Peanut Butter Parfait

Rocky Road, Blood Orange, Vanilla Cream, Banana and Black Sesame Ice Cream

Three courses at The Jolly Gardeners will set you back around £30-40 before booze which is a pricey night out at the pub, but Dhruv & co. are on to something special here and I wouldn't be surprised if awards and accolades start coming their way once the rest of London takes notice. It's worth going well out of your way for, and I suggest you do so soon before word gets out.

Kitchen hours - Closed Mondays, Tue-Sat - 12:00-15:00 / 18:30-22:00, Sundays - 12:00-15:30

214 Garratt Lane, Wandsworth, London, SW18 4EA

The Jolly Gardeners - www.thejollygardeners.co.uk

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Saturday 9th May - DJ turned Chef Carl Clarke has been winning fans all over London with his Disco Bistro Chicken Wings (Disco Wings for short) at various popups, residencies and street food events, but he's finally settled down in Haggerston.

Chick'N'Sours is the newest member of Roy Walker's "say what you see" club that also includes Duck & Waffle, Burger & Lobster, and Meat & Shake. Smoking Goat, Dirty Bones and Smack haven't quite got the hang of it.

Hard to read, laminated menus could do with an A4 upgrade

Much like Stokey Bears up the road, Chick'N'Sours is bathed in a mysterious, unphotogenic blue light that takes me back to Cindy's and Life, two of Uni's cheesiest clubs. Thankfully the music is better. By the time we all arrive, it's pushing 10pm (after drinks at Original Sin and The Three Compasses), but we manage to squeeze nine around a table. Carl & co. warn us that chicken on the bone has flown out, taking all of the burger buns with it, but that there's plenty else left to munch on. Game on.

We start off with a round of their £6 half-pint sour cocktails and a few £4 cans of Fourpure. The Chick'N'Club House Sour is a winner with Gin, Sugar, Lemon, Raspberry & Chilli Vinegar, and Vermouth, and the Negroni Sour with Campari, Vermouth, Rosewater and Lemon also hits the spot. Much like at Chicken Liquor in Brixton, the idea is that the sour drinks cut through the richness of the chicken, "like vinegar on chips" says Carl. I'd still lean towards the beers myself, but he's not wrong.

Negroni Sour

The first food to arrive was a zingy bowl of fried Szechuan Aubergine with citrus, chilli oil & sesame seeds. It's a great foil to Carl's sticky Disco Wings which might just be the best in London with their perfectly balanced sweet and salty coating. Pickled Watermelon, Peanut and Coriander is another stonking side - one of our number demands that we order a second portion after a single mouthful. In fact, all of our little plates are a marvel, from the crunchy and moreish House Pickles to the fresh Yam Bean 'Slaw with Ginger & Miso Mayo.

Szechuan Aubergine

Pickled Watermelon, Peanut and Coriander

With no buns in the house, they instead improvise with lettuce as a vehicle for their "burger", though apparently this option may appear on the menu soon. Either way, the Korean Fried Thigh with fiery Gochujang Mayo, Chilli Vinegar and Crunchy 'Slaw gets the thumbs up. I meanwhile opt for the Guest Fry seasoned with Chilli Jam, Crispy Shallots, Thai Basil, Mint and Spring Onion - absolutely delicious but perhaps a little small for £10. Last but not least, the chips arrive with a phenomenal St.Agur & Buttermilk dip. It's a good thing they don't come round selling bottles of the stuff.

Guest Fry - Chilli Jam, Crispy Shallots, Thai Basil, Mint, Spring Onion

Fries with St.Agur & Buttermilk Dip

As the evening draws to a close, tasters of Weetabix Soft Serve are passed round. It tastes of Weetabix alright, but is that something that anybody wants? I remain unconvinced.

I'm soon distracted by Chick'N'Sours branded transfers that arrive with the bill, causing widespread napkin dabbing and transfer application amongst our group. My skin seems more reluctant than others, but eventually accepts a botched attempt that reads closer to Chickn Soup. It had better come off. In a nice touch, the bill presentation finally answers the age old question of whether the chicken or the egg came first.

Weetabix Soft Serve with Toasted Weetabix Crunch

Don't leave without a few Chick'N'Sours transfers!

Chick'N'Sours in an eggshell - Fantastic food, dodgy lighting.

N.B. They are also open for brunch at the weekends, serving up "Son in Law Eggs" & Brunch Buns

P.S. No reservations on Friday / Saturday, get your name on the list and grab a drink nearby

Your best options are vino at Rotorino or craft beers from The Fox's vending machine and Beavertown beers from Duke's Brew & Que.

Mon - Closed, Tue-Thu - 6pm-10pm, Fri - 6pm-10:30pm

Sat - 12pm-3:30pm, 6pm-10:30pm, Sunday - 12pm-3:30pm, 6pm-9:30pm

390 Kingsland Road, London, E8 4AA

Chick'N'Sours - chicknsours.co.uk

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Wednesday 13th May - Back over in South West London, a late night dim sum and cocktail bar named after the villainous Fu Manchu has opened up in a railway arch by Clapham North.

It gets a bit clubby for Matt The List's tastes, and cocktails were a mixed bag at the launch, but having an extensive dim sum menu available til late is definitely a bonus. London bars are incredibly poor at providing quality, filling food with drinks - hopefully others will follow Fu Manchu's example.

For a in-depth look at the cocktails, head over to Highball Hoodoo's boozy blog. We enjoyed the delicate Secret Essence of the Poppey Hill (Sake, St.Germain, Rose Liqueur, Lime Juice, Cucumber) and Blood of Fu Manchu (Eristoff Vodka infused with Chinese 5 Spice, 10yo Port, Ginger Purée, Oyster Sauce, Chilli Powder, Tomato Juice) but were left bemused by a Green Matcha powder-based Green Tea-Ni that shouldn't have made the cut.

If it's dim sum you are after, head down on a Sunday this June to take advantage of their £19.95 all-you-can-eat offer from 12pm-10pm (1.5 hrs maximum stay!). The Chao You Sai Laan Fa (Salt, Pepper and Chilli Broccoli) was pretty excellent, and there are 36 other tasty treats to stuff your face with too.