Pachamama - The Bayou - BYOC

Thursday 16th October - Now, I've never been to Peru, but I did go to Lima a couple of weeks ago.

On top of that, I have now encountered Pachamama ("Mother Earth") herself, so that must make me a bit of an expert, no?  

That just leaves Andina, Lima Floral, Coya and the 10 other Peruvian foodie hangouts that have probably opened whilst I was writing this sentence.   I'm not complaining.

Across the room, my well-travelled flatmate reminds me that Elephant & Castle was dishing out Latin American cuisine long before Ceviche & co. turned up.  It's probably worth brushing up on your Spanish before venturing to the likes of Sabor Peruano & Emanuel though.

Pachamama just pipped Senor Ceviche to the finishing post, opening up in Marylebone a week before their Peruvian friends arrived in Soho.  Blink and you'll miss the tiny entrance on Thayer Street. Downstairs is no small affair though with 120 covers and a spacious bar, neatly described by Hot Dinners as looking like "a faded colonial home, lived in by an eccentric Peruvian family".

Small Peruvian plates with a British twist beckoned, but first they had to pass the Pisco test.  Papa's Pisco (Lemon, egg white, Amargo Chuncho & Pisco - £7) got the thumbs up, though it wouldn't be out of place on the dessert menu.  Other interesting concoctions (all £8.50) include Piñamama (Pineapple-infused Pisco, Dead Rabbit Orinoco bitters, orange curaçao, maraschino cherry), Fig Flores (Blanco Tequila, homemade fig preserve, lime, vanilla syrup, pistachio), and Comrade Artemio (Rum, Campari, homemade mandarin-vermouth marmalade).

It took me a little while to notice that we were seated next to a DJ - not something you expect in a restaurant, but they manage to pull it off here.  A little lower lighting would have suited the music, but there was a real buzz in the air.

Our cheerful waiter recommended ordering three savoury plates each, which is usually code for "two will do".  Ceviche arrived first:

- Wild Cornish sea bass, samphire, radish, sweet potato, tiger’s milk - £10

- Devonshire sea trout, watercress, beetroot, bleeding tiger’s milk - £9

- Squid, prawns, mussels, culantro, palm sugar, devil’s milk - £9

We were accurately warned that dishes would be "a little bit tiny" but I can't fault the cooking.  The seabass with crunchy radish and sweet potato was a particular highlight for me.

Wild Cornish sea bass, samphire, radish, sweet potato, tiger's milk

All the Ceviche

Soon our table was bursting with plates from the Robata and Josper Grill sections, plus one salad for good measure. 

- Flamed Octopus, purple potato, capers, crispy shallots - £8

- Blackened herb-fed chicken, grilled corn, lime, wild oregano (2pcs) - £8

- Josper-fired artichokes, purple-sprouting broccoli, fennel, smoked aji, Berkswell cheese - £7

- Crispy lamb belly, miso, green aji sauce - £12

- “Duck on rice” - £10

The smoky octopus was a great success, but in truth everything disappeared equally quickly.  Much like at Arabica Bar & Kitchen in Borough, the menu is packed with winning dishes but the bill does mount up quite quickly.  A table of four will get you a taste of a fair amount, though some of the plates struggle to stretch to four decent mouthfuls.  Perhaps Mama's tasting menu at £35/head is the way to go.

Enjoying the atmosphere, we stuck around for dessert:

- Chocolate fondant, brittle, salted peanut ice cream - £6.50

- Almond milk panna cotta, passion fruit, white chocolate - £6.50

I only ordered the latter as everyone else ordered the chocolate fondant, but was pleasantly surprised by the result.  I'm not normally one for wobbly puddings, but this example of the genre had a bit more body to it, and passion fruit and white chocolate make a great team.  As for the chocolate fondant, Angharad was almost reduced to tears of joy, bringing back memories of a similar effort at Coya.

Almond milk panna cotta, passion fruit, white chocolate

Pachamama has all the right ingredients to become a big hit.  Three hours flew by in their capable hands, and I would happily return for some more ceviche and emotional chocolate fondants.

Tuesday 28th October - From South America to the Deep South - Inverness Street in Camden is home to The Bayou, a new hotspot for creole cooking and live music.

We started with some cocktails (on happy hour before 7pm) from their standalone bar.  Bacon & Maple Old Fashioned went down very easily and was slightly more successful than an Espresso twist on a Pisco Sour which was an acquired taste.  Hard shakes are also available though you may want to wait til dessert for those.

Bacon & Maple Old Fashioned (photo from Bayou website)

Manager Jonathan saw us struggling to come to a decision on the food front and took charge, offering to bring us a selection of his favourite dishes instead.  He returned a few minutes later with BBQ Shrimps & Biscuit, and Fried Calamari with Hush Puppies.  Now, if you haven't done your Creole homework, this is when you turn to the "Southern Terminology" section of Bayou's menu:

Biscuit - yeast raised fluffy flour balls similar to unsweetened scones

Hush Puppies - fried cornmeal batter

Got it? Good.  The shrimp (or king prawns) were smothered in a tasty sauce of white wine, garlic and chillies, and were cutely presented in a pan.  Meanwhile "Creole" squid with a delicate & delicious batter was served with spring onions, chillies & lime chipotle.  

I realise I've used the word creole too many times already - for those of you that aren't familiar with the term, it is a style of cuisine from Louisiana that brings together many influences including French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian cooking.  We're talking lots of beans, rice and citrus - think Jambalaya, Gumbo, Catfish, Collard Greens, Beignets etc.  

At this point you should watch this YouTube video on New Orleans that I found on Bayou's Facebook page from a highly entertaining series called "Fuck, That's Delicious" - email readers will need to head to the full site to see the video.  Warning: NSFW - there are expletives every other word.

Still with me? For mains, Jonathan brought us a heartwarming pot of Shrimp & Chicken Jambalaya (similar to paella) and a heartstopping Bayou Platter - 3 smoked barbecued chicken wings, half a rack of Bourbon ribs, skinny fries, coleslaw and biscuits.  Just as the moreish meat was falling off the bone and in to my face, a pianist took the stage to set the mood.  

Full but not finished, we made our own decisions for dessert, opting for a Banana Pie with Almond Biscotti, and a classic Mississippi Mud Pie.  Both plates were rather photogenic, but they were soon empty.

Despite not being full, there was a fun atmosphere at The Bayou on a Tuesday night.  I can see this being a top spot for Christmas parties this year for locals.  They have competition from the likes of Lockhart & The Fat Bear on the food front, and NOLA rules the New Orleans cocktail roost, but there's still plenty of room for creole cuisine in London.

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A short walk in the direction of Mornington Crescent (I win!) brought us to BYOC Camden, the third outpost for this conceptual bar chain that actually deserves the oft misused "speakeasy" moniker. Long term readers may remember my write-up of the Covent Garden site - I loved the atmosphere and the premise, but the bartending just wasn't up to scratch.  As that's such an easy problem to fix, I was more than happy to give BYOC another go.

I should explain, BYOC stands for Bring Your Own Cocktail.  What they really mean is Bring Your Own Spirits, Liqueurs, Fizz, Beer (BYOSLFB?) - don't turn up with hip-flask Negronis and jugs of Mint Julep, that's their job.  For £25, you get 2 hours of dedicated creative mixology from the bartenders at your station, making use of the booze you have brought and the treasure trove of homemade syrups, bitters, juices etc that they keep stashed away behind the bar.  

In Covent Garden, there were four tiny tables and a bloke with a trolley.  In Camden, there is room for 50 cocktail lovers in an atmospheric drinking den complete with incense, blackjack & roulette tables, and 20s jazz.  Our hosts for the evening, Jill & Davide, were suitably dressed for the part.

N.B. All but one of the photos below were provided by BYOC - my camera couldn't cope with the darkness on this occasion.

Now, I'm a bit of a hoarder of alcohol, especially miniatures, so the BYOC system suits me down to the ground.  Angharad popped a bottle of Dalwhinnie 15 on the table.  I whipped out Johnnie Walker Black Label, Laphroaig 10, Moonshine Kid Dogs Nose Gin, Angostura 5yo Rum, Luxardo Maraschino, Grand Marnier, Ocult Pisco, Cava, Port, Mozart Chocolate Bitters and the world's tiniest Angostura Bitters, just in case they weren't allowed anything with even a hint of booze.  A slight improvement on the couple next to us who had brought Smirnoff & Bacardi...

Jill set to work, with the occasional input from Davide who was looking after a larger group to our left.  Here's how the next two hours went:

- Trinidad Sour - a twist on a Pisco Sour with 1/3 Angostura Bitters and a homemade shrub

- Blue Moon - an Aviation twist with Dogs Nose Gin, Maraschino & a blue curacao syrup

- Chocolate Orange Old Fashioned with Dalwhinnie, Mozart, Grand Marnier & a dash of almond

- Another Aviation twist, this time with cucumber and cassis

- Passionfruit Daiquiri with a subtle chilli kick using Angostura 5yo

- Laphroaig Sour - bold, smokey, divisive, awesome

- Pisco Sour with a hibiscus shrub to finish

Davide in action

They have a great array of glassware and garnishes that were lacking in Covent Garden, and they aren't afraid to mix it up with punch bowls and Tiki drinks depending on the crowd.  Jill clocked early on that we were serious about our drinks, and kept things strong & sour.  It may be different when they are at capacity, but the service was efficient and personal at the same time.  And, as it turns out it was Jill's first shift - she absolutely smashed it.

One dimly lit photo from me - proof of our visit!

Sadly we eventually had to venture back out to the 21st Century but I should expect it won't be too long before we time travel again.  Now they have top bartenders, BYOC is a unique and fantastic London bar experience that everyone should get on board with.  And help them out - take some interesting booze along, you'll still have plenty to take home with you afterwards and your cocktails will be all the better for it.

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Whilst I'm on a Camden roll, I should just point you in the direction of the Camden Town Brewery fun going on next week (3-9 November). To mark the launch of a new India Hells Lager (an IPA lager hybrid), they are running a week long Temple of IHL popup at 205 Royal College St, NW1, with different events everyday.  Scroll down for more details (and a quirky stop motion animation for non-email readers):

"IPA is resurrected as Lager! Join us for a week of celebration at our pop-up Temple of IHL. Tickets available now.

On the first day… Monday 3rd November

BLESSED BE THE HOME BREWERS: Calling all home brewers! Learn how we make IHL and help us brew a mini batch on our 50L pilot brew kit. Plus, bring along a bottle of your own brew for our Camden Beer Gods to taste! 6pm for a 6:30pm start. Tickets are £10 and include beer and pizza. Get yours now.

On the second day… Tuesday 4th November

OUR GOOD LORD LAGER: Camden Brewing Director Alex Troncoso preaches the good word of lager with the aim of bringing non-believers over to the light side. You will leave converted. 7pm for a 7:30pm start, £10 tickets, including 3 beers. Reserve here.

On the third day… Wednesday 5th November

THE ART OF CRAFT: Beer & Illustration, a match made in heaven. Hallowed designers and illustrators ponder the liquid muse. 7pm for a 7:30pm start, £10 tickets, including beer and an IHL t-shirt. Book now.

On the fourth day… Thursday 6th November

FULL MOON PARTY: We celebrate the coming of IHL with an evening of bacchanalian beer worship open to a chosen few. Buy tickets to any of our other events this week and you’ll automatically be entered in a prize draw to win a pair of invites. 7-11pm, guest list only.

On the fifth day… Friday 7th November

THE FEAST OF IHL: Eat, drink and be merry with a four-course Sabbath banquet created to glorify IHL! Praise be! Chef and menu to be announced later this week, spaces are limited so register your interest now.

On the sixth day… Saturday 8th of November

FESTIVAL OF CANS: We come together with our brothers in aluminium to celebrate all things can-shaped. Tastings throughout the day with beers from Beavertown, Brewdog, Fourpure, Ska, Oskar Blues and more! 12-6pm, Free entry.

On the seventh day… Sunday 9th of November

DAY OF REST."

Source - Boopshi's - Kitchenette

I tried out four new restaurants this week, three of which have made it into this post.  The fourth one is coming, don't worry (I think there are enough pictures of tables & lights for one post).  I will, for memory-related reasons, go through them in reverse order.

Wednesday 27th October - First up is my new local restaurant, Source, which has just opened up in the old Ransome's Dock site in Battersea.  After 21 years in charge of Ransome's Dock, Martin and Vanessa Lam finally shut up shop in August, paving the way for another couple, Johan and Elsa De Jager, to open their first restaurant together.  They have worked all over including at Sophie's Steakhouse (just over the river), The Square (in Mayfair) and Eleven Madison Place (in New York).

 Head Chef James Adams (River Café) - Johan & Elsa De Jager

We started at the long bar - Crate Lager & Stout are available on tap in 2/3 pints, and Johan was on hand to whip up some house cocktails. The Fall Classic (Bourbon, Calvados, Thyme and Cider) was particularly well balanced.  Gin is well represented behind the bar with top bottles of Dodd's Gin from the local London Distillery (2 minutes away) and Boxer Gin from West London (check out their Boxing Club popup here).  Glasses of wine start at £3.50 and bottles start at £23 - you can see the full wine list here.

Source is a good looking place - it is beautifully lit at night, both outside and in, and will come into its own in Summer when they can open up all the doors and almost double their covers with tables approaching the dock.  A two man team called Offcut has done the majority of the lighting, woodwork and metalwork, and their hard work has really paid off.

The name Source refers to the natural water spring that flows directly beneath their restaurant.  For every £1 bottle sold, they donate 80p to the Magic Breakfast charity that provides free, healthy breakfasts to schools all over London.  The other 20p goes straight into looking after their filtration system.

Now for the main event - the food.  James Adams and his team "aim to simply showcase the best of seasonal British ingredients".  As is so often the way, choosing your starter is the hardest bit.  Luckily there were 5 of us, so we worked our way through the delicious Artichoke dip (£7), Rillette (meat paté - £6), Pumpkin Salad (one of the highlights of the meal - £7) and two portions of Crab Toast (£12 but a very generous helping).  Everyone had serious food envy so a lot of swapping went on.

Mains range from £12-18, unless you are there for a weekday lunch when there are several options available at £9 or £11, including large plates of the aforementioned Pumpkin Salad and the Macaroni, Squash, Cheese which we had as a side.  We unintentionally ignored the fishy Cod, Sole and Salmon options and instead went for Rabbit Ragu, Jacob's Ladders (not the children's toy or a ladder to heaven, but a popular cut of beef) and Mutton which were all beautifully cooked and unpretensiously presented.

Rabbit Ragu with Tagliatelle

Our friendly and informative waiter was always on hand for advice, and suggested we order the Broccoli, Almond and Cranberry starter with our sides of Winter Greens, Braised Chicory & Bacon, and Macaroni, Squash & Cheese.  We didn't take much convincing, and I would happily come back and let the chefs pick my food all evening, such is the consistency of quality on show at Source.

Last but not least, we had a little bit of space left for their excellent dessert list.  After describing the Doughnut Ice Cream Sandwich as "sex on a plate", every man on the table ordered it - well played, sir. It is a ridiculously creation (see below) that can easily be shared between two, and should be ordered by at least one person.  Congratulations to them for not trying to amalgamate all four words (Icedoughwich?) to spark a Cronut style media frenzy.  The comforting Bourbon Bread & Butter Pudding was the stand out choice for me, although I have it on good authority that their Pear & Almond Tart is superb.

Doughnut Ice Cream Sandwich

I haven't had a better 3 course meal in a long time, and the atmosphere and service was lovely all evening.  Johan & Elsa were charming hosts, and they should do very well here.  Sunday Roasts look tempting with Hogget and Ribeye currently on the menu, and they also open at breakfast when you can have Caravan coffee and Bread Bread bread (had to be done) from an artisan bakery in Brixton.  You can reserve tables on their website here, though they will always hold back a few tables for walk-ins.

Tuesday 26th November - The day before Source, I made my way over to Goodge Street to try out Boopshi's, an Austrian Scnitzel & Spritz bar/restaurant run by two brothers (Ed and Ben Robson). Their grandparents (whose recipes have inspired the food) used to call each other Boopshi, hence the name.  Décor is on the minimal side (it wouldn't look out of place in Hackney Wick), but it doesn't really matter when you are munching your way through comfort food.

In the upstairs restaurant, there are 6 Spritzes to choose from, ranging from £7.50-9.50.  Sister Jo (my sibling, rather than a nun) went for #4 - Sour Cherry Wine, Morello Cherry, Sherbert and Prosecco (which they have on tap).  They all turn up in wonderful Malea glasses (similar to my favourite Coppa glasses) which give the illusion of your drink being double the normal size.

They have smartly partnered up with Camden Town Brewery who have created the very drinkable Boopshi's Brüder Lager for them, after the bros rocked up at the brewery with their schnitzel-mobile a couple of months ago.

For your schnitzel fix, you can choose between Wiener (Rose Veal - £14.50), Rare Breed Pork (£11.50) and Chicken (£10.50) with optional toppings of Duck Egg, Hen Egg (is that just a regular egg?), Anchovies and Capers.  Naturally, Sister Jo, Luke and I ordered one of each type, and I wapped a duck egg on top of mine for good measure.  They are pricey once you take the sides and toppings into account, but the portions are massive.  Speaking of sides, the Sauerkraut was delicious as was the Spatzle'n'Cheese, though I would prefer some crunchier onions on top. They are thinking about turning the latter into a main course.

If schnitzel isn't your thing, there are several other mains including Frittaten Soup, Ox Tongue, Smoked Eel, Bratwurst, and an impressive Whole Globe Artichoke.

Trout with Spinach, Bacon and Mushrooms - Frittaten Soup

Despite a slightly off-putting view (see picture below), we moved on to pudding.  I went for a generous helping of Grandma Oma's Apple Strudel, which had a little kick thanks to some 80% Stroh and caraway seeds. Jo went for the Kaiserschmarnn (deconstructed pancake with fruits/jam) rather than a slice of Sachertorte or Poppy Seed Tart.

A trip to the toilets (which have mysteriously been designed for hobbits) revealed the downstairs bar, which has a completely different vibe to upstairs.  They have a separate cocktail list with some interesting creations including a Sachertorte Sour, Continental Treacle (with raisin-infused cider) and a Boopshi's Martini (with gin, kummel and optional pickle juice).

Sachertorte Sour, Holy Moly Negroni & Marillan Smash

It was a very comforting meal which all three of us thoroughly enjoyed.  It could be cheaper, especially on the drinks front, but it is right in the centre of London.  It is great to see them sticking to their Austrian roots right through the drinks menu, and everyone was extremely friendly - I wish them well!

Saturday 23rd November - Last but not least is a new all day bar/brasserie in Putney called Kitchenette.  They are a Turkish restaurant chain with branches all over the world, but this is their first British site.  I went along with Sister Jo again (watch out Sister Em, she is catching up) for another three courses.

The first thing you encounter when you walk in is a big table covered in cakes and newspapers.  Their hope is that many passers by will come in for a quick slice of something and a coffee in the morning or after work/school - I certainly would if I was in the area, it is a very welcoming sight!  Sister Jo was running late after a minor baking disaster - if only she had known about the cake table...

The food is "Mediterranean" which seems to cover most of Europe - Chicken Schnitzel, Penne Ragu, Kul Basti, Ribeye Steak Café de Paris and Lamb Shank all make it on to the same menu.  This was a trial run though, and apparently more Turkish cuisine will be making an appearance soon.

We started off with two fantastic warm salads - Grilled Halloumi Salad with sneaky bits of grapefruit giving it a sharp edge, and Marinated Artichoke with an apple cider vinaigrette.  They were almost main course size, and I would find it hard not to order exactly the same again next time round.

For mains, we opted for the Kul Basti (lamb fillet) with sautéed potatoes and peppers, and Salmon with GIANT COUSCOUS (which is always smaller than I hope) and a pomegranate dressing.  The flavours were subtle (in a good way) and the dishes are great value at around £10.

We shared a deconstructed chocolate mousse (who knew you could deconstruct that?) with berries and cardamom, which was a little too bitter for us, but an interesting idea.  More standard Turkish delights (wahay) such as Baklava should now be on the menu, and there is always the cake table to pick from.

On the drinks front, they have Whitstable Pale on tap, as well as a very affordable cocktail menu (£6-8) to choose from.  The atmosphere was relaxed all evening, the food was eclectic and moreish, and the staff were delightful.  Another success!