Four to Eight - Soho Grind - Lima

On the blog today, a new Italian restaurant in Covent Garden, coffee & cocktails in Soho, and a new boozy Sunday lunch deal at Michelin-starred Lima.

Friday 26th September - Seven of us piled in to Four To Eight on their opening night for some classy Italian food.  We were ushered past the attractive ground floor bar and restaurant to a table downstairs next to the open kitchen.  

Italian food is known for its simplicity, traditionally using between four and eight ingredients, which explains the name.  I'd imagine many will hear it and think it's an address (see Three Eight Four), but they'll work it out eventually. 

"Small plates" (encouraged as bar food upstairs) arrived first, including my impressive helping of Calamari & Crayfish with parsley and almond salad (£10). Su-Lin steered clear as crayfish apparently turns her orange.  With a pharmacist on my left holding a bag full of antidotes, I felt it was worth the risk... Maybe next time.  Pigeon with honey beets, grapes & treviso (£9) and Zucchini Carpaccio with truffle honey dressing & pecorino cheese (£6) were also well received.

Top left clockwise : Pigeon, Crayfish & Calamari, Open Kitchen & Zucchini Carpaccio

Moving on to pastas and salads, the portion sizes didn't quite do the price tags justice.  Only the Scallop Linguine with (watch out Su-Lin) crayfish & tomato passata (£16) felt big enough.  Double Duck salad (breast & egg) with chard & fontina cheese (£12) and Duck Ravioli with savoy cabbage, fennel & parsnip (£15) barely scratched the surface of hunger - a shame since the cooking was superb, but an easy thing to fix if others agree.  The Lobster Fregola needs to pop over to Burger & Lobster to see how far £20 can go.

Double Duck Salad - breast & egg, chard, fontina cheese

Scallop Linguine, Crayfish, Tomato Passata

Duck Ravioli, Savoy Cabbage, Fennel, Parsnip

Last but not least was a range of desserts from French in-house pastry chef Annabelle Delrieux (previously chef patissiere at Anna Chocolat in Bordeaux).  We were never going to turn down the "Full House" - a sample of everything on the menu for £17 to share.  It's always tricky to get a real sense from such miniature portions, but the Profiteroles, Tiramisu and Chocolate Aero Biscuit made a great first impression, and the presentation was delightful across the board.

Elsewhere on the table, larger portions of the much-talked about Tiramisu (with white velvet and kahlua jelly - £7) and Chocolate Aero Biscuit (with rosemary & chocolate mousse, lemon & basil gel - £6) received the thumbs up.

Tiramisu with white velvet and kahlua jelly

Chocolate Aero Biscuit with rosemary & chocolate mousse, and lemon & basil gel

There's plenty of potential at Four To Eight.  The design, the staff and the food all deserve plaudits but I'd like to see some more competitive prices brought in - perhaps lunch & theatre menus will be the way to go if they are introduced.

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Natalie, Chris and I walked off dinner through some of London's most unbearable tourist hotspots, before arriving at Soho Grind in Beak Street for a nightcap - one of several new sites from the Shoreditch Grind "Grind & Co" coffee bar team (see also Piccadilly Grind & brand new Holborn Grind).  They have just reopened their evening basement bar after sorting out some permanent licensing, something I'm all too aware of after two failed attempts to visit before!

It was worth the wait - a classic Soho bar / refuge akin to the Flat Iron basement bar and Society Club down the road.  Tiny, relaxed, fun, arty, and good-looking - the only slight downside is having to order food to be allowed to drink, but a plate of cured meats slipped down easily enough.  Bartenders and customers were in good spirits, enjoying the eclectic soundtrack whilst trying not to stare at the erotica on the walls.

Cocktails are well priced as they are at Shoreditch Grind.  Chris couldn't resist the Flat White Russian - not our waitress, but a boozy coffee cocktail served hot with Soho Grind Espresso, Chase Vodka, Coffee Liqueur and Milk.  Meanwhile I had my eyes on a Short Mexican (stop it) with El Jimador Reposado, Cayenne, and Cracked Coffee Beans which was interesting but didn't quite come together. Natalie unsurprisingly went for Gin-Out The Jams - a very drinkable concoction of Gin, Vermouth, Sugar, and Rhubarb & Ginger Jam.  

Of course, most won't look past the Soho Grind Espresso Martini, and who can blame them?

Flat White Russian

Flat White Russian, Gin-Out The Jams, Short Mexican

It's another hit for the fast expanding Grind & Co. group.  Upstairs is a funky-looking daytime coffee hangout, but you'll find me downstairs with the Mexicans and the Russians.

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Sunday 28th September - It seemed fitting that three days after the new Michelin stars were handed out, we made our way over to one of last year's surprise winners, Lima.  

They have been busy in 2014, launching Lima Floral (Covent Garden) in July, but the promise of an epic long lunch with unlimited booze attracted me, Tim, Mary and Angharad to the original Fitzrovia outpost on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Sundays. 12pm-3.30pm. £35 per head. Tonnes of food. Neverending Prosecco and Pisco Punch.

There must be a catch...

Round 1:

- Mixed Ceviche with Yuyo, Sweet Potato & Canchita Corn

- Salmon Tiradito with Rocoto Pepper, Avocado & Celery Cress

- Tuna Causa with Blue (Purple - I'm not that colour blind) Potato and Asparagus Uchucuta

The Mixed Ceviche was unsurprisingly a highlight, and I could have happily eaten it all afternoon. The Salmon Tiradito also impressed, and friendly waiters kindly corrected our attempts to identify unknown ingredients - something that apparently wasn't dragonfruit remains a mystery.

Mixed Ceviche

Salmon Tiradito

Tuna Causa with Blue (?) Potato

Round 2 (already stuffed):

Mains:

- Braised Lamb Shoulder, Coriander & Aji Panca Juice

- Suckling Pig, Crackling Ocopa Sauce - uses Huacatay and peanuts

- Oven Roasted Cornfed Chicken, Pachamanca Sauce

To go with:

- Vegetable Cazuela & Huacatay Sauce - Huacatay is Andean herb - "Peruvian Black Mint"

- Huancaina Potatoes - What Kinda Potatoes? One kinda potatoes? Huancaina potatoes!

- Roasted Quinoa - How do you pronounce it?! Key-noir? Kwi-noah?

- Carapulcra - Peruvian stew with more sneaky peanuts, caught Tim out every time

- Chaufa Rice - Chinese influenced fried rice - FUN FACTS: a chaufa expert is called a "chaufero", and Peruvian vs Chinese cuisine is served in "chifas" - there are 9,000 in Lima alone.

The side dishes outshone the mains, not least the Huancaina potatoes with their stellar presentation. A big plate of lamb, pig and chicken was not lacking flavour altogether, but it just wasn't as exciting as descriptions suggested, and ceviche had raised the bar very high already.

What kinda potatoes? Huancaina Potatoes.

All the meat

Round 3 (Prosecco Round...8?):

- Lucuma Ice Cream - unusual subtropical fruit sometimes called "egg fruit"

- Kiwicha with Purple Corn Jelly - still not dragonfruit.

- Alfajores with Dulce de Leche - round cookies with sweet filling

A quirky bunch - the alfajores were the winner by a long way for me, but it's hard not to love cookies with dulce de leche.

Unsettling - Purple Corn Jelly with Kiwicha

Three hours passed, along with 15 or so courses, and countless glasses of punch & prosecco (three varieties on our visit).

There's no catch.

Get over there before they realise how ridiculous it is!



Craving more Peruvian food? 

Senor Ceviche (Kingly Court) is opening very soon and Pachamama (Marylebone) is starting their 50% soft launch today.

Ignoring sober October in style? 

House of Ho have just launched Bobby's Rock and Roll Brunch - £29 / £36 for bottomless drinks and unlimited food plus live music in Soho - too good to be true?  

OH YEAH. AND IT'S LONDON COCKTAIL WEEK.  Here's what we got up to last year...

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P.S. From Michelin stars to Bib Gourmands (the Michelin category for good food at moderate prices), we popped in to Barnyard for a drink after Lima.  Update: the staff are still great, the drinks list deserves a proper bar, and the popcorn ice cream with smoked fudge sauce hasn't gone anywhere.

Mini Popcorn Ice Cream with Smoked Fudge Sauce at Barnyard

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Matt The Tumblr latest - Photos from Oktoberfest at Anspach & Hobday / Bullfinch Brewery

Shochu Kanteen - Union Street Bar - Call Me Mr Lucky - The Alchemist

Monday 8th September - RAMEN RAMEN RAMEN RAMEN RAMEN.

That's my impression of my Twitter feed this month.

I was a bit slow getting to Bone Daddies in the first place, and I still haven't made it to Shoryu or Tonkotsu. Now United Ramen, Kanada-Ya and Ippudo are getting in on the act too.  It's all a bit overwhelming.  In response, I've eaten a fair amount of the stuff in recent weeks, from Nanban in Brixton all the way to Momofuku in Toronto, and I was at it again on Monday.  

Shochu Kanteen is a new lunch time offering at Shochu Lounge, the bar beneath the award-winning Roka on Charlotte Street.  It's open for business from Midday to 3.30pm, Monday-Friday.

We started with a fresh juice of beets, ginger & apple, homemade but pre-bottled for maximum efficiency in a busy lunchtime period.  There are also iced teas, beers, and shochu with plum soda if you fancy something stronger.

Food also arrived impressively quickly.  First came some comforting steamed buns with dips & extras on the side - Korean spiced lamb shoulder with pickled cucumber, and Teriyaki Salmon with pickled red onions.  

Then came the ramen - a massive bowl of Tokyo Style soy ramen with char su pork, bamboo shoots and soft egg for £11.  It wasn't the most beautifully presented I have ever seen, but it was delicious and extremely filling.  Perhaps it should be a tad cheaper and smaller for a lunchtime crowd, but I was content.  

For the sake of research, we also got ourselves a plate of Fried Tako Balls - Octopus croquettes with kewpie mayo.  A lot of flavour came from the accompanying mayo and the octopus was rather adept at hide and seek, but I would happily have eaten several more.

There are also salads available - one for £5, two for £7, three for £9:

- tomato and hijiki with shiso and wafu dressing 

- edamame and mixed bean with chilli and bonito

- crispy ramen noodles, cha shu pork and soya eggs

Fried Tako Balls - Octopus croquettes with kewpie mayo

To avoid falling asleep for the afternoon, we finished with two cute Little Tsubo (pots) of vanilla and chocolate, served with a bag of peanuts & marshmallows to add at your leisure.  The focus again is on speed of delivery which I'm sure will be appreciated, but with no compromise on quality.

Shochu Kanteen is sure to be a popular lunch destination for workers in a hurry in the area with its great service, relaxed atmosphere and tempting dishes.  Prices are a little high for lunchtime - perhaps a lunch deal will be brought in for those wishing to have more than just one item off the menu.

One less ramen to go.

View the menu here.

Tuesday 9th September - From lunch to aperitivo hour, Gordon Ramsay's Union Street Bar has joined Jamie's Italian in offering early evening cured meats, olives etc with drinks in a relaxed atmosphere.  We dropped in briefly for a few Peronis (in new pocket-sized Piccolo bottles) and a meeting with The Don (Peroni, tequila, lime, basil, rosemary, sugar).

And to eat: Spicy Nocellara olives, Tomino cheese with chilli and honey, Parma Ham and Salatini, Traditional tomato bruschetta, Spicy chicken wings, Union Street Arancini, Balsamic Beef Meatballs, and Friggitelli “green sweet fried peppers”

It's a relaxed space, perfect for casual after-work drinks, and there's always the restaurant upstairs if you don't want to move too far for dinner.  

Aperitivo Hour at Union Street Bar

Felix and I fancied another drink or two afterwards and marched off to the new Breakfast Club in London Bridge, opposite Katzenjammers (an old favourite of mine).  

They have made a name for themselves with hidden bars, one accessed through a fridge (Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town, Liverpool Street) and another via a laundrette (King of Ladies Man, Battersea). Now they can add a kitchen to that list.  

After whispering the "secret" password at the door, we were led downstairs, past the chefs, in to Call Me Mr Lucky, a tequila soaked dive bar

The first thing you will notice is the deadly Wheel of Fortune which can supposedly only be spun once on the hour.  I took the 8pm spin and soon found myself "singing" the tune from Fresh Prince of Bel Air behind the bar.  Felix stepped up for the 9pm spin, ending up with a shot that involved jalapeno pickle and habanero. Yum.  At least we didn't land on "go home".

Next you will notice that they have raided Woolworths and Athena to decorate the place.  And that it looks great.  The shape of the bar lends itself to a sociable evening with staff and fellow punters.  If you want privacy, there are two banging booths (not like that) round the back, but they aren't currently reservable.

And the booze? £8 cocktails & £4 London beers are alright for me.  Lucky Rostini (Herradura anejo tequila, plum liqueur, Campari, black walnut bitters) was a very drinkable Negroni twist, and Pea Diddy (El Dorado 3yr rum, fresh pea & horseradish, lime and pineapple) was not nearly as odd as it sounds.

Quince Dreams (G’Vine Nouaison gin, homemade quince syrup infused with pink peppercorn, cardamom & coriander seeds, lime, bitter lemon) beckoned, but we veered off menu with a tequila, mezcal and beetroot invention that might just make it on to a menu one day.

Food is available too - we know where the kitchen is, after all.  Just check Mr.Lucky's blackboard to see what's cooking.

Call Me Mr Lucky is a no-frills party bar that doesn't take itself too seriously.  For me, it's the best of the three Breakfast Club bars (at time of writing) for exactly that reason, and one of the rare "speakeasies" in London that's willing to have a bit of fun after you've made it through the "hidden" door.

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Wednesday 10th September - Completing a busy start to the week was a press launch at The Alchemist next to The Gherkin.  It's the first London site for a primarily Manchester based bar group, famed for their molecular mischief.

After a slow start in an All Bar One atmosphere with bottles of Sol and houmous on some doritos, the cocktails started to make their mark.  The poor bartenders have over 58 bonkers concoctions to memorise from a an overlong menu - they were all over it.

You might think the "molecular madness" section would be their five wackiest creations, but over 21 of their drinks fall into this category.  There's beer foam, smoke, dry ice, colour changing drinks, flames, a transparent cuba libre, strawberry caviar, raspberry dust and much more to keep an eye out for.

The Smoked Manhattan and Hot & Cold Espresso Tini (cold chantilly cream layer and a boiling espresso martini) were causing a stir on the bar.  Impressively, most of these eye catching drinks are around the £7.50 mark, a Manchester hangover that surely won't last long in the shadows of The Gherkin.

Hot & Cold Espresso Tini

Smoked Old Fashioned

Elsewhere on the menu, there are barrel aged cocktails (the Negroni was a success), hipflask cocktails (which can be kept for an extra £4), sharing kettles and soda syphons, classics (which could be omitted), and even some mocktails (which are for once appropriately priced at £3.50/£4).  

Bubblebath and Smokey Paloma impressed on taste and aesthetics, faring better than White Chocolate Raspberry Martini and a Lavender Daiquiri.  Going off menu (not long enough...) also paid dividends with a delightful stirred Mezcal & Chocolate Bitters combo.

Bubblebath

But the silliest drink of all, by some way, is the Mad Hatter's Tea Party (£20 between two).  A mix of Green Mark Russian vodka, Briottet elderflower liqueur, Cointreau, citron gomme and water is boiled up at the table, and infused with fresh fruit and herbs.  It is then served warm, with smoke billowing all over the table - it's quite a sight.  I was never expecting to be wowed by the flavours, and the temperature was on the tepid side which didn't quite work, but it is a lot of fun.

Ella from The Little Brown Book

I can't comment on the food (The Alchemist won't want me to judge them on their canapés) but I can guarentee there's a drink for everyone!  The prices are extremely low for the City (long may that continue) and there are some winning drinks, but I do prefer my bars to be smaller & cosier with more of a laidback soundtrack.  Expect it to be very busy after work, and take your camera.

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MATT THE COMPETITION - This week I'm running a competition with Zomato to win two £22 vouchers for cocktails at Looking Glass Cocktail Club on Hackney Road.  Head to my twitter page for a chance to win and you might find yourself with Tweedledee & Tweedledum behind the mirror.

COMPETITION! Follow @matthew1hickman & @Zomato and RT for a chance to win TWO £22 vouchers for cocktails at @LookingGlassE2 - ends Sat eve!
— Matt The List (@matthew1hickman) September 17, 2014

Looking Glass Cocktail Club