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

Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town - Wigwambam - Kimchinary

It's been a slow week venturing out for The List thanks to another fun London tube strike, so I'm considering spending next week in Dawlish or Sochi to get away from it all.  Who's with me?

Friday 31st January - In a simpler time, when certain employees of TFL decided to actually do their job, I made my way over to Liverpool Street to try out a few places, starting with a trip to see the Mayor.

The Breakfast Club started life in Soho back in 2005 but has since spread its wings to Angel, Hoxton, Spitalfields and Battersea.  The Spitalfields branch was the first to get on the speakeasy train with their hidden bar, The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town.  When it first opened, you needed to ask to see the Mayor before being led through a Smeg Fridge to the downstairs bar but this formality seems to have disappeared over time.  

Depending on when you arrive, you may face a short wait in The Breakfast Club itself (which is one good looking place), or if you time it really badly, a queue around the block!  The Breakfast Club gets extremely busy for weekend brunch, so The Mayor opens up from 12pm on Saturdays & Sundays to serve more brunch behind the fridge - a late weekend afternoon might be your best bet for getting in straight away.

We rocked up at 6.30 last Friday and there was only standing space available, but before too long we squeezed into two seats at the bar - the only place one should ever sit in a cocktail bar.  Not only do you get the most out of the entertaining bartenders, you also get the best view of the eye-catching decor.

Cocktails are £9 with the exception of the £11 King Yellowman's Answer which won the Rumfest 2012 cocktail competition with its tempting mix of pineapple, Blackwell rum, pear juice, lime juice and coffee, topped off with a flaming, over-proof rum filled scotch bonnet.  Click here to see Mayoress Kate Jackson take you through the recipe.  

Golden Hind was an interesting blend of Kamm & Son's (Gingseng spirit), gin, lemon, red grapes, sage, ginger and fresh apple.  Our entertaining barman gleefully added in The King's Ginger liqueur in the absence of fresh ginger, but to be honest it could have done with even more booze as it was almost too drinkable.  A refreshing Spitalfields Spritz with Aperol, coriander, bitter lemon and Prosecco also disappeared very quickly.  I highly recommend Tommy's Chilli & Lemongrass Margarita having had it previously elsewhere.  I might go for the chicken-filtered mezcal next time I'm in.

For the most part, the cocktail list is simple but solid, allowing the buzzing atmosphere to take centre stage. Get in early on weekdays (it opens at 5pm), order some of the Mayor's cat food, and don't forget to leave via the My Little Pony / He-Man wallpapered toilets to preserve the hidden entrance feel.

If you want The Breakfast Club cocktails without the worry of waiting, try out The King of Ladies Man in Battersea, their relaxed 70s bachelor pad bar tucked away behind a fake laundrette -great for disco drinks, interesting bottled beers, and any food that revolves around cheese (order the Smokey Joe Mac n Cheese). Watch this space for details on their next branch in London Bridge which will be opening soon complete with a tequila-driven "Mr Lucky" bar somewhere inside.

For our second stop, I decided to revisit one of my favourite popups from 2013 - Wigwambam on the roof of Queen of Hoxton.  If you make it past the unnecessary bouncer, through the sticky ground floor and up several flights of stairs, you will be rewarded with one of London's coolest (and hottest) hangouts.  It gets pretty busy, but if you can't pack into the boiling wigwam (heated by a massive central BBQ) then you can spill out on to the attractive open air rooftop space.

It is almost identical to last year's popup with the addition of some Nordic inspired "Eastern Lights" visuals which are projected on to the interior and exterior of the wigwam. Hot drinks are still good value at £5.50 / £6 - sadly there was Pumpkin Spiced Cider left, but hot buttered rum and hot gin punch hit the spot.  Every day something different is cooked on the central BBQ, and the Crispy Pork Leg with Chestnut and Herb Stuffing smelled fantastic.  You can also get yourself 5 marshmallows for a pound to roast over the open fire.

The Wigwambam website has this mysterious message:

"If you have a keen eye, be prepared to unearth a discovery of your own elsewhere on the rooftop. Explorer, Arthur Lane has made his mark on the Queen of Hoxton and it’s up to you to tweet your findings for fellow pioneers to uncover too..."  

I'm pretty sure this amounts to free drinks tokens hidden around the tent - let me know if you find any!  The website also states that there are several "Drink and Do" events including spoon carving, pinhole photography, speed listening (?), pumpkin carving and origami workshops - check the Facebook site for details.  Even more exciting, you can hire the whole place out by sending an email to jennie@mothershipgroup.com

We resisted the crispy pork leg and made our way over to the Catch Bar at the Hoxton end of Kingsland Road.  Catch is a lively little bar which is making a name for itself with top food residencies.  All last year, Death by Burrito were in the house serving up contemporary Mexican street food alongside a Ryan Chetiyawardana (White Lyan) cocktail list.  Now the keys to the kitchen have been handed over to KERB regulars Kimchinary for at least 3 months, every Wednesday-Sunday.

Hanna Soderlund is the crafty chef behind Kimchinary and has brought her popular Korean / Mexican tacos and some exciting side dishes to Shoreditch.  Meanwhile Catch have put on a flavour paired drinks menu of Korean Soju and British Craft Beers.  We had to wait a few minutes for a table, so we started off with pints of the local Pressure Drop Pale Fire and resisted the urge not to belt out some of the wonderfully cheesy tunes that Catch were playing.

As soon as we were seated we got stuck into the tacos (£6 for two) which arrived almost as soon as we ordered them! Each one is a work of art but you won't be able to look at them for long without stuffing them in your face. We all went for different approaches for minimising mess but this is not a knives & forks meal. We started with Gojuchang Pulled Pork with apple & sesame coleslaw, house kimchi and chives.  This ended up being our favourite and the portions got bigger and bigger as we ordered more!   

Best looking taco of the night goes to the Buttermilk Fried Squid with celeriac & radicchio remoulade and kimchi guacamole - delicious.  

The "Bulgogi" Ox Cheek and Tongue taco with radish kimchi, blackened spring onion and horseradish wasn't as photogenic, but it was no less tasty.  Dukbokki was the standout side option - a sweet and spicy bowl of squishy gnocchi-esque Korean rice cakes with rainbow chard and rainbow shallots.  The Kimchi Chimichanga was also superb - don't be put off by the "mini burrito" description, the portion size is generous for a £4.50 side.

We washed all of Hanna's wonderful creations down with various craft beers, including the fine trio pictured above - Five Points Pale, Crate Golden Lager and Beavertown 8 Ball.  As it was a Friday night, many seemed to be just in for drinks but hopefully got peckish after a couple of beverages.  The food arrives so quickly that you can just keep ordering as you go.  The Catch Bar waitresses were very efficient and friendly, as was Hanna who we had a couple of chats with.  

Special mention has to go to one excellent member of Catch staff who was very helpful moving us around to different tables as our numbers expanded, and even did a little dance number for us to demonstrate that they were clearing space on the dance floor.  They certainly have some bizarre customers to deal with, including a couple who decided a busy bar was the best place to have sex, and a pushy pair who tried to nip in and sit on our table when we were standing over it.

Anyway, go and check out Kimchinary at Catch Bar (Wednesday-Sunday) as soon as you can - 3 months will fly by before you know it.  You can also find Hanna and her team at Kerb street food events.