Time for three overdue pre-Christmas treats, starting with Chef Ollie Templeton's fabulous feast at Carousel.
Ollie is one of several talented Templetons behind the marvellous merry-go-round that is Carousel, and every now and then he gets to let loose after months of working closely with an eclectic collection of talented chefs. Just before Christmas, he took over the kitchen for three weeks and served up an exciting menu in beautiful surroundings.
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| One of my favourite London dining rooms |
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| Pre-dinner drinks at Carousel's bar - Will You Be My Clementine Goose? |
After a festively spiced clementine cocktail at the bar, we settled down for dinner at one of their stunning long tables. As a bonus, sommelier Matt was pairing our eats with unfamiliar natural wines, starting with Quierciole, Ca' de Noci (2013), a bottled fermented number from Emilia Romagna. This accompanied some moreish but dangerously filling bread and olive oil.
Then came four interesting small bites:
- Grilled Jerusalem Artichokes with Lemon Purée and Sorrel
- Tempura Brussels Sprouts with Mushroom Soy
- Pickled Sardines on Toast with Coriander
- Grilled Shallots on Homemade Manchego Crackers brushed with Butter & Spices
Citrus and butter made several strong appearances throughout the meal. To drink with our starters, a bottle of Anfora Bianco, Lammidia (2014), fermented and aged in clay pots (amphora), divided the table. A summer spent appreciating wild beers on the West Coast of USA meant that I was less surprised by the style.
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| Grilled Jerusalem artichokes with lemon purée and sorrel |
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| Pickled sardines on toast with coriander |
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| Grilled shallots on homemade manchego crackers brushed with butter & spices |
A highlight was a glorious plate of Hokkaido Pumpkin with fish roe, dulse, pistachios and preserved lemon. My Japanese dining companion gave me a quick run down of the differences between squashes of the Hokkaido and Kabocha variety. I'll leave you to have a rummage through Google. Ours was grown in Essex, not quite as romantic as one might hope, but probably more practical.
A glass of Miss Terre, Domaine de la Sénéchalière - a Muscadet from South Britanny - went down very nicely indeed.
A glass of Miss Terre, Domaine de la Sénéchalière - a Muscadet from South Britanny - went down very nicely indeed.
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| Hokkaido pumpkin, fish roe, dulse, preserved lemon and pistachios |
My favourite tipple of the night though was the Lady Chasselas, Mylène Bru (2014), a white wine made from wild vines with a nose reminiscent of Cantillon. D.H.Lawrence also sprang to mind. This partnered an interesting plate of Cod, Salsify & Bergamot with cod skin, dehydrated miso, and cavolo nero.
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| Lady Chasselas, Mylène Bru (2014) |
An extra course of Grilled Beef Rib, Charred Calcots and Fino Mayonnaise was a real treat. Most beef comes from 12-16 month old cows, but the stuff on our plate was from some wise old 5-6 year olds, and the depth of flavour was magnificent.
Also a hit were the calcots - Catalonian spring onions of sorts. I fully intend to get to Tarragona one day for the Calcotada, the annual harvest festival where "they are grilled over a hot fire, wrapped up in newspaper, served on terra cotta tiles, and eaten, after peeling with bare hands, by dipping them one by one in romesco sauce". Yes please.
To drink, Le Temps Retrouvé Mourvèdre (2013) was the perfect farmy accompaniment - a red wine with more than a whiff of blue cheese about it.
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| Grilled Beef Rib, Charred Calcots, Fino Mayonnaise |
To finish, we were presented with a plate of Clementine and Buttermilk - or rather, buttermilk ice cream, clementine granita and a cleverly crafted buttermilk biscuit crumb, neatly bookending the meal with palate cleansing citrus.
There was of course a final wine pairing too, Chinati Vergano's "Luli" (2015), a white chinato based on Moscato d'Asti from the Beras apparently. It's a lovely drop, but if you looking to buy me a present (hint hint : birthday is pretty soon), I'd rather have a bottle of their absurdly delicious Americano aperitif that I fell in love with at Original Sin a year or so ago. Thanks.
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| Clementine & Buttermilk |
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| Clementine & Buttermilk |
All in all, a fantastic evening of food and booze. Despite having only been to Carousel twice, it feels like home, and I look forward to many more meals there in the future. Speaking of which, here's what's coming up soon...
23rd-27th February - Olia Hercules - After her unforgettable ‘Wild East’ residency last summer, Olia is back with a Caucasian bang, introducing us to the joys of a traditional Georgian supra (literally, ‘table cloth’).
In Olia’s own words, “The supra is a f****ing feast - they have a special toastmaster called tamada and it’s basically a 24 hour food and wine party with a sh*t load of toasting and polyphonic singing. It’s so amazing I actually considered moving to Tbilisi when I was there in October. Then I came back to London and came back to my senses.” Georgia’s loss is our gain…
Olia’s Carousel menu - “mainly Georgian with pan-Caucasian and European twists” - will be paired with natural Georgian wines and wild beers. The perfect accompaniment to knockout, seasonal dishes like dyushbara, kharcho and tkhemali.
1st-12th March - Rimpei Yoshikawa - With its neon lights, bustling crowds and relentless traffic, Shibuya, Tokyo, isn’t the most obvious place to find a laid back French bistro. But that’s the charm of Pignon, Rimpei Yoshikawa’s bohemian neighbourhood eatery specialising in soulful everyday dishes inspired by his travels through France and Morocco.
Yoshikawa bid adieu to Tokyo’s fine dining scene and took himself off to Bordeaux five years ago for a change of scenery. It was there that he found his true calling, abandoning haute cuisine and adopting the simpler pleasures of the region’s hearty home-cooking like his own.
The result? One of Tokyo’s most talked about restaurants and an ever-changing tour de force of surprising and delightful creations like Confit Aromatic Duck with Kinkan and Cumin, his signature Guacamole (coarse-mashed avocado seasoned with lime and jalapeño, topped with thinly sliced octopus and garnished with red onion, tomato and coriander) and his beloved Merguez Sausages with house-made Harissa and Couscous.
Yoshikawa continues to broaden his horizons, following up a recent co-residency with Beard’s Shin Harakawa at iconic Californian restaurant Chez Panisse with his upcoming trip to Carousel, a first appearance in London for Rimpei and one that’s not to be missed.
P.S. Don't forget that you can also book in for a very affordable Lunch by Carousel from 12pm-3pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Walk ins are also welcome.
Carousel - www.carousel-london.com
71 Blandford Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 8AB
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Now for some photos from a boozy, risqué evening at Three Six Six cocktail bar on St.John’s Hill. Ella and I went down to try out some pretty outlandish and entertaining cocktails from their Fantasy & Fetish menu that is only served from Sunday to Thursday.
As you can see below, there are some ridiculous props involved. It’s all very playful, and a great source of conversation provided that you’ve brought the right person along! Go easy on the viagra tonic.
Highlights include:
- Moorish Nights - A beautifully presented cocktail with a yellow pepper savoury edge that emerged from a smoking chamber
- Frijoles Negros - A very drinkable passion fruit number that also involved black bean syrup and popcorn infused Jim Beam, ingeniously served in a plant pot, soil and all.
- Golden Shower - I won’t give too much away… let’s just say that umbrellas are provided.
Owner Eduardo de la Mora is a wonderful host and he makes a mean drink. If nothing on the bonkers Fantasy & Fetish list takes your fancy, there’s also an extensive regular menu smartly split into categories such as Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter, Organic and Umami.
Best of all, there's a section dedicated to Negronis. Eduardo’s Negroni featuring Ilegal Mezcal, Cynar and Campari is a treat for bitter enthusiasts, whilst the Colombian Negroni infuses Aperol with coffee beans. A return visit is required for a thorough investigation...
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| Colombian Negroni - Coffee beans infused Aperol, Colombian Dictador Aged Gin, Lille Rose & OLG Campari Tincture |
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| Eduardo's Negroni - Ilegal Mezcal, Cynar, Campari, Hibiscus Tincture, Lemon, Artichoke |
Three Six Six - www.threesixsix.co.uk
126 St.John's Hill, Battersea, SW11 1SL
Fantasy & Festish menu - Sunday-Thursday only
N.B. There is another Three Six Six in Earlsfield with the same drinks menu
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Whilst we're in Battersea, I'll finish up by drawing your attention to one of my favourite local eateries, Flour To The People.
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| See more brunch photos on Matt The Flickr |
Having established themselves as a sourdough bakery and brunch spot early last year (with see-through toasters on every table!), they finally launched an evening sourdough pizza menu in December. They also recently had a rethink about the space and it looks better than ever.
£7.75 will get you a fine example of the Margherita genre with a pleasing bite to it. I chucked some rocket on for good measure. Other winners include the £12 Calzone with ricotta and salami dolce, and a £9.90 English Breakfast Pizza with smoked bacon and egg. We washed them down with local Sambrooks beers that were brewed about 500 metres away. N.B. If you live close enough, you can order their pizzas through Deliveroo if you are feeling lazy! We've already caved several times...
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| Margherita with Rocket at Flour To The People |
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| Calzone with Ricotta and Salami Dolce at Flour To The People |
To finish, their £8 dessert pizza with Nocciolata Crema Di Cacao E Nocciole (translation : posh nutella) is a worthwhile treat, and easily stretches to four people.
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| Quarter of a dessert pizza with posh nutella and vanilla ice cream |
Flour To The People - www.flour2people.com
573 Battersea Park Road, Battersea, SW11 3BJ
Pizzas served from 5pm-10pm, 7 days a week
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London's pizza scene is going from strength to strength at the moment, and most of the new wave are keeping their prices nice and low, earning them a place on London Cheap Eats. Look out for Theo's, Made of Dough, Bona, Bravi Ragazzi, Sacra Cuore, 400 Rabbits and many more in the suburbs.
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| Theo's in Camberwell |
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| Made of Dough in Brixton |
