M’s Peeps

Last weekend we entertained some of M’s friends and family who were visiting from T&T and CA.

Dining with VM at Sofra

Tonight we had a Turkish dinner with VM in Shepherd’s Market. It’s hard to believe that over a year ago he was the first friend from home we saw after moving to London…

Welcoming AB to London

Almost a year ago today, AB visited us in London.  Today, however, is her first day living in London, hew new home.  We took her and AS, her boyfriend, to Saharween for Moroccan food.

JR’s Photography

Last night we had dinner with JD and her photographer husband, JR. All of his photos were recently sold at a hoity-toity Union League Club of Chicago auction. Check out his work at…

http://www.invisibleinstitute.com/reblando/

Food Review: Khan’s Restaurant

Today we had the opportunity to show my uncle around London in return for his hosting us in Copenhagen last summer.  After a wonderful meal at Khan’s Restaurant near Hyde Park (chicken corma, naan, sag paneer, bhindi bhaji and mutton biryani), we took the Jack the Ripper walking tour. I now know more about the serial murderer than I ever cared to know!

Athenaeum

Tonight we dined at our favorite Turkish restaurant, Sofra in Shepherd’s Market, with colleagues from the NYC office before concluding the night at the Athenaeum Hotel Bar across the street from Green Park.

JD in Saharaween

Last night we had dinner with JD, a creative writing professor of mine from my days at uni. It occured to me that we’ve known each other for eight years– no wonder college feels like it was a different world. JD is researching Renaissance poetry in the British Library, but hopefully I can steal her away from their special collections while she’s in London.

Food Review: St. James’s Restaurant at Fortnum & Mason

Yesterday RH and I had a “proper” ladies British luncheon at the St. James’s Restaurant in Fortnum & Mason. Fellow patrons spoke in hushed tones, and the staff quietly yet efficiently waited on us, a stark contrast to the three floors below us filled with borderline neurotic shoppers loading their shopping baskets with Winter Sales items. We toasted to RH’s returning home to NZ after four years of working with traders at an American IB followed by a meal from the restaurant’s Winter Luncheon Menu. The smoked salmon was moist and shiny and for my main I had the smoked haddock with a poached rare breed egg and grain mustard beurre blanc. The dish was as impressive as its description on the menu.

Le Boudin Blanc

After celebrating the completion of my degree with my parents and brother as well as a former prof from my undergraduate days, this weekend M and I celebrated together by having dinner at Le Boudin Blanc, a French restaurant in Shepherd’s Market, one of our favorite little neighborhoods in London. Le Boudin Blanc is small and cozy– the walls are wood paneled and the furniture is rustic (somewhat shaky wooden chairs and tables) that create a casual backdrop for exceptional cuisine. For starters we shared the cold chalosse foie gras with dried fruit terrine and warm wild mushroom with truffle cream risotto. The sweet figs brilliantly flavored the foie gras, and the mushroom risotto was exceptionally creamy, even better than its counterpart in NYC’s Churrascaria Plataforma. For our mains we ordered the confit leg of duck with lentils and lamb shoulder, ragout of white coco beans & wild mushrooms. The lentils accompanying the duck were a respectable side. Le Boudin Blanc’s lamb was likewise a solid dish although we couldn’t help comparing it to a similar dish we had at Mirabelle which has set the standard for French cooking in London. Of course, recently re-reading AB’s Kitchen Confidential has made me an even harsher critic when it comes to fine French dining.

Momo

Friday we had an expats get-together at Momo Bar on Heddon Street off of Regent Street. Momo Bar is a great Middle Eastern restaurant with outdoor seating located in a pedestrian-only area away from central London’s congested streets. We loved their wraps and fruity drinks.