HARDYS

#25 Duck and Dive

Wine Eaterie

Watch this Space. More to come. A bit later. In the Year.

SHRIMPY'S

The Modernist's Eating Hole

Yellow Sunshine Enamel Chairs

Canal, Waterway, Barge, Crane

Laid Back Comfort

All Hands On Deck

The Line Up.

Dog Art

Aperitif

As It Says On The Tin

Plantains, Chips And Dips

Peruvian Ceviche

Tuna Tostada

And The Kids Love It Here Too

The Prize Courier Delivery

Yes. That Really Is Two Whole Soft Shell Crabs

Batman & Robin, Tabasco & Crab, Gherkin & Bun

Off Piste Menu, Something Chocolatey Delicious

The Perfect Way To End The Night

#24  Two Dozen

Filling Up

What better place to be for the opening of Euro 2012 football tournament than far away from the television plasma screens and seated at the insanely hip retreat of Shrimpys - the latest place to hang and dine in London.

Opened just 3 weeks ago, Shrimpy's is tucked discreetly away on the site of the previously disused Filling Station; deep in the hub of the impressive Kings cross development, where notable architects of the 21st century have been given carte blanche to renovate this northern artery of London. With the imposing Guardian wave building, the Kings Cross Eurostar development and the new Central St Martins Art & Design school all on the door step, Shrimpy's is cleverly screened away alongside the peaceful Canal waterway.

In case you were wondering, there are no Shrimp farms in the canal.

With a substantial bright neon sign bearing the name 'Filling Station' it might seem unusual to describe Shrimpy's as hidden away, but the stark minimal exterior suggests this destination is for a clientele who know exactly where they are going. (Ok yes, this blogger did get lost on the first attempt.)

The space is designed by architects Carmody Groarke - who also designed the brilliant Bauhaus exhibition at the Barbican - and the restaurant is the latest venture of the owners of the East End hangout, 'Bistrotheque'. 

Inside the low hung modernist style bach, with translucent fibreglass screening to the open yard, you find a long manhattan bar, blue velvet banquettes, white linen tablecloths, silver ringed napkins and Donald Urquhart art scribed onto the walls.

The elegant buzz and white jacket service reminds the blogger of the timeless decorum of Harry's Bar in Florence. This is the sort of place you would find a mix of Erno Goldfinger, Woody Allen and Will.i.am deep in conversation poring over the cacti collection on Shrimpys uber long windowsill. 


Such an eclectic gathering you could only find in London.

The carefully curated combination of Mexican and Peruvian cuisine has the feeling of being inspired by 'my favourite bites'  jotted down inside Ernest Hemingway's diaries. Each plate is beautifully conceived and presented and tastes - to put it bluntly - amazing, supporting the consensus of opinion that London is now a serious and proven gastronomic global player.

The star of the show is the soft shell crab burger. This is innovation in a bun. Two tiny crabs with all 8 legs battered and stacked together like a deft high wire circus act. If this isn't enough excitement, the taste of the perfect thinly sliced gherkin will finish you off. It really is the pearly white gates to burger heaven.

Shrimpy's is all about fine dining with great service in a elevated design setting and for such a purist treat, it is priced correctly, with starters from £6.50 and main courses from £16.

Grab a cocktail as you lounge in the yellow sunshine enamel chairs and watch the stock of this star restaurant go shooting up into the night sky.


If you ever fancy filling up your tank with N1 gas, then this is definitely THE place to come.

Garden Cafe, Inner Circle, Regent's Park

Long Sleek Lines Of The Well Loved Tactile.

Bits And Bobs To Tuck Into

This Could Be Aotearoa!

The Perfect Simple Menu, Simply Set Out.

The Reason We All Come And Keep It A Secret. The Food.

Game, Set and Match!  Move over Belgo.

#23  A Duck and a Flea

Full Circle

Thank you so much for following my blog. On the 18 June, I will be celebrating completing 1 year of blogging, with an unknown meal with my side kick at an unknown favourite haunt. 

I find it amazing without a single attempt to advertise this blog - other than word of mouth between family and friends, it has generated an audience spanning 15 countries, with 1319 hits.

This does make me think a bit more about the content and wondering who is reading my drivel. Above all else, this is fun, unpressured and importantly a not for profit occupation to record thoughts and memories. Documenting the places and companions who shared the pleasure of discovering a favourite place to eat a meal.

A lucky sibling will soon be going to noodle heaven in Malaysia. This kind of intrepid exploring across continents, in search of the perfect breakfast bowl of noodles inspires me to keep this blog going.

Yesterday the blogger found himself passing through New Zealand House in Haymarket to view the incredible Te Pouihi carved by the equally incredible Inia te Wiata. Not only was Inia a incredible Opera singer he was also an incredible wood carver.

Pop your audio sound on and have a cup of tea, watching this amazing video:

Inia's 7 year day job.

I then passed by the Chinese Embassy on Portland Place and having watched the dedicated sitter for over 12 years, decided to take a closer look and understand the reason for this silent protest. 

This led me to Falun Gong and to learn of the terrible social injustice in China forced upon a peaceful movement that had no other aim but to improve health, vitality and inner peace for all.

Pondering all of this, and the other economic woes in the world, such as the financial meltdown in Europe and the worrying lack of Bees and Butterflies in our natural landscape, I found myself passing the same piece of nature in London's inner sanctum, which had started me off on this blog trail, exactly 12 months ago.

The Garden Cafe in Regents Park's inner circle remains a favourite destination, though I fear the Olympic hoards might flood heavy footed over its quiet, dignified, elegant oasis.

The menu is so simple, perfect for summer with fresh ingredients and so impressively  priced at only £14.75 for 2 courses. And this is central London folks and nestled into a beautiful open park, it is a wonder there aren't queues winding all the way back to Stratford. Of course the beauty of its quiet remote destination is London's quick fill city brigade couldn't be bothered trekking there.

I ordered as a starter, Smoked Chicken Aioli & Gem Lettuce salad and it was a gem of a dish. For the main course a lovely bowl of Moules Marinieres with a side accompaniment of quite honestly the most delicious chips I think I have ever tasted. Their brown skins still snug on their backs for an earthy, healthier guise.

For refreshment I was given a very large jug of free tap water with a slice of lemon. Bingo.

I do love this place and sitting inside and away from the throngs seated outside (well 20 people), with a lovely view through large glass panes of 'toi toi' swaying in the distance, bosomed by large London Plane trees, it gave a distinct feeling of being in Aotearoa. A country well versed in the luxury of dining close to nature.

Perhaps on this occasion the team 'waiting on' were a tad slow on the attention to service, though I was so relaxed I didn't care and the chefs skilfully balanced this baton exchange by being faster than Usain Bolt.

So Full Circle it is, as I circumnavigate this edible journey and long may it continue.

VILLA BIANCA

'And we call it Bella Notte'

Summer Lovin' Had Me A Blast

I Met A Boy Crazy For Me

I Met A Girl Cute As Can Be

We Made Out Till Ten O'Clock

She Was Good....You Know What I Mean

Tell Me More, Tell Me More, 
How Much Dough Did He Spend ?

#22  Two little Ducks

Ciao Bella

If you and your beau should ever fancy recreating the intimate al fresco scene from Lady and the Tramp (Bella Notte) with-the-best-spaghetti-in-town, there are few destinations in London to match 'Villa Bianca' on a clear warm spring night. Nestled in leafy Hampstead on a quiet cobble stone alley, the traditional maitre d' welcomes you in with the traditional ambient Roman smile, donning his crisp white two button Corleone jacket. Those who have dined at 'Diana' in Bologna will know the idea....

In a blink of an eye your table is effortlessly covered in tasty bits and bobs with VB's courtesy amuse-bouche. A cerebral sense of cluttered contentment washes over, with live music playing indoors aiding the sense of an old timers twinkling romance.

Long fingered grissini sticks, marinated olives tucked into pastry puffs and freshly baked focaccia bread with sicilian olive oil, are prominent heavyweights featuring in the relaxed chit chat and gratuitous grazing thing. From the comfort of prize ringside al fresco seats, we ordered 'Antipasti', the house speciality  of tempura battered fresh squid, accompanied by the chef's tartar sauce. 

Navigating around the temptations of a 'Primi Piatti' (to avoid rolling one another home), we headed straight to the 'Secondi Piatti', sharing the delicious home made Tagliatelle with wild Porcini Mushrooms and cream and the Grilled Sardines with garlic, rosemary, olive oil and lemon. When ingredients are as fresh and simply garnished as this, there is nothing better to tickle your taste-buds.

Unbeknown to the blogger we were hobnobbing with the stars and entertained by a vocal running commentary from our neighbouring table, featuring an elderly Warren Mitchell aka Alf Garnett, directing his chauffeur driven car up the alley from 60 paces.  Who said the PC brigade have taken over ?

Villa Bianca

BLANDFORD'S

Cabbie's Delight

'Two eggs, and a slice of toast darling'.

Keeping it Simple

Bench Warmer

His and Hers

Wooden Bench Booths

A Lady Comes Around

A bow for Blandford's

# 21  Key Of The Door

Taxi Haven

This north Marylebone institution has witnessed a few scoops, chronicles and celebs in it's time. Plus a few high ranking taxi cabbies. A daily commute of continuous traffic plods and meanders its way to Blandford's doorstep, covering all cultures and generating a gentle stream of constantly busy, without punters feeling poked or rushed. You could hang out in here all day, do your laundry, mend a radio and bake a cake and nobody would bat an eyelid.

Blandford's is one of those places you discover by chance and keep close to your chest. London's underbelly bubbling away in all its glory. It's a conversation listener sort of a place, that any script writer worth her salt would sponge dry.

Unlike most places of a greasy spoon genre, Blandford's isn't seedy or preferential and has an elegance in its manoeuvres. The wooden furniture, tables and benches are worn into place and provide a golden hue and timeless attitude. The long french cafe curtain wraps up the ambience, allowing a sense of place and secret escape. It also keeps the cold out when your inner icicles are popping a cog.

For those partial to mechanically recovered meat, this is sausage fry up heaven. Seriously good comfort eating. It might not appear at your table foaming with liquid nitrogen or warrant attendance at the Soho Food Feast but get off the grass, who cares ?

Who can be bothered banging on about sourdough and spelt when you can have processed plain white pre-sliced supermarket bread for your toast. They could even fry up Tongue-in-cheek.

There is no such thing as a flawed meal, moreover a welcome retreat from highfalutin, 'menu degustation' grandiloquence. Gordon, Fergus, Heston, sling your puffed-up butchers hooks. 

Blandford's was doing its worst while other recent cool cafe cubs were still doing wedgies on the Brit Cuisine trail.

No. There's nothing bland about Blandford's.