Fast Food Brussels

So, I went to Brussels last week! Which you would have known if you bothered to follow me on Instagram (or 'Instant-gram', as the Manbacon calls it). It ain't all fine-dining in fancy restaurants when I'm on holiday...sometimes I get to eat some fast food too. 

The interior at Exki in Porte de Namur

Exki is a Belgian chain in the vein of Pret a Manger/Itsu, and they seem to be everywhere in Brussels. We went to the branch in Porte de Namur, because we needed to calm down after a visit to the Dino Museum where we were surrounded by rowdy toddlers.

The food is precisely what you'd expect from such places - clean-looking, supposedly healthy sandwiches, pastas, noodle dishes, soups and drinks. Their staff are cheery and wholesome-looking, and the dining room upstairs was bright, airy, and warm, with a mix of Ikea-style and random 'vintage' furniture. All very clean, as you'd expect. It made me feel a little like I should have wiped my battered plimsolls on the mat before entering. They also provide complimentary Wifi, so you can grab a couple of drinks and while away an afternoon if you're so inclined.

Manbacon went for a roast chicken sandwich from the refrigerated section - probably not the best choice on a blustery cold Brussels afternoon. So it wasn't much of a surprise when he said he didn't think much of it. The single bite I made tasted rather...indistinct, and certainly didn't make me want to have more. In fact, I'd initially assumed the beige, insipid-tasting meat was some sort of turkey, until informed otherwise. My quiche, on the other hand, was pleasantly warm and had generous portions of bacon and ham in it. What else can I say about it? It was a salty warm quiche, I had no complains.

Exki (locations all around Brussels)

Bacon, ham and cheese quiche

Phillipa - roast chicken sandwich with a carrot and ginger emulsion, salad and olive oil dressing

Hector on De Brouckere

How could we resist the bright lights of Hector? It seemed so out of place, a fried chicken joint right beside our fancypants hotel. We'd been burning through episodes of Breaking Bad, and if you've seen it, you'll know that a fried chicken restaurant is almost a major character in the series. Part of us really, REALLY wanted to meet a Belgian Gus Fring and maybe uncover a major meth business. The other parts just wanted to sit in a warm place and indulge in some fried chicken.

Unfortunately, Gus didn't seem to be at work the day we were there. We relayed our orders to the two guys industriously frying up coated chicken pieces, then took a tray and slid it towards the cashier, stopping to help ourselves to drinks and sauces ('Samourai' and 'Andalouse'). The experience was reminiscent of school lunchtimes. 

No. 3 - Wings, chips and coleslaw

And the fried chicken? Not bad...but not up there with my current favourite fried chicken place - Chicken Inn on Rye Lane. The wings were juicy enough, although rather unevenly crispy. There certainly wasn't a pleasurable shattering of batter when I bit into it. Still, it's a stack of hot fried chicken and chips, so who am I to complain? Also a side of coleslaw and requisite limp lettuce leaf, for the, y'know, vitamins and that. No blue meth on the side. 

Hector (locations all around Brussels)

No. 4 - Chicken tenders, chips and coleslaw

La Table de Anges

Last night in Paris, and we were hoping for a great meal with end the trip with a bang. Trouble was, we'd left it until pretty late in the evening, and so decided an amble down Rue des Martyrs might turn up something. First impressions weren't too promising though, as most of the shops were shut. Just as we were about to give up and get a kebab from one of the many kebabs shops on Boulevard Clichy, we spotted a welcoming glow from La Table des Anges. Upon entering, we were greeted with a hearty 'Bonsoir!' and asked if we had a reservation. The place was heaving, and for a moment I thought we might have to resume our search for food. Fotunately, the friendly waiter asked us to wait, and in a couple of minutes, we were ushered to a little table between two large, boisterous groups. 

Complimentary plate of shaved ham

So, you're probably used to getting complimentary baskets of bread from restaurants. Well, this place went one better, and presented us with free ham! I don't even know even words to express how awesome that is, especially when it's freshly shaved, paper-thin, fluffy and just the right amount of salty. I didn't think to ask what kind of jambon it was, but there was a whole hunk of it in the corner of the restaurant, sitting on top of an industrial-looking meat-shaver machine (I don't actually know what those machines are called?). 

White asparagus and salad

We didn't have to wait to long for our starters to arrive. Manbacon's white asparagus was simply steamed, and topped with a fresh salad. The creamy-yellow spears were buttery soft, and a far cry from the limp disappointments you get in those supermarket tins. A great example of 'less is more' when it comes to good, fresh produce. 

My lobster bisque was surprisingly large - that bowl in the picture was as big as my face, and filled to the brim. In some poncy restaurants that would have been a rather pricey main course. Anyway, not a bad thing, since I was starving. The soup itself had a velvety texture, accompanied by a lovely marine taste from the shellfish. Like eating sea velvet. And then, of course, a generous parcel of ravioli at the bottom, plump and covered in a beautifully thin, almost translucent dough. I took my time with the soup so I could savour the taste as long as possible. 

Lobster bisque with crayfish ravioli

Alas, it wasn't a bottomless bowl of soup, so I eventually finished it rather than have it go cold. Because we'd had such a good experience with duck the night before, we both decided to chance it and ordered the duck again.

Magret de canard with potatoes and warm salad

The friendly waiter had asked how we wanted our duck cooked, to which we both replied 'pink'. Because overcooked duck is a culinary sin. If last night's dish was good, this was mindblowing! It came perfectly pink and juicy, with lightly seared skin and a (un)healthy layer of fat inbetween. Perfectly cooked duck like this is the reason I find it impossible for me to go vego. The dish came with a light, warm salad of shredded courgettes, carrots and mushrooms, which reminded me of those shredded salads you get in banh mi and Vietnamese noodle dishes. The only bit I didn't enjoy were the potatoes - just a bit too dry, and nowhere as fantastic as the dauphinoise I enjoyed the night before. 

No dessert, as even my dessert stomach was filled. However, the friendly barman did charm us into having a digestif, and chose a light, apple flavoured liqueur for me to try. Manbacon reckoned it was 'too girly' for his tastebuds (he had cognac instead), but I enjoyed it. Fully sated, we managed to exchange a few words in broken French and English with the lovely staff, and promised we would return the next time we were in Paris. Soon, I hope...

La Table de Anges

66 Rue des Martyrs

75009, Paris

France

Chez Pommette

On our third night in Paris, Manbacon and I decided to try out Chez Pommette, a little restaurant we'd seen the day before while exploring Montmartre. The red exterior and handwritten menu on blackboards made the place seem warm and inviting. However, a glance through the window showed only two people (a rather stern-faced middle-aged couple) in the restaurant, even though it was dinner time and other eateries nearby were packed. A bad meal at home is unpleasant but easily brushed off, but a bad meal on holiday, when you have so little time to try out all that a city has to offer, can feel devastating. I wasted stomach space on this? Still, it was getting late, and we were starving, so we entered with a little bit of trepidation...and received a warm welcome from the only waiter in the place, who told us to seat ourselves wherever we wanted. 

Carrot veloute (it's what fancy people call soup)

I was craving duck, but a perusal of the menu showed no such meat on offer...until the waiter set the specials board down, and there it was, the magic word - canard. 

We started with the carrot veloute - thick, rich and velvety, a world apart from lacklustre Tetrapack supermarket soups. It was intensely moreish, and went very nicely with the complimentary basket of crusty baguette slices on the side. I was trying very hard not to lick the bowl when I got to the bottom!

Duck breast with potato dauphinoise

Next up, the main event - a glistening magret de canard served with a rectangle of potato dauphinoise. We asked for the duck to be served pink, and it came out beautifully so, with the skin seared til crispy and a little layer of fat beneath it. It came with a sauce made with some little dark berries - not quite sure what they were exactly, juniper or sloe, maybe - the tartness of the berries helped lift the meatiness of the duck breast. Oh, and I'm pretty sure dauphinoise is my favourite way of eating potatoes (yes, even more than chips). This particular example was especially memorable, with the potatoes sliced thinly and evenly coated  with creamy goodness. We'd be eating them every other day if I wasn't so lazy. 

Ile flottante 

We were both completely stuffed, but there was dessert to be had. I love ile flottante, and it's easy enough to make, but it's just never really occurred to me to make it at home for a fancy dessert. Anyway, this version was slightly marred by the ratio of meringue to custard. Too big a blob of meringue (also a bit too toothachingly sweet), sitting in a sad, shadow little pool of custard. More iceberg in a puddle than the delicate floating islands they are meant to be. Please sir...I want some more (custard). 

Still, that wasn't enough to destroy what was overall a very enjoyable meal. One more thing - our little tip seemed to please the waiter inordinately. He smiled and waved to us so enthusiastically as we were walking out that I thought his hand might start a hurricane all on it's own. For a moment there, I thought I might have  accidentally left him a €50 note. Maybe he's just always this happy when customers leave the restaurant? Will you let me know if you happen to eat there too?

Chez Pommette

86 Rue Lepic

75018 Paris

France

Burger and Lobster

Burger or lobster? With only two (well, three actually - the lobster also comes in the form of a lobster roll) items on the menu, even the most indecisive diner should take no more than 10 minutes to decide on their dinner. You'll probably spend at least that much time waiting in line anyway (the Soho branch only takes reservations for groups of 6 or more, and we only had 4 in our party that night). 

Once in, we were greeted by a supermodel-attractive hostess, who pointed us to a bar staffed by more frighteningly-attractive people. We ordered some cocktails and waited for a table. In contrast to the succinct  food menu, the drinks menu offered a positively novel-like two pages of beer, wine and cocktails. I didn't write down what we got though, and as it was a few weeks ago, I can't actually remember. It was peachy and pretty strong though. Anyway, when you go to a place called 'Burger and Lobster', you're hardly likely to be there for the drinks, are you?

And there you have it, the main event. If you're wondering why there are no photos of the burgers, it's because none of us ordered it. Three of us ordered the grilled lobster, and one had a pizza before coming to join us so spent the whole dinner drinking beer. In fact, on the way to our table, we had a sneaky peek at the other diners, and couldn't see one burger in the whole dining room. I guess the answer to my opening question would have to be a resounding 'LOBSTER!' that night. 

While our party opted for the messy delight of a whole lobster, quite a number of diners seemed to prefer the neater option of a lobster roll, with the meat conveniently picked out and mixed with mayo, then placed in a bun. Our lobsters came on a huge platter, with a heap of salad on the side, as well as hot chips and a garlicky butter sauce perfect for dunking the lobster in. And the lobster itself? Perhaps surprisingly (I wasn't hoping for much given it was only £20 for a lobster and sides), it was delightfully sweet and succulent, with a wonderful firmness to it. The other guys did well by finishing up everything on their plate, but I let the side down as usual by leaving half of my chips and a bit of the salad. No dessert for me, obviously...

However, if you feel like you have some room left for dessert after devouring the monster from the depths, hail one of the (obviously goodlooking) waiters and ask them for some ice cream. We didn't have any, but the couple beside us seemed to be more than pleased with theirs. 

Burger and Lobster

36 Dean Street

Soho, London

W1D 4PS

One Night In Paris (Part Deux)

Sorry to inundate you with more Paris photos, but well...maybe I'm not really sorry! It is impossible to go to Paris and not want to take a gazillion photos. And yes, of course gazillion is a proper number. The photo above was taken on the steps just outside the Sacre Coeur - there's a platform where you can see almost all of Paris. 

We also had escargots - it probably isn't to everyone's taste, but Shad and I loved it so we were looking forward to it all day. These ones were pretty good, served with lots of herby garlic butter and not overcooked. They came with some fancy forks and special escargot tongs, and we had to concentrate on handling the tongs to avoid a repeat of that scene in Pretty Woman. You know the one...she's in a fancy restaurant and has to use the tongs to pick up her snails and her dinner ends up flying off into a waiter's face. We were both too hungry to remember the name of the restaurant, but there are plenty of places around Montmartre serving them up if you want to have a go.

Shad and I also paid a visit to Shakespeare and Company - it's a haven for bibliophiles, and has been visited by writers including William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Henry Miller. There is an antiquarian section, as well as a lending library and some boxes outside containing a selection of curiosities you never knew you needed. 

One night is Paris simply isn't enough...

Wild Honey

December involved quite a bit of eating out - which is fine by me because it means I leave the washing up to others. Manbacon and I decided to head for a restorative meal at Wild Honey instead of battling other elbows at the post-Christmas sales. The dining room, hidden behind a set of billowing (and slightly confusing) red velvet drapes, was satisfyingly calm. 

I don't drink much alcohol, but since it was the holidays, I decided to go a wild and order a cocktail. I know, how crazy. I don't remember what it was called, but it had peach nectar and a rosemary spring in it, and was rather refreshing. 

Starter  - steak tartare

To keep things simple (and because I take an age to decide on what to order), we both went for the Working Lunch set - a really good deal at £27 for 3 courses. We were also given a choice of bread and a pat of butter to tide us over before the food came. Our starter of steak tartare was just the right size and served with a lovely, unctuous orange egg yolk. I love a good egg yolk...

Salmon with broccoli  and sea lettuce (I think?)

The salmon came served on a hefty, earthy, pottery plate which I was very tempted to try and ferret away with me. You can never have too many nice plates (even if you have to keep some of them under the bed because there isn't any more space on your kitchen shelves). The fish itself was perfectly cooked - so tender and succulent that I didn't even need a knife. One of my chief gripes with salmon is that so many people and places tend to cook it to death - really, there's no need to stick a tiny piece like that in the oven for 20 minutes, that's just over the top! Anyway, this was cooked exactly the way I would have wished, and the veggies on the side helped provide a lovely crunchy element. Manbacon made a wisecrack about the foamy bit being 'saliva' (haha, hilarious...) but it was rather tasty and surprisingly rich. And not at saliva at all.

Classic custard tart

You get to choose between a cheese course or a dessert. The cheese that day was Comte, which, although tasty, wasn't the most exciting choice, so we both went for the custard tart. I had already unfairly dismissed it as a boring, stodgy pudding, but I am a bit of an idiot sometimes. It was amazing!  I don't know how they kept the custardy bit so light and soft, yet managed such a sharp, neat cut. The custard was smooth and almost runny, yet kept it's shape perfectly. I'm going to have to make a bunch of custard tarts in the near future so I can try to replicate it. Who wants to be a taster?

Wild Honey

12 St. George Street

London, W1S 2 FB

Duck and Waffle

Happy New Year, peeps! Now that the festivities are over and we're back to our usual (grumpy) selves, let's rewind back a few weeks to the Friday before Christmas, when I met up with the Bake Club crew for an apocalyptic meal at Duck and Waffle. We decided on the venue purely because of it's status as London's highest restaurant - a good view of the proceedings is necessary if you're watching the world end.

Getting up to the venue was akin to being in a SuperMario game - first you have to get past the scary dragon (a Jonathan Ross-alike doorman without the rhotacism but armed with an enormous clipboard), then board the lift for the flight up to the 40th floor (rather exciting and earpopping), then get looked up and down by a black-clad, sylph-like figure, before finding your way through the labyrinth (of tables and much too cool and shiny diners) and finally ending up at the table where the rest of your motley crew awaits. Don't forget to collect your mushrooms on the way!

Spicy ox-cheek doughnut with apricot jam

Raw scallop with apple, lime and black truffle

Carlingford rock oysters served with lemon, Tabasco sauce and red wine vinaigrette 

Rosemary and garlic bread

Let us start with the starters. We were intrigued by the ox-cheek doughnut, which isn't something you see on menus everywhere. I don't remember much about the taste of the meat itself, except that it was tender and went very well with the sweet jam. I must try and seek out ox-cheek more often. The sliced scallop came beautifully presented on a block of pink Himalayan salt. However, the apple that came with the scallop was bland and had the texture of styrofoam. Styrofoam - good for finishing up school projects, not so much for eating. Fotunately, the generously-sized oysters helped redeem the seafood section's pride. Bread...I don't remember much about you, except that you looked like a focaccia and was nicely chewy.

Cornish fish stew - fish of the day with baby vegetables

Angus burger with Gruyere, onion jam and chips

I didn't taste the Angus burger, although the general reception from the others seemed to have been positive, so if you're the type who goes for burgers, go for it. It's probably a good choice. The fish stew was the priciest item on the menu, but was bountifully filled with fish and vegetables. I intend to revisit the place just so I can order it and have it all to myself.

Duck and waffle - confit of duck leg, waffle, duck egg and maple syrup

And now to the eponymous duck and waffle dish - a confit of duck leg, served with a waffle, fried sunny side  up duck egg, and ranekin of maple syrup. The skin was salty and crispy, just the way I like it. However, my enthusiasm was slightly dampened when I discovered the meat wasn't fall-off-the-bone tender. In fact, a knife had to be used to encourage it off the bone! (I know...how devastating.) My preference is towards a fork-tender confit - it means much less work for the lazy and is also much easier to handle for the clumsy. The egg was perfectly cooked though, and went nicely with the waffle and maple syrup. I've actually been thinking of getting myself a waffle iron after that meal, just so I can breakfast on fried eggs and maple syrup. It seems like it might be just the right meal for lazy weekend mornings.

Also, here's a view of the kitchen if you fancy that sort of stuff. Their waitstaff are generally on the goodlooking end of the spectrum, if that sort of thing interests you. You eat with your eyes, and all that...

Duck and Waffle

Heron Tower

110 Bishopsgate

London EC2N 4AY

English's Of Brighton

A visit to Brighton isn't complete without some seafood, and we certainly indulged in our fair share while there. Manbacon and I had made a reservation for a table at English's of Brighton, but on a wintry Sunday night, there was more than enough space. We were one of only four couples dining at the restaurant that night (and the only ones under 35!). 

The cosy dining room has a lovely fin de siecle feel to it, with it's many mirrors and Toulouse-Lautrec-style paintings on the walls. It gets much narrower at the back, with red velvet banquettes lining the walls, and narrow little tables in front. The space is so tiny that guests have to sit side-by-side instead of facing each other. It was comfortable enough while we were there, with one other couple sitting diagonally across us (the table on the left in the photo above). However, I imagine it would get terribly claustrophobic on busy days, and you'd be trying to eat with someone else's elbow wedged into your shoulder.

Starter of brown bread, butter and mackerel pate

We started with a small basket of brown bread accompanied by butter and mackerel pate. It was tasty but not particularly memorable. The pate wasn't very mackerel-y tasting, just sort of a smoothly blended lump of fish paste.

Seafood platter - two levels of oysters, clams, mussels, prawns, crab and lobster

As you can see, we decided to splurge on the cold seafood platter - a massive two tiers of boiled prawns, mussels, clams, dressed crab, potted shrimp, lobster and raw oysters, as well as some smoked salmon on toast. The platter was accompanied by several lemon wedges, as well as a little ramekin of mayonnaise. 

Smoked salmon on bread, part of the seafood platter

Cthulhu arises from the deep

The platters are fairly expensive, but then again, you get a LOT of food. Most of the shellfish was wonderfully fresh and succulent, and the oysters were generously sized. My only (very slight) gripe was that the prawns were fairly dry and overcooked. The potted shrimps were encased in loads of butter, so much so that even butter-loving Manbacon had to give up after a couple of bites. We should have used the toast supporting our smoked salmon as a base for the potted shrimps, but we're always so much wiser in hindsight, arent' we? 

Dressed crab, partially undressed

Panna cotta on spiced fruit compote

There was no stomach space left for dessert at the end (in fact, Manbacon insisted he didn't want any - foolish human) but I managed to conjure up a second stomach to fit it in. I opted for the panna cotta, served with a spiced fruit compote, and suddenly Manbacon decided he could find some space for dessert, after all. It was a lovely, light end to the meal - the creamy treat slipped down very easily, and managed to leave me feeling refreshed for the short walk back to our hotel.

English's of Brighton

29-31 East Street

Brighton

BN1 1HL