Eat Like Ushi

Another trip to my favourite food destination in Spain. I ended up in Valencia mainly because I hadn't been before and the birthplace of paella lured me in. Ryanair had a nice fare returning from Alicante and so it was only natural to pass through the small town of Denia along the way.

Of course the only reason to stop in Denia itself was to visit this restaurant. I was in two minds about whether spending €135 on a set menu would be worth it, given my funds were limited and that I tended to prefer less fancy/fine and more base food. Nonetheless the recent elevation to #26 in San Pellegrino and more persuasively #1 in Opinionated About Dining ratings (putting it higher than Noma and El Celler) forced my hand. A few online reads suggested a menu experience equivalent to El Bulli. How could I resist...

After an hour bus from Valencia followed by a 30min walk from the bus station, I arrived at the restaurant in a reasonably quiet part of town to a rather unassuming building. Upon arrival you first are seated in the outdoor area for starters. They also present you with a nice little booklet with the menu, information about QD and also a notepad and pencil for you to jot notes, doodle, or whatever else you feel like. It's a nice touch in the modern foodie world of taking notes and savouring the experience.

The menu has two options - Universo Local (tradition, classic and historic) and Made in the Moon (modern Spanish cooking). Given it was my first visit, my waiter recommended sampling the Universo Local collection which brought the restaurant its reputation and fame.

1st Act: Snacks
- Gin Tonic of Apple - refreshing fizzy apple drink on a warm afternoon;
- Petals of Roses - tart edible "rose petals" of apple-strawberry flavour;

- Roots of Boletus
- Dry Leaf of Sweet Corn - a leaf flake that tastes like sweet corn...;
- Leaf of Herbs in Vinegar - tangy herb flavour I couldn't put my finger on;
- Kalanchoe Leaf with Pearls of Passion Fruit - crunchy herby tangy leaf with a slight sour passionfruit balls;
- Endive's Leaf with Muslin of Orange - shredded orange on top of herbed mayo;
- Stones of Parmesan Cheese - cold liquid of strong parmesan;

- Tomato in Vinegar - sour tangy vinegar coating a crunchy fleshy tomato;
- Tomato in Dry Vinegar - dehydrated tomato that collapsed in the mouth, with powerful tomato/thyme flavour;
- Raim del Pastor - tasted like an Asian herb algae with a slight bitterness and drying texture;
- Lichen - seaweed and little mushrooms on top of mushroom mayo, placed on a light airy crisp which had a slight burnt flavour;

2nd Act: Table of Delicatessens
- Delicatessens (Tuna, Mussel, Dry Octopus) - heavily smoked samples painted with olive oil. The mussel texture was paste-like and the tuna was more subtle smokiness;
- Paper of Cereals - crispy flake of cereal and seeds. Couldn't tell whether I liked this or not;
- Onion in Vinegar - raw pieces in balsamic vinegar;
- Fig - disolvable plastic encasing dried chewy fig powder;

3rd Act: Tapas
- Mary 2012 - take on a bloody mary, tomato disc filled tomato juice;
- Pepperwort 2012 - tuna sashimi licked with soy on a pepperwort leaf with the most lovely natural mustard/wasabi flavour;
- Dove Nest 2010 - salty cheese-like substance (spherified egg yolk I later discovered) on crispy kataifi nest;
(- Pesto) - blue cheese pesto with whole pine nuts at the bottom and parmesan paper;
(- Crepe of Strawberries) - stiff strawberry paper and castor sugar and hint of rose with fresh fruit pieces;
(- Razor Clam) - razor clam with chicken stock jelly cubes;
- Apple Tart 2012 - collapsing apple cake with alcoholic campari & orange peel ice;
- Ravioli of Beetroot & Crab 2013 - beetroot, lovely sweet crab meat and roe in a happy ravioli;
- Mediterranean Taco 2013 - strong monkfish with coriander;
- Coca of Sweet Corn - sweet sugar corn cracker, mayo that looked like grated cheese on top of dried crispy corn kernels;

4th Act: Our Table
- The Water of Dry Tomatoes 2011 - tomato pieces stirred with tomato mayo topped with creamy tomato ice, served with breadsticks;
- Cubalibre de Foie Gras with Lemon Granite and Rocket - rum & coke cubalibre with creamy rich foie gras served with a warm soft brioche bun and lemon granita;
- The Haze 2003 - jellied pea floor, salty grilled mushrooms & pork cubes, peas, crisp corn, microherbs & leaves and a misty forest aroma;
- Red King Prawns from Denia, just boiled. Tea of Chards - seawater-boiled prawns for a few seconds with the sweetest most delicately soft amazing texture, almost like being raw. Served with the most potent prawn head bisque;
- Red Mullet with Incrustation of its Guts and Eucalyptus 2011 - firm textured mullet painted with light urchin & mullet sauce with crunchy weeds and cooked on a eucalyptus leaf;
- Rice "Senia" Ashes 2008 - rice, rice dust ashes, black truffle, mushrooms and mushroom jus;

5th Act: Desserts
- Citrus Field 2005 - orange & sugar dust, mandarin peel and slices, orange cream and a sponge-looking thing that may have been bread?,
- Milk 2009 - milk crisp, vanilla pod icecream and another sponge-looking thing that may have been bread pudding?,

6th Act: The Magic Box
- Crocante of Almonds, Trufle of Rum, Gold Stones - gold chocolate with crunchy wafer interior, rum truffles and almond milk chocolate.

A very extensive dining experience which was helped by the addition of a few complemtary tapas from the Modern menu. I'm not sure what El Bulli was like, but if this is anything to draw by then the experience and excitement is what it is all about. There are stand-out dishes that work purely on flavour (although not many) and the best prawns that I will never find cooked the same way anywhere in the world. But it's more about the collection of dishes, the progression of the meal and the knowledge you won't find this cooking anywhere else in the world.

I'd consider going one more time (if in the area) for the Made in the Moon menu, but couldn't see myself going back again and again. That's probably a reflection of my changing food preferences rather than anything else. It's an experience worth having nonetheless.

Spain still has my food heart.

I went to several B&L chains. The first was the original in Mayfair when during a quiet weekday lunchtime I sampled the lobseter roll, chips and salad. It was definitely good although I did feel having a whole lobster to yourself would be more exciting than a roll. This was slightly put askew when I tried the whole lobster the first time and it wasn't so succulent as hoped.

After a few more I came around. In particular, I sought out the branches that had the massive sharing lobsters (Soho and Bank). 8-10 lb lobsters are an expensive delight, but chewing through the enormous claw and tails was such a happy experience. The unlimited supply of fries and salad is a bonus too.

Grab some friends, select the biggest lobster available, enjoy.

PS. I still can't figure out why you'd come here for a burger, even if it is Goodman steak...

My friends and I had spent a good part of our two years in London trying nearly all the available burger places. We'd have discussions over our favourites and disagreements. It started off with the grimey MEATliquor, had extended to Honest Burgers in Brixton, Lucky Chip in Broadway Market, various Byron Burgers, an unexciting visit to GBK (other than the free peanuts), the new Shake Shack, the rumours of Five Guys, my own experience near Shoreditch with a pop-up of Burger Bear, and most recently my friends' recommendations of Patty & Bun, and the one I never managed to get to in Dirty Burger. Gee that's a lot.

On our final burger expedition before they left London, we decided to try Tommi's which was reputed to be Icelandic burgers. None of us knew what that meant, but my friends who had been to Iceland said it was the home of their favourite hot dog. So how bad could the burgers be?

There was a short queue for seats in the tiny place where the food is visibly cooked from the ordering counter. The menu is short, very short and there's no need to ponder too long on the items that they must therefore do easily and well.

The cheeseburger amended to an "Epic Double Decker" £10 is outstanding. I wouldn't normally order a plain cheeseburger as I like other fillings for contrast but the beautiful beef patties where the beef is the prime ingredient and flavour is something that sounds silly but is extraordinary. 

It's a different type of enjoyment to the green chilli cheeseburger at MEATliquor but something great on its own. Maybe cheeseburgers are my way of the future, but tasting the pure beef patty in a burger really came alive that evening and it became my favourite in London.

Some friends were visiting from Melbourne and it seemed a perfect opportunity to try a new place. London's Japanese cuisine was still flagging behind much of the world (with the exception of the burst of ramen bars) and a venue that brought Japanese and Peruvian (think Nobu) was a welcome addition to the area.

The downstairs bar area is chic with electric graphics to keep you interested whilst ordering pre-drinks. The upstairs has a more refined atmosphere but still exudes cool and sophistication.

Nikkei tasting menu II
- Taco selection (tuna spicy miso, snow crab yuzu, miso vegetables);
- Scallop tiradito (scallop sashimi, coriander, jalapeno, black salt, lemon & lime juice);
- Seafood ceviche (prawn, scallop, seabass, sweet potato, peruvian corn, coriander, chive oil, citrus sauce);
- Ebi harumaki ponzu salsa (prawn spring roll, shiitake, yuzu, shiso, ponzu salsa);
- Bacalao negro aji miso (black cod, yellow chilli miso);
- Chuleta de cordero ahumada (lamb chops, quinoa, coriander, peruvian chilli miso);
- Maki rolls (lomo saltado);
- Sushi (tuna, salmon, yellowtail);
- Salted caramel chocolate fondant (with orange compote, vanilla ice cream).

Of all the dishes, the most memorable for me was the spring roll. It sounds unbelievable considering I never order them and find them quite ordinary but it was universally agreed that these were the best we've eaten. And we have some aunties who make excellent spring rolls.

I actually had a bit of difficulty finding this place. But the allure of a 20" pizza all to myself from (yet another) recently converted food van made the searching worth it.

I had a half-half - Pork belly, chimichurri, smoked onions vs. Caprese, bone marrow with spring onion & watercress. The base is thin and crisp and the pizza toppings are unusual (to say the least) but nice and creative.

Somedays are personal pizza days.

 I've never been as much a fan of udon as ramen. Even in Japan, any udon place I ventured never compared in terms of flavour, complexity nor satisfaction. For that same reason, I wasn't particular interested in trying Koya, except that so many reviews had extolled it as one of the best noodle venues in London. Like a trooper, I decided it best to know firsthand.

- Kakuni (braised pork belly with cider) - a few pieces of pork belly, slightly chewy but with ok flavour;
- Buta Miso Udon - a tiny bowl of udon, a small amount of pork floss rather than pieces, and an expensive £2 egg on request. Flavour was ok but extortionate pricing and not very satisfying.

I didn't think the flavours were outstanding, and the serving sizes and prices were well off. How could anyone choose this over the nearby ramen venues? It is beyond me. I ended up filling my stomach next door at Mooli's afterwards.

Next time I would order the Tempura Udon or one of the Hot Pots. They are more expensive but hopefully better value for moeny. Better still, go to Tonkotsu or Bone Daddies.

Rounding out the trio, I visited Shoryu for an early weekend dinner. The menu is certainly more extensive than Bone Daddies and Tonkotsu, offering a greater deal of ramen types and starters compared with the other two. I suppose this is good for variety, but only if the main ramen focus was maintained up to scratch.

Some of the reviews of Shoryu have been mixed. The most frequent complaint is the excessive heavy-handed wasabi in the Wasabi Tonkotsu to the point of it being inedible. I would never have ordered that anyway, but it's good to know.

- Matcha latte - sweet green tea latte, which London has been missing;
- Char siu Tonkotsu (rich tonkotsu pork broth with bbq pork, nitamago egg, kikurage mushrooms, beansprouts, spring onion, sesame, ginger & nori) - a generous serve beautifully presented and satisfying, but seemed to lack the deep rich flavour found in Bone Daddies and Tonkotsu;
- Chicken kara age - simply cooked, needed more seasoning;
- Pork belly Hirata Bun (steamed buns filled with shoryu spicy meat, greens & kewpie mayo) - quite an unimpressive version with heavy bun, ugly lettuce and only a thin slice of pork belly.

I'd come back to Shoryu only if other people wanted to come here to try it and/or eat the side dishes. It isn't bad, I just feel BD and Tonkotsu are better. Shoryu does have a more extensive drinks (including alcohol and the abovementioned Matcha latte) so maybe that might tip you one evening.

Next time I would order the Char siu Tonkotsu for a safe dish, or branch out creatively to Dracula Tonkotsu (deep roasted tones from caramelised black garlic mayu, balsamic vinegar and garlic chips), Sapporo Miso (miso pork broth, bbq pork, nitamago, nori, sweet corn, seasoned beansprouts and spring onion) or maybe just their simpler signature Shoryu Ganso Tonkotsu (tonkotsu & miso broth with added spinach & garlic).

The triad of London's ramen has arrived with many people debating which is the best of them - Bone Daddies, Tonkotsu or Shoryu. I greatly enjoyed Bone Daddies, with friends telling my Tonkotsu had better kara age but not as good ramen. There is no better reason to try it than to form a healthy debatable opinion.

- chicken karaage (horrible photo) - simple flavours, although I felt the chicken pieces had a bit too much fat layer;
- pork gyoza (horrible photo) - simple, juicy, nice;
- Tonkotsu ramen (rich, sea salt-based pork stock and thin noodles topped with slices of melt-in-the-mouth pork belly, half a seasoned soft-boiled egg, menma, bean sprouts and spring onions) - generous amount of beautiful fatty broth with excellent toppings;
- Mochi icecream (yuzu, salted caramel, black sesame) - chewy, cold interiors, sweet to finish.

I liked the Tonkotsu ramen better than Bone Daddies, but not the karaage. People will disagree.

Next time I would order Tonkotsu ramen again - no need to mess with the winning original and namesake formula. For a change, Tokyo ramen with lighter broth of chicken & pork with soy would be worth trying.

Hakkasan is often rated the world's best Chinese restaurant outside of China/HK. It's the only one (Hakkasan Mayfair) outside at least that ever features in the San Pellegrino list last year just scraping through at #100 in 2012 (and #60 in 2011).

Unfortunately I haven't found anyone with the time and dedicated bank balance to accompany me there to try their £130 signature banquet. Gladly the restaurant group opened HKK in 2012, as a more degustation menu, and from recent reviews is thought to be better value for money than the mothership.

8-course lunch costs a reasonable £48, while a 15-course for lunch or dinner is £95. There is no tasting menu listed on the website, so I assume it changes slightly quite frequently.

- Bai hua prawn (no photo) - 
- Dim sum trilogy - lobster siu mai topped with caviar, fried daikon, vegetable & mushroom. The brush is to paint on soy sauce.
- Poulet de Bresse & ginseng soup with silken beancurd - healing chicken & ginseng soup with goji berries, radish and flowers. Good for my sinuses;
- Cherry wood roasted Peking duck - a wonderfully cooked Peking duck, crispy skin and a tasty layer of fat that sits underneath it. Served with hoisin and a little sugar;
- Gai-lan, shimeji mushroom & lily bulb in XO sauce - tasty vegetable intermission;
- Jasmine tea smoked Wagyu beef with water chestnut - amazing soft delicious beef and an equally phenomenal sticky rice ball;
- Mandarin jelly with pandan sorbet & jasmine meringue - great in combination. Pandan sorbet was my favourite component;
- Pineapple fritter, salted lime jelly, vanilla icecream - kataifi pastry delicately surrounding a warm sweet pineapple core. Excellent.

Next time I would order the 15-course tasting menu. The a la carte items also sound worth trying, and using ingredients like crab, lobster, scallops, abalone and pork belly, you'd expect as much. On to Hakkasan next time.

Fitzbillies seems to repeatedly get mentioned for the Chelsea buns - spiral pastries of dried fruit, cinnamon and sugary spice glaze. Richly and intoxicatingly sweet. Go past and try one. Remember to have clean hands to pick it up and lick your fingers at the end.