Eat Like Ushi

I first discovered Yum Bun online and then in person at Broadway Market (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/broadway-market-london-2012-2013). In fact, I made my maiden trek to this market just to try them. As I had visited David Chang's Momofuku a year earlier, I was surprised (and amazed) to find I enjoyed the Yum Bun versions more. Maybe it was the cold weather and rain, but they were so very great.

As the months went on, I visited Broadway several times for the buns, but they seemed to appear there less and less (including on my birthday in 2012 which I was bitterly disappointed). Eventually they opened the store front and it became apparent.

The buns were as good as ever, better than the USA, Melbourne and other parts of London and Europe that were doing them. They are still my favourite and will remain so. Despite a few different flavours, the original pork belly will always be the best. One particular time the pork had a crisp textural shell. I thought it was skin, but the owner told me they never use skin and so it must have been crispened by the grilling. I'll have to remember to ask for that every time.

It's a shame the store has now closed.

01-2018

It's been a long time since Yum Bun graced my lips and in that time it appears Bao has become the premier bun place (even though I haven't tried it). The revamp of the foodie section of Spitalfields gave me a good opportunity to try again my lost lust.

£7.5 for 2 buns or £9 to include the meal (salad) and an extra £1 for a flavoursome soup (not miso but equivalently nice).

Unfortunately the bun quality has deteriorated over the years. Firstly the pork bun no longer comes with hoisin but instead used another sauce (plum sauce I think) which changes the flavour completely and not for the better. The pork is smaller but still reasonable sized but look at those tatty broken peeled buns. Compare with the beauty of the originals from Broadway Schoolyard market or the store near Old St and there is a significant difference.

Tofu was heavily fried and had very slight flavour.

Despite that, it had the longest queues in Spitalfields so maybe not everyone shares my view (or my nostalgia).

Of all the markets in London, I spent the most time at Broadway. From home in Whitechapel it was an easy bus straight up north and so meant I could carry a few Sainsbury re-usable bags and come home with goodies from there (and the nearby Tesco superstore to stock up on organic UHT soy milk).

The first time I went to Broadway was for one reason - Yum Bun and their David Chang-copied pork belly bao. It was a beautiful snack, better than the original in my opinion, and as they began to leave Broadway there were several instances where I turned up and they didn't.

I had to find another reason to go, and it became the game meats and local pig farmer stand there. My staples were venison shin and pork ribs which I always turned into stew for the week and noodle soups for warming up the winters.

Other than that my favourite snacks were the Remix Roti, Vada Chaat and chai as well as one day sampling the Macbeth haggis toastie at Deeney's (both places in the schoolyard area, as was Yum Bun). Netil Market nearby also has Lucky Chip burgers and a spinoff of the seafood place within Broadway and a taco van. The food in Broadway is decent (£5-6 for a banh mi considering I'm used to the $4 ones in Abbotsford is a little beyond me...), but I think with the exception of the schoolyard stands, none of it is essential visiting. Borough is better for that in my opinion.

There's nothing quite like visiting Borough Market. Some people enjoy the bustle of Saturday when all the tourists flock and the stalls are heaving. I personally much prefer weekdays, when many vendors are still open but there is space to sit, wander, peruse and enjoy the gardens next to the church.

I've tried many things in Borough, from the paella as soon as you descend the stairs coming off London Bridge, the cake and pastry stands, multiple sausage stands, melted cheese, pies and then the back areas with seafood, curries and roast pork rolls.

What are my favourites?
- Richard Haward - easily my favourite and the reason I go to Borough. The oysters are good, the clams are great. Strong, pungent, oceany, delicious, it's good that they've moved from a cart to a stall;
- Brindisa - the chorizo smell fills the area outside. Although the double chorizo is decadent and value for money, I feel the single has a better balance of ingredients overall;
- Ginger Pig - good quality (but expensive) cuts of meat;
- 3bis - quality Italian gelato in London and closeby;
- Roast - roast pork belly sandwich (with extra crispy crackling);
(Monmouth - I don't drink coffee, but the Australians tell me it's Aussie-grade coffee).

Considering the immense influence Ottolenghi has had on my dining preferences I'm surprised I hadn't written this blog post earlier. I first came across the name back in 2010 when looking for good vegetarian cookbooks and the names Ottolenghi and Plenty. Once I planned to move to London, it was a name that I intended to go searching for to see what the originals tasted like.

Funnily enough my first experience was with the more conveniently located Nopi (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/nopi-london-09-2012) with a gluten-free friend. The food that evening was exceptional, both meats and vegetarian and gave me a taste as to what is was all about. It wasn't until my second last day before leaving that I booked a final lunch with friends and ticked Ottolenghi in Angel off my list.

The display has a beautiful selection of cakes and tarts to finish off the meal of colourful salads. The selection is by a main and accompanying salads to compose an artwork dish.

- Chargrilled salmon with anchovies, mint, parsley, capers & lemon salsa
- Roasted pumpkin with sundried tomato dressing, chickpeas, red onion, cumin, feta, barberries & herbs
- Roasted aubergine with black garlic yoghurt, fried chilli, caramelised hazelnuts & herbs
- Mixed peppers & brown bulgar tabbouleh with mixed nuts, red onion & pomegranate seeds

The salads read like a dream concoction that illustrates just how Ottolenghi has put salads and Middle Eastern cuisine on my culinary map. The salmon was well cooked but served cold, which I found unusual (but I suppose it is a salad bar). It did seem quite expensive for a lunch salad plate so I wouldn't frequent there but for the occasional splurge and excellence of colour and flavour (and reputation) I'm glad I went.

One of my favourite outdoor (undercover) eateries in London was Yalla Yalla. The outdoor version in Shoreditch kept me warm (with outdoor heaters) and fed (with excellent street food from Beirut) throughout winter and summer. The only downside was the portaloos with alcohol handwash which wouldn't suit most people.

Nonetheless the delicious meats from spits, the excellent crunchy falafels, the flavoursome salads and dips, and the warm breads they'd refill for me for free (due to being a recurrent customer perhaps) kept me coming back and will always have a place in my heart.

I have many fond memories from eating here alone, eating with friends, and an end-of-year work celebration that turned into a Tuesday-drinkathon along High Street. I ate once in the central restaurant city location, but from then on this foodvan setup had me coming back every couple of months.

My goodness - looking at the Franco Manca website today I realised the place has spread like wildfire. During my time in London there was only one or two of these stores, and the mothership was in Brixton Market and the main reason for taking the Northern Line all the way down south.

Although the menu is only small, the pizzas are cheap (£5-7 each) and well known for the slow-rising sourdough base. The result is a complex masterpiece of soft gelatinous dough, a gently crisp surface and some nice toppings. Realistically the star is the dough and a Franco Manca pizza was the first one where I enjoyed eating the crust at the end moreso than the topping part.

Great toppings require excellent ingredients. Great dough requires outstanding skill.

I've tried the dough recipe from the cookbook. It uses yeast rather than sourdough starter (more due to availability than anything else) and although the taste doesn't have the same sourness, the texture comes close. It's definitely the best home version I've had.

With the recent stint of The Fat Duck in Melbourne (and my inability to win a place, although the price was a little ridiculous), I have been reminiscing about my own adventure at the mothership.

I remember anticipating this meal greatly. I was going to finally book the #2 restaurant in the world for one of the meals of the century. During a short term contract in northern Tasmania, I made the phone call one late evening. I wasn't particularly keen to use my mobile to ring the UK, but the work phone operator was only too happy to connect my call through. With only a few available dates, the 1/10/2009 was keenly booked, and then it was only a short two months before the day.

The restaurant isn't all that conveniently located. It requires an overground train to Maidenhead, then a taxi to the restaurant in Bray. Of course all the taxi drivers know it - it probably contributes more business for them than anything else in the area. The unassuming building stands like a old tavern. The fine dining inside and the French-accented staff elevate the mood to elegant.

Green olives with subtle flavour and fantastic bread with crunchy crust with spreadable salted and unsalted butter start things slowly. Then comes the procession of overwhelming sensory load.

Amuse Bouche
- Lime Grove (nitro poached green tea & lime mousse) - mousse bathed in liquid nitrogen then sprinkled with green tea. Cleansed the palate.

Entree
- Red Cabbage Gazpacho (pommery grain mustard icecream) - mustard-flavour icecream with a sweet cabbage sauce;
- Fat Duck Film - a delicate film which gives a mint/oak flavour to your tongue in anticipation;
- Jelly of Quail, Crayfish Cream, Chicken Liver Parfait & Truffle Toast (with oak moss) - water is poured over the oak moss to create a mist of oak scent flowing over the table. The moss flavours the air whilst you eat the parfait and truffle toast.

Main
- Roast Foie Gras (president plum puree, braised konbu & crab biscuit) - delicately soft foie gras. The alternative (for my friend) was a sublime piece of aubergine;
- Mock Turtle Soup c. 1850 "Mad Hatter Tea" - hot water added to the golden medallion of dashi/konbu broth surrounded by gold leaf. This tea is added to a bowl consisting of layered beef & fat, tofu (i think) with mushrooms, a few cucumber and pickles and thus mock turtle soup is born;
- Sound of the Sea - seashell with an iPod playing ocean & beach soundtrack, sashimi of yellowtail, mackeral & halibut, sand of tapioca and fried baby eels, foam of seaweed and vegetable stock, added sea jellybeans;
- Salmon Poached in Liquorice (artichokes, vanilla mayonnaise, golden trout roe & manni olive oil from Tuscany) - exquisitely cooked and flavoured salmon, better than Nobu's miso cod;
- Powdered Anjou Pigeon c. 1720 (blood pudding & confit of umbles) - perfectly cooked pigeon.

Dessert
- Taffety Tart c. 1660 (caramelised apple, fennel, rose & candied lemon) - the tangy candied lemon syrup with the blackcurrant sorbet is a whole new level of iced desserts.

The Not-So-Full English Breakfast
- Parsnip Cereal - chips (similar to almond slices) with parsnip milk poured on top. I adore cereal, but this tops them all for sweetness and flavour;
- Nitro-Scrambled Egg & Bacon Ice Cream - an 'egg' is cracked into a pot. liquid nitrogen is poured in. they stir... and bacon-flavoured ice cream that looks like scrambled egg is formed;
- Hot & Iced Tea - a drink of sweet lemon tea that is hot, before a hit of ice cold tea in your mouth.

That tea is followed up by an enormous menu of actual tea, should you fancy.

Apres
- Chocolate Wine "Slush" c. 1660 (millionaire shortbread) -  chocolate and delicate wine mixed and aerated. Rich chocolate, a layer of caramel, crisp shortbread base;
- Cheese platter selection;
- Wine Gums (historic trade routes of Britain) - 5 wine gums of mead, cognac, madeira, sherry, rum.

Finally a bag is handed to you with a small selection of designer sweets to take home. Added in is a printed copy of the menu.

"Like A Kid In A Sweet Shop"
- Aerated Chocolate (mandarin jelly);
- Coconut Baccy (coconut infused with an aroma of black cavendish tobacco);
- Apple Pie Caramel with an Edible Wrapper;
- Queen of Hearts (white chocolate with fruit compote).

It is unlike anything I've experienced before. With the passage of time, I think I've had meals with overall flavours that I've enjoyed more, but the multi-sensory journey that this brings is still unparalleled.

The menu itself was £130, but added onto this was the price of the arrival drink, cheese, service and the trains. Altogether it came out to £190 or so. Considering these days the UK Fat Duck charges £180 and the Australian one was $500 per person, I think my time was a bargain, and at the height of its powers. I count myself lucky for that opportunity. I don't know if I'll dine at The Fat Duck ever again, but I will return for Dinner (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/dinner-by-heston-blumenthal-london-03-2012).

As the first Michelin star gastropub in London, this was always going to be on the essential eating list. British pub food with an exceptional rating - how can you not? The slight deterrents are that it is a little out of the way to get to and the quality tends to mean needing to book and plan in advance. Both things that aren't terribly difficult to negotiate, but that's why it took 1.5 years until the last 2 weeks of my London time to finally commit to getting there.

Maybe because it was a Sunday evening that they had a special of roast. With traditional English fare on the menu such as deer, pork and lamb, it may seem a little disappointing to have ended up with a Sunday lunch meal for a dinner at a Michelin star venue, but it was sublime.

- Seasonal roast partridge - my first taste of this beautifully cooked game bird;
- Treacle cooked smoked salmon, pickled apple whiskey jelly, smoked cod's roe and watercress - thick slices of fish with some chew and good flavour;
- Belted Galloway wingtip roast beef and short rib, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, smoked bone marrow - this was a real wow dish. The wingtip with rare to order with meat and bones to gnaw on. The short rib was a succulent fall-apart piece of tender flavour and some of the best beef I've eaten in my life. Potatoes were perfectly crisp and perfectly moist. Yorkshire puddings were filled with meat gravy. It was spectacular;
- Poached and fresh heritage apples, spiced mead and set cream - a simple apple dessert that sweetly ended the meal.

I wouldn't wait so long to go back again. British food at it's finest.

Next time I would order anything here with a same penchant for roasted meats and offcuts. Heart, ribs and cheeks would be my typical go-to if they happen to be serving it.

It's interesting. American burgers are so well reputed. To be fair I do recall a surprisingly tasty burger from In & Out in San Francisco, eaten right before an enormous banquet meal at The Slanted Door. Shake Shack is supposedly the darling of NYC and the one that people rave about (other than the hidden burger joint) - I didn't get a chance to try either when I was there, basically because there were so many other food experiences I preferred (eg. Momofuku, Eleven Madison Park, lots of pizza etc). With great interest Shake Shack opened in the middle of Covent Garden in July. Covent Garden is one of my favourite places to go. I don't go for the shopping, I only go to wander through the market, to see some buskers, have drinks on a Saturday afternoon or to visit MEATmarket.

Months of hype lead to me Shake Shack on opening evening. After a solid 60min wait snaking through a line I finally got to the front. The staff were handing out Evening Standards to help keep us entertained.

- Shack Stack (cheeseburger & mushroom burger topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce) - a relatively simple tasting burger. Satisfying but not all that special;
- Stick Toffee Concrete (vanilla custard, chocolate toffee, paul a. young chocolate chunks, salted caramel sauce, malt powder) - a dessert with lots of sweet and salty powers which was quite good;
- fries - crinkle cut is different. Quite crispy exteriors, insides a bit mushy;
- Shack-Cago Dog @ Dubai airport (German all-beef hot dog, Rick's Picks Shack relish, onion, cucumber, pickle, tomato, sport pepper, celery salt, mustard)

MEATliquor is different and better for both burgers and hot dogs. Tommi's is more comparable (with a similar type of burger) and much better. I never tried Patty & Bun but my friends rate that around MEATliquor level. Shake Shack just doesn't stack up at all. Five Guys is supposedly even worse. London burger quality has certainly taken over.

Next time I would order from MEATmarket just across the way. It's not a bad option if in Dubai airport (the only other place I've tried it) since there isn't anything similar other than McDonalds/Burger King, but it's more expensive.

Over a manly discussion about ribs (coincidentally at Porky's in Camden), my mate told me about some kind of bbq meat contest he went to in London earlier that year. Apparently for a small fee, ribs and alcohol were served at 10 different competitors, of which you were entitled to try all 10. Sounds like a great idea - I'm disappointed I missed it. His favourite was from Blue Boar, a smokehouse in a rather fancy Westminster hotel the InterContinental. It definitely wasn't the expected setting for some grimy ribs, but a birthday occasion and upmarket cocktails brought us there.

After a couple of hours sitting at the bar with a variety of £12 cocktails, we were ushered into the main dining room and their big cushy booths.

- The Blue Boar Ribs - served lovingly in a cup, they were crispy, meaty and finger-loving. More BBQ flavour than Pitt Cue Co. Not necessarily better, but different;
- Pulled Lamb Shoulder - lovely and soft although the flavour wasn't very strong. I probably liked the pickle the most on the tray.

It is a far way to go for ribs as the other dishes had trouble keeping up with them in terms of quality. Given the location (not the most convenient for a lot of people), the higher prices and such, you'd probably be better off going for ribs at Pitt (if they ever bring them back) or somewhere else. But if nicer mood and dirty food is on the cards, this place is probably the only one.

Afterwards you can wander through the hotel and see the absolutely incredible display of (what looks like) silvered toys, from X-men, Masters of the Universe, Transformers to Pixar.

Next time I would order ribs, ribs and more ribs. The main dishes were good, but everyone agreed they didn't compare to the ribs (including pulled pork, pulled lamb and the tiny serve of chicken main).