Eat Like Ushi

Magdalen Arms received a huge newspaper review in 2010 that proclaimed it as not only the best food in Oxford (which it admitted wasn't a huge accolade) but also as some of the best food in the UK. As a result lots of people have made their way here when in town, and because it is a short bus or a 15min walk from central Oxford it does take a small dedicated effort to make it.

Some of the reviews recently have been mixed about the dishes recently being average, duck overcooked and strongly overly salted. But of course some reviews were positively glowing. As usual who better to test than to know for myself? Part of the reason was the lack of other choices that piqued my interest (the other was The Anchor Inn, which I'd possibly try if I visit Oxford again).

- rosemary bread - complimentary first serve, and very highly salted crust, perhaps a little too much. Nonetheless very nice;
- Fish soup & rouille gruyere crouton - a tasty fish soup with small clams and lots of dill. The crouton was more a piece of bread but the rouille & gruyere were quite good toppings;
- Two-way Kerry Hill lamb, mashed potatoes & pickled red cabbage - firstly loin meat picked and set into a terrine mold then deep fried, and beautifully medium-rare lamb loin wrapped in belly. The fried lamb had a rich fatty flavour whilst the roll was soft and tender with a well-salted belly exterior. Excellent;
- Baked vanilla cheesecake & rhubarb compote - dense cheesecake with a few fruit pieces for healthiness.

All dishes were decent, but only the two-way lamb was superb. I chose it based on the fact it was the only single main that was similar to the choices for shared mains, and I have had some of the best meat experiences as shared dishes.

Next time I would order the lamb for myself or ideally to share with others. Mussels are the only other entree and the Toffee or Marmalade Puddings the only other desserts that sound good. Otherwise an extra main could be a better option, since the mains from other tables looked great too.

During the Easter break, overseas travel sadly wasn't an option. As a result I had to look at the domestic offerings of places to explore. After much internal turmoil, I eventually decided upon a weekend in Oxford and Cambridge. Neither are particularly known for food. Oxford at least does has a better reputation, although much of what I read seemed to follow the theme of 'this place is good, but not London good'.

The Big Bang has nothing to do with the TV show, science nor the creation of the universe. It actually refers to the restaurants specialty in sausages or 'bangers'. Apparently it is much nicer in summer when the sausage range is BBQ'd outdoors on the patio, drinks flow freely and in the evenings there is either live music or a dj. However I went in the midst of cold during the day, so had nothing to look forward to except a rest from the weather and some decent sausages.

The menu is quite clever and comes as a newspaper combining some history of the restaurant, the menu and also some recent news regarding the restaurant.

Considering the restaurant name, you really shouldn't choose anything other than sausages. The Big Bang selection of your choice of 3 sausages, mash and gravy is really the only thing worth getting on your first (and if it likely will be your last) trip due to the ability to sample variety. My sausages were the classic Oxford (pork, sage), Wild Boar & Pigeon, and a special of Curried Pork recommended by the waiter. This was served with carrot & swede mash and red wine gravy.

The Curry Pork was the most distinctively flavoured with a powerful curry hit (and a little spice); the Oxford is a soft blend of tasty meat; Wild Boar & Pigeon had a firmer texture and a nice but not special flavour. The mash and gravy were fine as extra filler and flavours, but I much prefer my sausages on their own and without the gravy (otherwise I like ketchup and mustard usually).

Next time I would order any Curry sausage and try a few of the other different specialty ones on offer. For a first time, I suppose the city's own Oxford sausage should be mandatory too. Overall the meal was satisfactory without being anything to go out of the way for. Maybe in the sun with some atmospheric music might make it more of an experience.

The burger craze hit London. After the opening of MEATliquor and franchises, every food van and American company was suddenly announcing new venues. Not many of them are located in 5 star hotels in Knightsbridge and so it seemed reasonable to see if paying all that extra for a gourmet burger was worth it.

Although the burgers read like a dream of ingredients (BB - beef patty, foie gras, red-wine braised short ribs, truffle, frisee, horseradish mayonnaise, confit tomato, black onion seed bun; Piggie - beef patty, BBQ pulled pork, green chili mayonnaise, bibb lettuce, red cabbage slaw, cheddar bun), the sheer number and differing items made it difficult to appreciate. In fact, the much simpler green chilli cheeseburger at MEATliquor gave me distinct quality flavours, more enjoyment and at 1/2 to 1/3 the price.

The thick medium rare patties at Boulud were welcome but it seemed hard to justify the price in the end (especially when no sides are included).

My preference lies in MEATliquor and Tommi's.

My favourite London food place of 2012 had to be Pitt Cue Co. Neil Rankin was the ex-head chef of Pitt Cue Co before moving on to other ventures. His latest was moving into the bar John Salt in Angel. Although the menu didn't seem to feature the complete meat focus of Pitt Cue Co, it looked like a great reason to try for a special occasion in February.

Their is a large bar downstairs for casual stragglers and a more formal dining area upstairs for bookings.

- Raw beef, pear, sesame - cubes of nice chewy beef and pear with an Asian inspiration;
- Cod, foie gras, tempura, blood orange - perfectly cooked cod complemented well by tart blood orange. Couldn't detect any foie gras;
- Crab & fennel on pork skin - salty crisp pork skin was a bit too powerful to eat with the salad of crab meat, fennel, dill;
- Mussels - unfortunately small meat but cooked in a delicious orange spicy sauce of white wine and nduja (a southern Italian pork spread);
- Pork hash - pork belly, shoulder and shin, crispy fried potatoes, egg yolk. Beautiful flavour and textures in all ingredients;
- Skirt steak with kimchi hollandaise - beautifully tender medium-rare beef cutting easily, a rich spicy kimchi sauce of magic;
- Aged dripping frites with pulled pork, kimchi, cheese - not the best fries themselves, but topped nicely with pork slivers, cheese, spice;
- Keveral salad - raw greens, nothing more, nothing less;

After the feast above for 3, dessert was tempting. We only ordered the trifle, but as it was a busy night we were complemented another for the wait.

- The banana dog - squishy banner, an incredibly sweet caramel coating and some refreshing ice-cream;
- Old fashioned trifle - sweet cream topping blood orange, meringue pieces and sprinkles.

Next time I would order with my focus on the mails. For me the Pork Hash and Skirt Steak were easily the best two dishes, and the Mussel sauce equally great. I imagine the Rib for 2 would be fantastic - just like every meat dish from Pitt Cue Co.

I wanted to eat somewhere nearby home and new. My first choice was sadly closed for the Christmas season so wandered down the road and came across a name I remember reading on the hot-dinners website so decided to wander inside.

Lupita is a Mexican chain with a new branch in Spitalfields. It isn't in the main market area, but further down along the quieter parts of Commercial Street, which possibly partially explains why it wasn't particularly busy.

- Horchata - I like this Mexican drink, although I felt they added too much cinnamon that it formed chunks;
- Tostada de Atun Intramar (yellowfin tuna slices on a crispy corn tortilla with caramelized onions, avocado, chipotle sauce & lime) - tuna had been cured for so long it had cooked through. The combination of avocado, chipotle & lime was adequate;
- Taco Carnitas (Mexican-barbecued pork with cheese) - basic-flavoured pork with the cheese adding no flavour;
- Huitlacoche (Aztec 'truffle' served as a taco) - recommended as an unusual mushroom dish, which did have a few nice earthy flavours but nothing I'd consider special.

The place itself looks a bit too much like a school cafeteria. The wait staff are excellent however.

Next time I would order from Boho Mexica instead - excellent Mexican food, not far down the same road, lovely evening atmosphere.

A newcomer to the London food scene in 2012 was based upon American-style barbecue ribs. I can't think of any other place here that specialises in these and they were a welcome addition to the options on my list. It still took me 6 months to get here but I'm glad I did.

As they have a no-reservations policy, both times I've gone mid-afternoon and thus not needed to wait at all for a single lonesome seat upstairs at the bar.

The menu concept is simple - select a meat and a side and decide if you are hungry enough for extras.

I've always liked pork ribs more than beef ribs since I had them at The Slanted Door, but the waitress on my first visit thought the Beef Ribs was better. There were tasty but chewier meat than I expected for something cooked on the bone. I left satisfied but expecting something more.

Luckily on my second I followed my instincts and order Pork Ribs. The meat was tender, delicious and a pleasure to chew through - much preferred to than the Beef Ribs. Being greedy I also ordered the Hot Rib Tips which are the end bits of the pork ribs deep fried with chilli sauce. They were similarly fantastic with even more flavour to the meat and sauce than the ribs themselves.

Both times I ordered the side of Green Chilli Slaw which is a great combination of red cabbage, Spanish onion, green chilli and some kind of orange crispy rice that contrasts well with the dense meat flavours. Sliced green pickles were also provided but the bread slice was pretty average.

Both times I drank the awarded Cornish Orchards Cider which was too big for me to finish on my own during an early afternoon but would be great for socialising.

Next time I would order either Pork Ribs or Smoked Beef Brisket with Green Chilli Slaw. Hot Rib Tips are great and so you could get these instead of the Pork Ribs and have an alternative main instead.

2013

I returned a few times in 2013. The food remains good, although I was consistently disappointed to find that the hot rib tips had been removed, pork ribs were no longer available, and often beef ribs weren't on the menu or had run out. Smoked featherblade became a regular feature as were some lesser known cuts. All were still good but I miss the items that made them famous and made me think of them as my #1 favourite place to eat in London.

Looking for a dinner close to home that was untested had few options. Luckily with the thriving food options of Shoreditch and Spitalfields, there is always something available. Androuet is a dedicated specialty cheese shop in Spitalfields market that happens to have a dining menu that makes use of their products.

It might seem excessive to have an entire meal based on cheese, especially when I'm not the biggest fan, but worth trying once.

- Bleu des Cousses (blue), Gratte Palille (soft), St Nectaire (medium hard), Trufflew with white truffle honey with Caramelised Walnuts with Honey & Thyme, Caramelised Onion Chutney - a selection of cheeses from their store. Trufflew was a sweet favourite. Other comments were that the blue wasn't as strong as expected;
- Selection of Nibbles (parmesan & cardamom crisps, croquette with brie & prosciutto, Welsh rarebit with Westcombe cheddar) - Welsh rarebit was my favourite dish with aged cheddar melted on baguette. The croquette was smooth and rich also.
- Selection of Charcuterie (guinea fowl & cepes terrine, speck, rillette, saucisson de Montagne, pickles) - meaty terrine and a spreadable flaky rillette were the choices from this platter;
- Chorizo Iberico - simple, straight forward;
- Androuet Cheese Burger (29 days aged beef, bacon, Fourme d'Ambert blue cheese, hand cut chips) - unexpectedly the chips were some of the best I've had as crispy perfectly shaped rectangles with good salt and crispy outsides. The burger was a good medium rare to order but the cheese wasn't very strong amongst the other elements;
- Camembert baked with Almonds, Honey & Pears - an intense dish of molten cheese, incredibly strong with some honey to balance out the flavour. Not a dish to ever have on your own;
- Androuet Tartiflette (layers of potatoes, bacon, onion, cream topped with rich Reblochon cheese from Monsieur Paccard) - a baking dish of potatoes topped with cheese & bacon sitting in oil and a cheese rind on top. Again a bit too heavy on cheese.

Other than the burger, I enjoyed the starters most. The mains do seem to be suited toward cheese fanatics who can eat large amount of it in one sitting, much like a fondue. For the rest of us, I think stick to the less intense dishes.

Next time I would order Welsh rarebit, Croquettes and Selection of Charcuterie to start, Cheese Burger for main, and an additional order of hand cooked chips. Only if you are in a group that likes fondue would I ever suggest considering any of the heavy cheese mains.

The variety of Shoreditch restaurants has Eyre Brothers representing in Spanish and Portugeuse flavour. The menu items sound fantastic with a great selection of ingredients and mixes. We sampled some of the following on our evening:

- Grilled Chorizo, Lentil & Parsley Salad with Sherry Vinegar;
- Salchichon Iberico (with Globe Artichoke, Broad Bean & Chive Salad);
- Pressed Madeira & Porto marinated Duck Foie Gras (with Chive Oil & Toasted Almonds);
- Grilled Mozambique Tiger Prawns Piri-Piri (with Pilaf Rice, Cucumber, Coriander & Sherry Vinegar);
- Grilled Fillet of Acorn-Fed Iberico Pig (marinated with Pimenton, Thyme & Garlic) served with Patatas Pobres (Oven Potatoes with Green Peppers, Onions, Garlic & White Wine);
- Beef Sirloin with Vegetables;
- Hake & Clams;
- Farofia (Portugeuse poached Meringue with Vanilla Custard & Fresh Raspberries);
- Three Spanish Cheeses with Quince Membrillo & Walnut Bread - mix of pasteurised and unpasteurised ewe's and goat's milk cheeses. Strong.

All of the dishes were fine, with the Fillet of Iberico Pig being the best of the lot. But it wasn't a meal that sticks in my memory to particularly recommend.

The River Cafe has a long reputation for fine Italian food in London. Much of it is probably due to the cooking careers of Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, but it did feature in the World's Top 100 restaurants for 2 years.

The one reason I hadn't tried it previously is simply that it is expensive, even by London standards. The menu is seasonal and changes daily making it slightly more difficult to prepare yourself for favourites, although there are supposedly signature dishes such as wild mushroom risotto, fish smoked in the restaurant's wood stove and chocolate nemesis.

The daily menu on this occasion had treats such as:

- Capesante in Padella (Seared Scottish Scallops with Fresh Cannellini, Cherry Tomatoes, Marjoram & Capers) - well seasoned scallops, slightly rare in the middle;
- Calamari ai Ferri (Chargrilled Squid with Fresh Red Chilli & Rocket) - soft tasty simple;
- Fegato in Padella (Calves Liver seared with Capers & Sage with Mixed Leaves, Roast Pumpkin & Speck) - mild crisp outside and firm jelly-like texture and a very powerful liver flavour, a little too much for me;
- Branzino al Forno (Wild Sea Bass roasted in Lunae Vermentino with Potatoes & Fresh Porcini al Forno & Salsa Verde) - fish smoked in their wood oven with the texture and flavour great;
- Panna Cotta with Grappa & Raspberries - vanilla pod panna cotta with a *strong* alcohol topping;
- Chocolate Nemesis - a rich chocolate mousse in the shape of a cake slice.

Not cheap but very tasty. I can certainly appreciate the quality of produce and cooking here. Save it for a special occasion meal and a nice walk along the Thames to and from.

Next time I would order more mainstream dishes and not get so creative as to think I can eat a large plate of Calves Liver. All the dishes are well executed.

London has a lot of tapas restaurants to choose from. The names of the classics include Barrafina, Brindisa, Dehesa, Salt Yard, Jose. I decided to pick Fino from the lot for a few reasons (generally good reviews, a well respected pork reputation) but mostly because the menu appealed to my preferred group situation. The options of Suckling Pig, Lamb Rack and Sangria sounded like the perfect way to celebrate my 30th birthday with a small group of friends.

The Whole Sucking Pig and Half Rack of Lamb had to be pre-ordered and added to the anticipation of the meal. We supplemented these with some tasteful options from the a la carte menu.

- Chorizo & Potato Chips - effectively deep fried spring rolls filled with chorizo & potato;
- Marinated Queen Scallops Ceviche
- Octopus with Capers - succulent slices of octopus with delicious salty capers;
- Crisp Fried Octopus Head with Romesco Sauce - more succulent octopus with a red pepper and pine nut sauce;
- Cuttlefish Wrapped in Panceta with Ink Sauce - the continuing trend of quality seafood, this time wrapped in salty panceta and served with ink sauce;
- Picos, Chicory and Walnut Salad
- The Classic Tortilla - I was expecting a simple flour tortilla, but it ended up being a heavy omelet with filling;
- Black Pudding Tortilla - tortilla filled with quite flavoursome black pudding. 

Now to the specialties. Firstly the Half-Rack of Roast Pyrenean Milk Fed Lamb was unexpectedly succulent. The meat disintegrated off the bone in a way I've only experienced with the highest quality slow-cooked beef. Fantastic texture.

Secondly the piece-de-resistance - Whole Roasted Suckling Pig is a simply roasted piglet from Segovia in Castilla-Leon. For £145 it isn't cheap, but as a spectacularly presented main course for the 6-8 people to enjoy (as part of a sharing meal) it is worth it. The pork is fantastic - the skin is crispy, the thin layer of fat under the skin is tasty, the underlying flesh is succulent. A little salt drew out the flavour of the skin and meat. Aside from the usual favourites of legs and belly, the more adventurous enjoyed the crispy ears and delicate cheek meat. Overall sensational. It was served with a pork-flavoured sauce that I didn't feel added much to the meal - I much preferred the meat on its own.

Desserts
- Donuts, Vanilla Ice-Cream 
- Creme Catalana
- Turron De Alicante - a type of almond, honey nougat
- Poached Pear in White Wine, Apple Sorbet

Overall the meal made a great choice for a birthday celebration for a small group of 6. The Suckling Pig was so memorable that it seemed to dull my memory of the other dishes. However I still fondly recall the Lamb and Seafood.

Next time I would order the Suckling Pig given enough notice. Failing this, the Crispy Pork Belly off the a la carte menu is supposedly a great alternative. I think any hot seafood (octopus, cuttlefish, arroz negro) or meat (Iberian pork ribs, chicken wings) dish would be quite safe and a better option than the tortillas and salads.