Don't judge a book by its cover...

Tonight' we headed to the 1  Michelin starred L'autre Pied to celebrate a friends birthday.  Having very high expectations of this place, I was initially rather underwhelmed by its outdated and simplistic interiors. 

This  however was very short lived as the engaging staff and attentive service set the tone for what was to become fantastic evening of culinarily opulence.

The amuse bouche of a lemon  infused youghurt foam with cucumber and puffed wild rice was delightful. 

 Heritage Tomato Salad 2016", Olive crumbs, goats curd and pesto perfectly paired with a Rosade Furlane Bianco Venturin a crisp exotic blend of Friulano, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling that comes together very well.

The second course of poached cod, brown shrimp with butter lettuce and a sourdough crumb, its powerful aroma overwhelms your senses begging you to dive straight in, again a perfect pairing by the talented young sommelier this time In the form of a green, floral yet fruity Kaiken  tennoir series torrentes. 

The third course of Roast Gressingham Duck, Crushed Celery, Walnuts, Brown sauce which was rich and complemented the tender bird, beautiful matched with a fruity Spanish red Bioca Mencia a complex mix of mencia, Tempranillo and Garnacha Tintoreta with dark fruity notes. 

Course 4 was the cheese course which  consisted of a blue cheese and a hard cheese, not as beautifully presented and certainly my least favourite however combined with the fantastic South African red Babylon's Peak Shiraz Carignan soon had my pallete excited and intrigued.

Pre dessert,  a texture of raspberries, raspberry cream,meringue and vanilla ice cream set the tone for the moorish final dessert of the evening. 

A decadent Blueberry and Lemon Cheesecake with Blueberry Yoghurt Sorbet perfectly balanced by a rather charming Chenin blanc based dessert wine from France Coteaux du Layon Vieilles Vignes with hints of baked apples, quince and pineapple.

 Next up was a double shot Macchiato accompanied by petit fours, the fudge was a tad too sweet for me but the delicate sponge cake went down a treat. 

Attentive yet non obtrusive service, a knowledgeable sommelier and an excellent team make this place special. 

The head chef Martin Major should at this point take a bow for the fantastic food that came out of his kitchen this evening, beautifully plated, flavoured and faultless. 

What's that old saying, yes never judge a book by its cover, forget the outdated decor as the food speaks for itself. 

The damage 

The contact details 

Flesh and Buns

Flesh and buns my new favourite place to do brunch, fabtastic sushi, amazing soft shell crab and unlimited prosecco. What more could a boy ask for. 

Today I had the pleasure of accompanying my American posse to this fantastic venue, part of the bone daddies group, this place holds its own with its unlimited small plates, sushi, calamari, chicken wings , broccoli and the soft shell crab had my taste buds going crazy. 

Amazing service coupled with quality food makes this place a Sunday retreat.

 Ok I admit it despite my steak and steamed bun tasting a bit strange, those small plates of moorishness will see me taking a few friends back to enjoy what I would call Londons best Asian fusion brunch #bring it on. 

I will leave the dessert and Camden councils warning on the toilet doors for you to discover. 

Get booking as Sunday's will never be the same  

HKK

Hkk simply awesome, every plate perfectly presented. from the truffle dumpling, spiny lobster and pumpkin soup to the  roasted cherry Wood Peking duck with its unique flavouring and 1st class crunchiness left you wanting more.

We started our evening with cocktails at the bar before entering the understated dining space. We opted to go for the £88 tasting menu with paired wines for £48.

Our amuse bouche  was a rather elegant crab jelly with fig. 

Course 1, a pan grilled dumpling with black truffle vinegar paired with sake , we quickly progressed to the fantastic 2014 Neil Ellis Chardonnay from South Africa a perfect a compliment to our spiny lobster and pumpkin soup.

Course 3 saw us experience Dim sum heaven in the form of the trilogy,

Monkfish, lobster and caviar, Label Rouge chicken and foie gras accompanied by a gin cocktail.

Course 4, the roasted cherrywood duck perfectly paired with a Pinot Noir.

Course 5, Char grilled Black Cod in royal shacha sauce accompanied by a 2014 Soave-Pieropan La Rocca with its fresh nose, with citrus aromas, peach, and hints of exotic fruits.

after sampling 5 amazing plates of moorishness, Course 6 was extremely disappointing "the slow cooked veal with brown jasmine rice was lacking in flavour and cooked to death. The accompanying American Pinot noir failed to rescue it.

The dessert courses were heaven on a plate,Lemon peel brûlée with smoked apricot followed by chocolate strawberry and soya mousse. Paired with a rather nice Moscato.

The also have a vegetarian tasting option, which equally looked and tasted great. 

 

Dinner for 4, including cocktails,wine pairings for 2, water and service £545,94.

If you looking for London's finest duck, I would head to HKK"Duck will never be the same again"