Bite Of The Week

Eats - Viet Hoa

Now, anyone who knows East London’s Hipster farm Shoreditch, knows that the streets are not only lined with fashionista’s, but they are also lined with an endless bounty of Vietnamese restaurants. Some good, some bad and some that would make you run for the hills in your vintage-one-of-a-kind-platforms-that-prince-once-wore. 

Fear not food lover, I’ve tried them all (Yeah, that’s right – I’ve taken a few for the team on this one!)  and I am here to tell you that Viet Hoa is the one that will give you the most  bang for your buck. The service might be a bit on the slow side and the staff might nod along even though they are clearly confused, but they are very attentive and polite….so we forgive them a bit of miscommunication!

The food is tasty, fresh and is easily one of my top 5 for this area. Now I have found it, there is no looking back.

Top bites – Deep fried squid, summer rolls or any of the pho soups.

Price - £10 a head without booze.

Location – 70-72 Kingsland Road, E2 (nearest stations Hoxton, Liverpool Street or Old Street)

www.viethoarestaurant.co.uk

Drinks – Golden Bee

“So, there is a rooftop bar that serves cocktails, has an outside fire and you get blankets.”

Yeah, you heard me.

It had been a hard week and the lure of a blanket and a cocktail list was basically the best news I had been given since Take That announced they were reforming. (Robbie, thanks for making dreams come true.)

Golden Bee is right in the heart Old Street in East London (Or Silicon Roundabout for all you tech heads!) It features 2 floors. The first being loud, full of city types and garish in décor. The second being high up in the skyline, complete with a fire pit, fairy lights, blankets and an extensive cocktail list that will keep you tucked under a blanket for hours. (They have haribo infused vodka for those of you with a sweet tooth.) 

If you want to relax, be totally zen and watch aeroplanes crossing the city skyline, get involved. This is easily one of the nicest spots in London right now. (Just a heads up cocktail lovers, the rooftop bar requires you to navigate two sets of spiral staircases. If you suffer with vertigo, don’t leave until you can’t see or you have a sober mate to help you down!)

Tipple – Passion Fruit Collins / Old Street Mule

Price – £8-10 for cocktails / wine (bottle) around £15-20

Location – Singer Street, Shoreditch.

http://www.goldenbee.co.uk

Bite of the Week: Monikers Hoxton Square

There’s been a spate of new openings in the Shoreditch area recently, but we've got to give a special mention to a venue that pulled us back multiple times, the splendid Monikers in Hoxton Square. We visited no fewer than three times in its opening week, and I’m going to tell you why.

Firstly the décor is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the venue’s history, which used to be part of the neighbouring church’s school. There’s an assortment of science beakers, a giant rolling chalkboard where they scribble specials and an old cloakroom bench is transformed into seating. A mezzanine level is fronted as a bus and there’ll be diner style booths upstairs when it’s finished. This could all trigger dark memories of terrible school dinners but with big bright windows leading onto a terrace and a pretty bar area it feels more like The Breakfast Club but set in Britain: a little naughty and full of potential.

On our first visit the barman made us a killer Bloody Mary and a delicious rhubarb concoction called the Greta Garbo. The English Patient with elderflower, apple and blueberries was a little sweet for my taste but still very nice. Later I dipped into their selection of reds, which were pleasant but I couldn't convince my companion to splurge on my favourite, Montepulciano, which they only sell by the bottle. A good shout for the meatier end of the menu is the Kernel Porter – very robust with roasted malts and a hint of chocolate that would go well with a game option.

The food is a sort of British tapas / modern European deal. I won’t talk you through the whole menu - top line is I've worked my way through most of it and it's all pretty good - but the stand-out dishes include honey mustard chorizo, grilled leeks, scallops and the chips. The bacon chop was perfectly cooked with a satisfying saltiness and actually could’ve done as a main on its own if you’re not into sharing. The buttermilk chicken was probably the only plate I didn't rate so highly as I prefer my fried chicken with a little kick but my friend liked the unusual pairing with tartare sauce.

Similarly on the dessert menu the buttermilk pudding was a little overwhelmed by the citrusy rhubarb however the chocolate marquise was outstanding. A velvety mousse on a thin sponge base topped with honeycomb. One of the best desserts I've had in a while. Well worth the calories and a smooth salted caramel ice-cream to accompany it. My only regret was sharing it.

So, a fun atmosphere, distinctive menu and great drinks: all in all, Monikers could distract us long enough from kissing boys behind the bike shed to teach us a thing or two about running a decent restaurant.


Good for – boozy brunch, casual date, friendly catch up, informal business
Bad for – Dating the principal
£ - about £25/head

Find them at 16 Hoxton Square, Hoxton, London, N1 6NT

Opening Hours:
Tues to Thurs 6:00pm – 11:00pm
Fri to Sat 10:00am – 12:00am
Sun 10:00am – 4:00pm

Book on 020 7042 7720 and follow @MonikersHSQ for updates.

Purl NW3

For weeks buzz has been building around sleepy Hampstead village and between various gastrophiles regarding Fluid Movement’s extension of the Purl brand with Purl NW3 and first 'no booking' restaurant offering, Dach & Sons, both housed at 68 Heath Street. This is part 2 of our review of both establishments.

Purl NW3


We headed upstairs to Purl NW3 as we had some time to kill before the gig we were going to later in the evening.  The décor had the same cosy vibe as the original Marylebone venue but there was still a bit of work to be done (e.g. hanging the curtains a bit better) however, there was a stunning gold leaf ceiling that had been uncovered during the renovations and pretty glass and wood tables. Run as a separate venue they’re sticking to the original Purl missive of craft cocktails with theatrical mixology based cocktails made by industry leading staff. However, a full menu was yet to be developed on our visit, as they wanted to have offerings unique from the Marylebone outpost.

Having said that, they had brought over their star drink, ‘Mr Hyde’, which is a spin on the tradition rum and coke. I plumped for this as it’s made with wonderfully smooth rum and the chocolate reduction component made it feel like a suitable dessert substitute. Served in a custom Victorian potion style bottle amid bubbling dry ice it definitely attracted a few glances and made it feel quite special. My friend had the Perfect Lady, which was comprised of gin, peach brandy and lemon with egg white foam. This was stupendous, slightly reminiscent of a fruit meringue. 

The big discussion of the night was whether this type of venue was sustainable with competition from the slew of central and east London venues. While it is a bit of a trek up the northern line and has to compete with cheaper gastropubs in the area, we settled on the fact that there is nothing like it nearby and given that equally remote Purl draws a consistent crowd we keep our fingers crossed that the other local residents agree.

The Hide

The Hide Bar in London Bridge is tucked away at the top of Bermondsey St (a convenient stroll from man of the moment Jose Pizzaro’s outstanding tapas bar). They have an extensive menu and career bartenders who know their stuff, with a good jazz soundtrack and comfy sofas. It was pretty quiet when we went as that it was early in the week but the staff told us that it was a popular after-work hangout on Thursdays and Fridays but at the weekend it was very much a bartenders’ bar.

What’s really great about this place, however, is the Tuesday tasting sessions (thanks for the tip GinMonkey). Hosted sporadically throughout the year they are just £15, which is pretty cheap when compared with other establishments, which usually go for £40 a pop. I went to ‘Do Brands Matter?’ with an old flatmate as a treat for his birthday and while I was looking forward to it, I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so informative.

We were actually the only two there so it was a private lesson at the little vintage bar in the corner of the main bar rather than the back room they use for bigger parties but it wasn’t too noisy and great that we got to ask a lot of questions.

We started off with a Martinez made with Old Tom gin and variations on the vermouth – I’d had my first Martinez not long before and it was a little powerful for me as I was already a few down. I’m trying to get into more classic drinks as the sweeter modern ones don’t really do it for me anymore. So, I was a little apprehensive but decided to throw myself into the spirit of things.

The first was made with Martini Rosso, it was a lot sweeter than I’d had before, quite light and pleasant and the second with Antica Formulae. Initial sips were a lot herbier but after a while I really settled into it. With the Antica Martinez I could see it going well with a cheese board; something I’d mix for friends at home or if I was just out for a couple of after work drinks whereas the Martini Martinez it was a lot more of a session cocktail. Both made me re-evaluate my relationship with vermouth, though for both of us the Antica won hands down.

Martinez

We moved on to Daiquiris, one with Chairman’s Reserve and another with Diplimatico Anejo. I knew we were safe here as once upon a bartending time I used to be able to blind taste rum (a skill I have since lost apart from major brands and personal faves). Chairman’s is probably in my top 5 favourite rums and in the daiquiri the raisin and vanilla notes balanced nicely with the citrus to end with that nicely rounded oaky finish. The Diplimatico was also good, but just a touch too sweet and spicy for my personal tastes and would’ve worked better (for me) with something creamier that would pick out its fudgey notes. As our host pointed out, the evening was about finding what worked for you, and my companion really liked the Diplimatico.

Finally we had an Old Fashioned, one with Buffalo Trace, the other with Fighting Cock. Now I’m not a whisk(e)y fan, I have been known to equate certain brands to rat piss (not that I know what rat piss taste like, but I can imagine) however, my first positive experience of the spirit was with Buffalo Trace so I crossed my fingers. It ended up being pretty pleasant - the sugar and the chilling really took the edge off - but for me the Fighting Cock was still a little too punchy. I think I like the ritualistic element of the slow stir and the fact that it’s impossible to neck in three sips, which counter-intuitively meant it lasts a lot longer than a Julep would've.

Old Fashioned and Daiquiri

So we got six cocktails each for £15 – that’s pretty sweet deal considering on menu they’d be around £8 each (a saving of roughly 70%). Since this evening I have been ordering a lot more of the classic style cocktails, particularly the Martinez which is now competing with gimlets for my favourite tipple, so my objectives were met for the evening. I’d definitely go back on a Sunday to soak up some more knowledge and delve a little deeper into the cocktail menu. 

See you in SE1,

TGOC