Say the name’Rioja’ and an image of the densest red wine comes to mind, barrel aged, intensely fruity and unmistakably Iberian; but this most famous region of Spanish wine production is far from monotone. We took a look at a white, a pink and of course, a couple of contrasting red Riojas to see what’s currently available.
Roti Chai Monday Supperclubs
To mark its first birthday, Roti Chai is hosting a series of Monday evening Supper Clubs in its Dining Room with the emphasis firmly on having some fun.
Flavour by Scott Levi
This place isn’t going to feature on any food blogger’s radar, or that of the hair-shirt bien-pensants either who will only knee -jerk sneer at it, but overall the cooking is culinary-exam mode perfect, and yes it does have flavour but what it needs to do is break out, to have fun and to risk being more creative. Maybe even try some of that advertised fusion, of course no one wants to witness a car crash but it wouldn’t hurt Levi to loosen his seat belt just a little bit.
Beer and Food Matching Nights by Meantime
Guzzling bottles of lager in Indian restaurants has hitherto been the most prominent example of’beer and food matching’ but the new, distinctive, diverse range of brews hitting the shelves has got people considering the idea more seriously. To further encourage us to consider beer in this way, beer and food matching nights are regularly held by the Meantime Brewing Company at its Old Brewery restaurant in Greenwich
Plaimont wines in Gers France
A lover of foie gras, Nick Harman heads to Gers in France where the wonderful people of Plaimont wines take him under their (duck) wing and treat him to tastings of their fine reds, whites and the ambrosial, legendary Pacherenc. Two stone heavier, here is his report.
Diwali menu at Moti Mahal
Moti Mahal is high end, but low-key. So low-key in its outward appearance that we miss the entrance- the companion notes,’it’s designed to keep riff-raff like us boho types out’. But then this is a venue that has no need to shout for attention. And when we finally bumble in to the elegant dining room, we’re treated less like riff-raff and more like royalty.
Culture Feast
Douglas Blyde recalls a ‘baijiu’-laden banquet in the cashmere capital of China…
Shifting Fens
Mark Poynton’s journey to the palms (via poor family cooking and a modestly signed fax…)
Three German Wines
Ignoring the nasty, cheap stuff of the bottom shelf and sidestepping the highly priced aristocrats, we’ve taken a look at what’s currently available from good quality producers at a reasonable price.
The Stack at Malmaison
The core flavour of The Stack emanates from the juicy inch-thick patty. The beef is aged for 28 days, ground and seasoned: simple, unfussy, delicious . The sweet cured bacon is of an exceptional quality and nutty notes in the gruyère give a sophisticated complex edge. The onion rings snap and crunch as they should and the bun gift wraps the savoury contents in a semi-sweet parcel.