It is safe to say that The Bull is a restaurant whose success relies upon the convenience of its location. This is not a destination eatery; there won’t be a foodie pilgrimage to the Westfield. The Bull is a pub that does food rather than a ‘gastro pub’. But if you fancy a burger and a beer after conquering the commercial juggernaut, and you don’t go in with any great expectations, then you will probably have a fine time. Hopefully the Ham Hock Hash will still be on the menu.
Va Bene. Soho, London
‘Va Bene’…….roughly translated means, ‘ok’. Somehow this seems a rather inappropriate name for this Italian restaurant, as it’s more than ‘ok’. Va Bene in Brewer Street, Soho, typifies what people fundamentally love about Italian dining – charm, character and warm hospitality, with homemade pasta like your Mamma used to make…….
Sabrina Ghayour, foodepedia’s Queen of the Kitchen appears on Come Dine With Me
Sabrina, foodepedia’s resident cookery writer, undertook the Come Dine With Me challenge last year and her appearance on this bitchy backbiting gorge-fest is being repeated on More4 this Sunday starting at 5.10pm.
The Delicious Miss Dahl?
I must admit that I have actually always quite liked Sophie Dahl. Call it a ‘fat girl’s prerogative’ but since she was discovered by Isabella Blow whilst embroiled in screaming row with her Mother on the streets of Chelsea, I felt she did a lot to represent the curvier women of the nation.
Prawn, Pomelo and Peanut Salad with Herbs
Pomelo is one of my favourite fruits, hailing from Malaysia and Indonesia, it is often used as a refreshing component to salads in the far east. With it juicy and sharp, but not acerbic flesh, its flavour is delicate and sweeter than most citrus and it can be found in supermarkets right now.
Coming events
Some events that are happening this week in Newcastle, Sussex and London.
Chicken Balsamico
As the weather warms up, rosemary, the wonderful aromatic herb is at its best. So now is the time to chop up a few sprigs and stir into your favourite dishes. Its fresh bittersweet flavour and distinctive woody frangrance make it perfect for giving poultry that extra zing.
Alan King says farewell to The Park, as Bar Boulud opens at The Mandarin Oriental in May
I have never written about The Park, though it has held a special place in my heart for some eight years now, long before I started writing for foodepedia, or for london-eating prior to that. It is with sadness tinged with excitement that I will say farewell to The Park, but look forward to the exciting times ahead.
Smeus is the word – Prawns and mash are a gourmet delight in Ostend
You can feel your heart having to pick up steam to handle the closing arteries as you eat smeus. This is not a dish for deskbound workers but for men who’ve spent a day at sea burning calories and getting horribly wet and frozen. The butterered potatoes are as rich and glorious as Joel Robuchon’s famous mash, but stirring in the poached egg makes them even better. And then of course there are the shrimps themselves; ocean fresh, juicy, sweet, briny and delicious
Hors d’ oeuvres – the nicest nibbles
There were ten guests at my most recent hors d’oeuvres party. Charles served wine, sparkling water and fruit spritzers. I served olives, roasted peppers and artichokes from the market, and a cheese platter. I made three hors d’oeuvres as well. Here’s how I did it: