Pancakes at The Diner, Spitalfields

Bridget enjoying her pancakes at The Diner

We love pancakes at our house and Bridget in particular, always chooses them for birthday breakfasts or anytime we're eating out for breakfast or brunch.

One cold morning in the early part of the year, Bridget and I had to head into to Shoreditch for a little job Bridget was doing in the area (she does the odd modelling assignment) and I promised her we could head for some pancakes when we were finished. 

After seeking out ideas from Twitter, someone mentioned The Diner in Spitalfields which is where we ventured too. Unsurprisingly enough, it is in the style of an American diner in decor, all red leather booths and menu, from the breakfast options, shakes, and the range of burgers, dogs and other diner-esque cuisine. It reminded me of the fantastic Tick Tock Diner in New York; hearty well-cooked food but with a friendly service. 

Visiting with a then 3-year old, the staff, all of which were dressed in definite Shoreditch hipster attire, were very welcoming and pleasant. Our kind waiter made helpful suggestions and promptly brought an activity pack with colouring in for Bridget which immediately made him a friend.

Bridget and I both chose pancakes - me the simple buttermilk variety, with maple syrup and honey butter and a side of crispy bacon; on holiday these are always my guilty breakfast indulgence and they didn't let me down here. Perfect fluffy pancakes only improved with the salty crunch of bacon and the sweetness of maple syrup. They were simple, hearty and absolutely fantastic on a snowy-cold February morning. 

As it was a treat, I allowed Bridget the chocolate chip pancakes, which were as mine but enhanced with generous chunks of milk chocolate. Also served with maple syrup, which Bridget hadn't had before, she was beside herself with this decadent dessert breakfast/brunch. She chose an adult sized portion as the chocolate chip variety weren't available on the children's menu, which meant three large, fluffy pancakes; and she eat two of them and some of the third which I think is testament to her verdict. I naturally tried them too and they really were delicious. 

Buttermilk Pancakes at The Diner

The Diner offers reasonably priced children's menu too which includes a single buttermilk pancake, a cheeseburger, chicken strips with fries, mac and cheese and even a vegan burger, and we will definitely return to try some of the other items on the menu.

I paid around £20 for our pancakes with a latte, sparkling water and juice for Bridget and will be sure to return. I would love to try the thick shakes or a coke float, for a trip down memory lane next time.

The Diner is a cosy, welcoming American diner in the heart of Spitalfields and when the weather is cold and damp, I doubt you'll find a more welcoming port in the storm.

Absurd Bird, Spitalfields

Last weekend I enjoyed a Saturday night feast at Absurd Bird, the Spitalfields outpost, with Glen, my brother Dan and his partner. Dan had already been and praised the bottomless brunch offering, so we thought it was worth checking out.

As the name suggests, there is a wide selection of chicken available at Absurd Bird - the website's description reads 'Fried Chicken, Cocktails, Waffles and tunes', and despite that sounding a bit 'try hard', there's no denying this is a trendy little venue, in a vibrant area.

Arriving at 830 on Saturday night we had to wait 30 minutes for our table (which we had booked) as the place was jam packed, with a mixture of young hipsters, couples, and groups of friends. We were happy to wait at the bar, but with only two staff on, attending to all the tables' orders, we were in for a bit of a wait.

Once seated, three of us ordered the 'chicken tenders', which were exactly as described on the menu, deep fried, delicious and with fantastically moist chicken inside. We ordered an array of dipping sauces, which all hit the spot too, from blue cheese, honey and mustard and a sriracha mayo.

Chicken Tenders, Absurd Bird

Glen always likes to be different and chose the jalopeno cheese biscuits with apple butter - basically a cheesy scone which he enjoyed.

Jalopeno Cheese Biscuits, Absurd Bird

Inspired by the deep South, the menu boasts about being 'stateside; in portions, and they're not wrong, after the first course, I was already feeling stuffed.

Two of us, including me, chose the crispy fried chicken burger, which was excellent, served with a BBQ sauce, coleslaw and salad, it just about nailed the perfect chicken burger criteria for me. After years of craving KFC as my go-to hangover cure, and being disappointed with the reality, this basically epitomised everything I'd want after a night on the sauce. I could only manage half, which is also exactly like me on a hangover, but testament to the large portion sizes. 

Crispy Fried Chicken Burger, Absurd Bird

Meanwhile, the other two chose the Nashville hot chicken burger, similar to ours, but with hot sauce and a harissa mayo - both were devoured.

Side wise we ordered the fries which had to be returned to the kitchen as they were stone-cold, but when they returned they were great. The mac & cheese was everything you'd expect it to be, creamy, oozing cheese and just delicious. The homeslaw, was OK in comparison, nothing to write home about.

By the time the desserts arrived, I was absolutely stuffed, but still I chose the waffles with caramel
- self explanatory, with a caramel ice cream and caramel sauce drizzled over. It was sweet and wonderful but I only managed a couple of spoonfuls.

Waffled with Caramel, Absurd Bird

Dan had the chocolate chip cookies, which were fresh and warm and his partner had the vanilla ice cream which they shared (a wise choice after all the food) and Glen had the show stopper - the peanut butter cheesecake with more caramel sauce, which was a triumph.

We had cocktails and beer throughout and beforehand and the final bill was around £150 for the four of us; although we had a Groupon voucher, so had less to pay.

The craze for gentrified fried chicken is going nowhere, and I'm not complaining - I'll definitely be giving the bottomless brunch at Absurd Bird a go in the not-too-distant future.

A London Lunch No: 11: Poppies Fish & Chips

There is frankly no greater British food than fish and chips.

Now I’m a great believer in the fact this tends to be much more enjoyable when the sea is in sight, sound and smell; however there are a few absolute gems in the centre of London and Poppies is one of them.

The Spitalfields outlet is decked out in 1940’s and 50’s attire including the uniforms of the staff and the music played - this quirkiness only adds to its’ charm.

I actually visited here on Sunday evening with three girlfriends and enjoyed a fantastic supper, but Poppies is certainly open for lunch time deliciousness too, and it’s definitely worth considering.

I have to recommend the classic cod and chips which is generously portioned, even the ‘regular’ one is plenty for a hungry lunchtime meal. The chips are fresh and fluffy on the inside but crisp and gorgeous on the outside. The cod is fresh, flakey and cooked to perfection with a contrasting crunchy batter on the outside. Simply served with a wedge of lemon and a pot of tartare sauce – this kind of lunch proves that no bells or whistles are required to satisfy a hungry soul.

The regular cod and chips is priced reasonably at £10.90 and with a welcome alcohol license and a very good bottle of Moscato on offer – I would say Poppies is the perfect Friday lunchtime pit stop for city workers, and weekend haunt for anybody in the area.

A London Lunch No. 9: Pilpel – Falafel heaven

A friend and fellow blogger Leila of Swallower of Lives introduced me to Pilpel last summer and I really should thank her for that!

Falafel and hummus are the stars of the show here – it’s a great example of sticking to a small selection of lunch options and executing them very, very well.

You can either opt for a filled pitta or my preference which is a container, filled with your choice of salads, dressings and either hummus or falafel, or if you are anything like me, both.

The salads include everything from cucumber, pickled cabbage, tomatoes, feta and those Middle-Eastern staples of chickpeas, tabbouleh and an irresistible smoked aubergine that I’ve never tried outside of Pilpel which is frankly divine.

The falafels themselves are fantastic – crispy and with crunch on the outside, but moist on the inside and filled with flavour. The hummus is immense – hence why I never opt for the either/or situation – it just has to be both. They also offer guacamole if you fancy mixing it up as well as labneh which is also incredibly moreish but my preference is a good drizzle of tahini and some chilli sauce for a bit of fire.

Pitta comes with the container option and believe me that it’s always a very filling and satisfying lunch.

Everything is priced around the £5.00 mark so it offers good value for money in the centre of the city too – a definite lunch recommendation.

The Pilpel I visited is located on Brushfield Street just off of Spitalfields Market but has another concession inside the market, as well as a branch at St Pauls.

Meson Los Barriles - A Taste of Spain?

For the past 6 years, every summer I have spent one or two glorious weeks on the infamous Spanish party island of Ibiza.

Naturally the bars, clubs and generally hedonistic party lifestyle has been the main reason for returning year after year. However in recent summers, as I moved further and further away from my student days, I began to really appreciate the food.

Ibiza may not be known for it’s culinary greatness, but I think there are some true gems to be found across the island. From the many harbour-front restaurants in Ibiza Town serving traditional dishes such as fresh seafood stews or lobster paellas to some of the simple residential bars dotted in every area of the island where slices of divine cured jamon straight from a big hunk of meat, are served with bowls of plump, juicy Spanish olives, all washed down with rich, fruity sangria.

I love food from the Mediterranean and can honestly say some of my favourite memories of Ibiza come from eating a good meal, with lots of wine and indulging in that age-old sport of people watching - and nowhere else have I ever seen such an eclectic mix of young and old. Some truly happy, relaxed memories.

In a sad nod to my growing years, this year the fantastic White Isle does not look likely to be graced with my presence. Instead I have a few other little trips lined up, beginning on the mainland of Spain - and there will be more on that and my other trips very shortly.
As the summer months have crept up and holidays and weekends away have started getting booked up, the sad truth had to present itself. Although I have some fantastic holidays to look forward to, I’m not heading to Ibiza any time soon. So in a quest to relive Ibizan sunset meals, my White Isle party friend Jenni and I took a few steps East to check out Spanish restaurant Meson Los Barriles in Lamb Street, in Spitalfields Market.

We’d booked ahead and on arrival were greeted like old friends, in a typically Spanish display of hospitality. Our waiter was a very jovial Senor who was happy to make some menu recommendations and was very efficient with bringing us our Rioja, bread and olives. So far, so good. The décor immediately put us in mind of Spain, it was all dark wood, with jamon and red wines on display and even the odd barrel. Once we started on the olives our hopes were getting incredibly high.

Jenni is a vegetarian and as we were having tapas, or finger foods, we opted for a range of veggie dishes.

Firstly we got some Manchego Cheese which came with a quince jelly. I was surprised to find that I really liked the taste of the cheese - I was under the impression that it would be a rubbery, flavourless cheese. I was gad to have this myth shattered. What I found instead was a delicate, creamy yet mild taste which was actually very pleasant. I wasn’t keen on the quince, it was very sweet, and I think it would have better complemented a stronger taste.

We also had an aubergine gratin, which had a cheesy, breadcrumb and herb mix on top. This was a very rich dish, which I enjoyed immensely, the sauce was thick and creamy and had a garlicy flavour running through - it appealed to my greedy nature and I thought it would be a great comfort food. Jen didn’t agree with me though, she found it much too rich, and said she’d have preferred it with about half of the sauce that was used.

Jen has only recently started incorporating fish into diet and after first trying them in Ibiza town a few years ago, now adores prawns (although she does make me peel them for her if they arrive with their shell on). So she’d ordered the Garlic Prawns, which smelt sensational when they reached the table. Jen liked them, but I have to say I found that they were seriously overcooked with the result being garlic-tasting rounds of prawny rubber - I wasn’t impressed and I’d be reluctant to order this dish again.

Finally I couldn’t resist ordering something meaty, so I opted for a classic dish of allubias. This is a white bean stew, cooked very slowly with your choice of meat - I went for the staple Chorizo. The beans had been stewed with garlic and saffron, so they had turned a gorgeous yellow colour, and the whole dish was packed with rich, Spanish flavours. The spicy Chorizo added a depth to the dish and overall this was my favourite dish by far - it was simply mouth-watering. So much so that when the beans and spicy sausage were gone, I mopped up the remaining sauce with some bread. Amazing.

We paid around £45 for our meal including wine and a service charge and the portion size was so good that we both left feeling full, warm and content. Aside from the rubbery prawns which I obviously wouldn’t recommend, the meal was very pleasant. We ended the evening with yet more wine….until next time!

To book a table at Meson Los Barriles, 8 Lamb Street, Spitalfields Market, E1 6AA call 020 7375 3136.

I’m still on a search to find places that bring me a small plate of Spanish sunshine and would appreciate any London or Essex based gems that you may know of.

As to Ibiza - the summer is still young, so I may get there yet!