london

Jackson & Rye

Posted on by leolawrence94

Jackson & Rye, Soho, London

Always ones to seek out American dining options in London, we headed eagerly to Jackson & Rye in Soho for lunch this week. Having seen branches in Richmond and Chiswick as well, this had been on the list for a while and the bustling Soho branch seemed like a good place to try it out.

Upon entry, we realised that this was more than your typical American diner in that it was more specifically themed as a southern, New Orleans style restaurant. The décor was elegant, featuring lots of mirrors, a large deep oak bar and beautifully tiled floors, evoking a wartime Deep South atmosphere. Big fans of the Big Easy, we welcomed the NOLA classics on the menu, such as shrimp poboys and gumbo and settled straight into a refreshing New Orleans beer as we contemplated our options.

Not willing to mess around, we went straight for the main course. My sister (henceforth to be named Old Sibling/Ole Sib, I have just decided on a whim) opted for an avocado shrimp burger that didn’t disappoint. I, on the other hand, like my chicken fried (a cold beer on a Friday night, a pair of jeans that fit just right – holla to all you Zac Brown Band fans out there) and went for a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich. As soon as the lettuce was whipped out (this ain’t called holdthelettuce for no reason), I relished this perfectly fried chicken cutlet that was accompanied by some delightfully crispy skinny fries. There is true happiness in fried food.

Not to be deterred by the sheer volume of fried goods we had just consumed, dessert was calling in the form of s’mores. S’mores (the shortening of ‘some more’) are an integral part of the typical American kid’s life and symbolise EVERYTHING THAT IS GOOD about this world. The crackers must be Graham crackers; the chocolate must be Hershey’s and the marshmallows must be… marshmallows… I think. Above all, s’mores are best consumed around a camp fire where you can spear your marshmallow on a stick sourced straight from the ground and inevitably end up with a gooey, sloppy mess that tastes like heaven.

However, since starting fires in restaurants is frowned upon, we settled for our s’mores served on a plate. After removing a questionable green sprig that I can only assume was placed on top of the s’more as a decorative joke, we delved into the goodness. A fancy version of the campfire classic, Jackson & Rye’s giant s’more had us wanting some more for sure.

Stuffed to the britches, we concluded that Jackson & Rye was a great choice to fulfil our American cravings. The soundtrack to our dining experience was spectacular, conjuring up images of dancing along the Bayou with upbeat jazz music that I imagined was being played by Louis the alligator from The Princess and The Frog. The only thing left to do now is return to NOLA and set up my own restaurant like Tiana (Disney references will not be used sparingly).

http://www.jacksonrye.com

The White Horse

Posted on by leolawrence94

The White Horse, Richmond, UK

The White Horse pub in Richmond was the next destination visited to elude the Jonas storm-soaked streets of London. A classy, family-friendly gastropub, The White Horse offers an excellent foodie alternative to the more traditional pub, The Red Cow, around the corner.

Having chosen to dine here on a Thursday evening, the vibe was lively as the weekly pub quiz was about to take place. Despite being more on the upmarket end of the pub spectrum, The White Horse boasts an excellent entertainment schedule throughout the week including the pub quiz, an open mic night and important sporting occasions (for example, it will be showing the upcoming England Six Nations Rugby games).

We were seated in a quieter corner of the restaurant because of the impending pub quiz and proceeded to peruse the menu, which was extensive and featured classic pub dishes. The cool thing about the menu, however, was that it was presented to us attached to comic books and old cartoon annuals. Ours were Spongebob Squarepants and Pokemon annuals – an enjoyable throwback to my E-number fuelled childhood and an entertaining touch for young and old!

Now for the food. We started with the salt and pepper squid. Suitably salty and peppery, this was a great start to the meal with a light lemon mayonnaise that can make even the mayonnaise doubters of the world (me) reconsider. Thankfully there were also only a few full squid that popped up in the bowl, which is a positive for me since personally I prefer to eat only the squid rings. I could talk (or write) for many hours about the ignorance of human carnivores in understanding and accepting where their food comes from and the gap in education in this situation but, alas, I shall save this for another time. All this to say that I, too, am a culprit of denying that my food was once a living being.

On a lighter note, our equally carnivorous main course of steak and chips was excellent. As rare as requested, the meat was tender and juicy and the hand cut chips were everything that one celebrates about British pub food. Combined with a delectable mushroom sauce and a bottle of Malbec, the main course was a success and was very nicely presented without being too annoyingly fancy for such a classic dish.

For dessert, we were recommended the sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel ice cream, which presented a conundrum since I love sticky toffee pudding but haven’t come around to the salted caramel hype. With a leap of faith, we took the recommendation and it paid off in spades. The sticky toffee pudding (apologies for the repetition of this long dessert name but the abbreviation to STP made it sound like something one wouldn’t be inclined to consume for dessert) was sticky but not too heavy and – shock horror – the salted caramel ice cream was a welcome addition. I will eat my words. And more salted caramel ice cream as long as it comes attached to a sticky toffee pudding.

All in all, a lively but still tasteful pub atmosphere was accompanied by a wonderful meal featuring some poor sea creatures (RIP) and excellent British classics. The only other thing I will mention is that the dessert wine is only sold by the bottle, so be warned that when you want to be fancy you may also get a little sloppy, but this will probably only add to your pub quiz experience.

http://www.whitehorserichmond.co.uk

Muriel’s Kitchen

Posted on by leolawrence94

Behold the inaugural restaurant post! Many posts are in the making and will be posted shortly but here’s the first one to get the ball rolling…

Muriel’s Kitchen was the chosen retreat from the elements on this week’s rainy Tuesday afternoon in Richmond. As soon as we stepped in the door to avoid the British version of Storm Jonas, the atmosphere was relaxed and inviting with a homely feel and great lighting. The rustic tiled floor complemented the wooden tables and the quirky cooking implements that acted as wall decorations. The vibe was almost that of walking into the kitchen of classy country cottage. So far, so good.

Upon being seated at a quaint table with a tiny potted plant, we opted for a skinny cappuccino and a hazelnut latte. Both arrived promptly and were of a great quality – I’m a big fan of foam so that was a win. When they arrived, despite having said we were just here for drinks (life on an unemployed budget), we ordered a red velvet cupcake and a dulce de leche brownie.

It turns out these were excellent choices. The red velvet cupcake was beautifully presented, albeit slightly challenging to consume owing to its towering nature. The history behind red velvet cake is intriguing. Beetroot colouring has been used since wartime to add colour to bland ingredients, however the original red velvet recipe originated in New York in the 1960s in the famed Waldorf Astoria New York. After the secret recipe was leaked, it became a fashionable choice of New York’s affluent population for their classy gatherings.

Given its history, popularity and current fashionable nature, the red velvet cupcake is a highly scrutinised cake. Luckily, Muriel’s Kitchen’s take on the classic did not disappoint. The cream cheese icing was perfection – tart enough to enjoy in more-than-moderation without being sickly – and the cupcake itself was moist (I bemoan the use of this word but am awaiting the world’s discovery of a better word to describe good cake).

Our other choice, the dulce de leche brownie, was a dark, gooey piece of chocolaty goodness marbled with soft caramel that oozed from the centre. The only downside to this brownie was having to precisely and delicately divide it to ensure we both got an equal amount of caramel. As the younger sibling, I object to being short-changed in this manner. The exceptional thing about the desserts we sampled was that, although they were visually striking, they exuded the Grandma’s cooking vibe that was described in the menu. Another success for the chefs of Muriel’s Kitchen.

An all round solid culinary experience was only added to by the excellent soundtrack in the restaurant, from jazzy swing music that transported us to the Bayou to contemporary Florence and the Machine and Jessie Ware to old school Fleetwood Mac and The Pretenders. I was digging it. Despite only going for coffee and cake (which maybe turned into a bottle of wine as well…), the menu was appealing and extensive and reasonably priced for such an enjoyable experience. Muriel’s Kitchen most definitely lived up to its ‘Home Sweet Home’ slogan and we will surely be returning to enjoy it once more.

http://www.murielskitchen.co.uk

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