Weather woes continue to ground my eating habits as the 2nd week of the New Year leads me to venture out to…only about as far my local pub. Not that it was a bad thing since I spend alot of time in the Prince Regent anyway. It was as if someone upstairs had decided that it was finally time to write about the my local pub.

Ahh so welcome, welcome to the great and grand Prince Regent. If you should ever walk past this imposing establishment do make sure you take a peek inside and if you spot a chinese guy twittering from his macbook, then you’ll know LondonEater.com is getting updated fairly soon. I have a love affair with vintage pub spaces that are suitably quiet enough to get a good day’s worth of writing done. As much as I like battering away in my blogger’s studio, my mind longs for more space, and frankly abit of humanly interaction. My romance began with an excellent hotel pub/restaurant while I was based out in Pembrokeshire, Wales (once upon a time) called the Old King’s Arms. Pembroke is a port town and the local restaurants serve up daily hauls of the freshest catch. The best grilled monkfish, warmly toasted pawn mar (a soft cheese, like a brie) , a proper Welsh breakfast (cockles and bacon) and even a crispily fried duck confit. If the Old King’s Arms was one part of the trendy London pub food culture – it would score very high marks. For about two months, I ate at the King’s arms every other day, sampling pretty much everything on the menu. That place just had something very human about it. I loved it because I felt connected to it… wow the snow has turned up my cornometer. Sadly though, I haven’t found a London equivalent which serves pub food quite to the same standard (note: I am due to visit Harwood Arms soon). I am however glad to have a pub (close to me) which has such a comfortable space.

Enter the Prince Regent, a 4 minute hop around the neighbourhood and is both pub & dining room, serving food throughout the day. I usually have breakfast here though the real reason I like hanging out here is because the breezy environment is conducive enough to get alot of ‘work’ done. The expansive bar area is abit like a London version of Central Perk. Very cosy wooden floors and huge leather sofas to sink into. Ahh….and the wifi is reasonably quick as well (food and fuel, in case you are wondering). Over the years, I have had pretty much everything on the menu, ranging from their rather watery (but edible) eggs benedict for breakfast, to their epically oversized fish and chips (ooh so good) – complete with proper dollops of mushy peas. Their cappuccinos aren’t roasty enough, but as it is my local, with such a beautiful space, it’s hard not to love it.

Anyway, so let’s get the ball rolling with the starter of Foie Gras and Chicken Liver pate with Red Onion Chutney (£6).

The pate was smooth like whipped air, however I was really disappointed with it being so bland – just a faintest hint of liver was picked up. The miserly crackles of sea salt annoying sprinkled on one corner of the pate suddenly seemed significant. I liked that the portion was suitably large , but it completely lacked oomph factor. The red onion chutney was forgettable. My major gripe with this dish however was their choice of bread. A single slice of toasted wholemeal bread cut into four strips is not fooling anyone. I can understand their need to dial up the ponce meter being that we were in Kensington but for heaven’s sake, can they not invest in some proper bread? A brioche perhaps, maybe a ciabatta, flame it or roast it if you wish, something, anything, I could walk to partridges next door (!) to grab a baguette for a pound, but to serve a single toast cut into four strips. Let the pigs fly won’t you. I could hardly spread the pate on the massacred bread.

Epic fail in my book.

Unfortunately, this gets worse and it pains me to report on the next dish: duck confit with lentil puree and a crispy bacon jus (£13).

Good news first : the lentil puree was good, starchy, hearty and something I would guess is healthier than a plain jane potato mash.

Now the bad news : Crispy bacon jus – utterly inedible, it had a very papery mouthfeel, I don’t know, tasting juices from pieces of dry bacon was like sipping on a lard and vinegar cocktail. The confit was very bland, I was salting it heavily. The skin was not crispy, it was soggy and sort of rubbery, and the meat was just dry and horribly overcooked. Duck and bacon just didn’t do work for me, really I am actually better off chewing on paper than this torrid example of duck confit.

I have to say, food didn’t used to be like this. It used to be rich, hearty, full of flavour, proper pub grub, instead of this aspiring poncy mess. There are lots of good pubs around serving wholesome grub and on their current form, The Prince Regent is merely average. You know, I’ll put this one down to a bad day in the kitchen, and as it was snowing outside, maybe their usual salt supplier didnt show up that day or something. Despite my cutting stance on the food, I still enjoy hanging out at The Prince Regent and as a long term customer, I would happily return, fearful that the chefs might poison my coffee after reading this, but hopeful that they will return to their former glory days once again.

You can view more photographs of the meal here.

The Gist of It

The Prince Regent Official Site £25pp
25 Gloucester Road SW7 4PL
Tel : 020 7589 090
Tube : Gloucester Road

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Cast your mind back a couple of years ago and the emergence of the gourmet burger in this country, particularly London. I contributed my two pennies with a burger shoot-out of my own last year, pitching some of the well regarded burger bars against one another. Since then, the momentum for sleek burgers have subsided. And then I saw this post about what our NY cousins have for lunch.. oh man, it blew my insides away and then some. I am told that we are still lightyears behind American burger places. This year’s burger battle is a much more quiet affair, I’ve decided to focus only on the top two burger joints (arguably) in the smoke: Hache and Byron.

I’m no burger connoisseur, I haven’t tried every burger in the city (if I had I probably won’t be writing this), but I have tried most of the big hitters, and on a pretty regular basis. I live in a unique location in West London where I am within about 10 minutes walking distance from a Byron, Hache and two GBKs. Now, I’ve heard much about the Hawksmoor burger but that’s still on my to-eat list so can’t comment as yet. In anycase, feel free to chime in with a recommendation or two if you know something I don’t.

The Case of the Byron

When I did my burger battle last year, Byron was still the new kid on the block, but today it is very much ‘the’ burger joint, springing up in loads of locations (including twitter) and garnering many an internet fan.

One thing I really like about Byron is that they seem to take feedback seriously and make the little adjustments. Take for instance the mini burgers they once had on their menu – now gone, since people thought the portions were too paltry. Byron are also abit like zen masters, preferring to keep their menu short and focused on the delivery of ‘the perfect burger’. Prices start at £5.95 for the classic. Before we get into food, let’s talk abit about the atmosphere. I think it reflects the Byron mantra, steely, calm, controlled.

Alright – let’s get into the food: We have the blue-cheese burger, £6.95.

Let me just start by saying that I was the biggest GBK fan, the tomato relish is still unbeatable in my humble opinion.

I pick up a Byron about once a month (because its so close) and over the months, I had noticed how the Byron got better, and better and better. The bun is much like a floury sponge capable of soaking up all the good juices without falling to pieces. I’ve noticed how the bun seems to get better and better at holding the burger in when you take a bite. Right now, I think it is at that point where it’s abit special, and miles ahead of the competition (especially GBK). As for the burger itself, well its juicy, its beefy, its flavoursome and its sizzles; It is very nearly perfect to my humble palate.

The strength of the Byron is how all the elements gel together to form one consistent taste – a signature taste I might add – which leaves a real impression on you and makes you want to go back, which is to say that th Byron is something I can eat again and again and again.

I used to be Byron skeptic when they first came on the scene, but as the months rolled by, I actually think that they are continually refining the perfect burger and they’ve now got something distinctive.

The Case of Hache

Hache has universally been hailed as the best burger makers in town and few can fault them. Their secret to burger success, is to not to serve burger with their burgers…. They serve steak haches instead. As I said, I’m no connoisseur, but with Hache, I believe the main difference with their burgers is that it is made from chopped steak as opposed to minced beef.

I think the décor at Hache has infinitely more ambiance than any other burger place in town. It has lots of warming lights and it feels more like a neighbourhood restaurant. I especially liked that they were playing Ella Fitzgerald at the Fulham Road branch, it’s magic, especially on a lonely Wednesday night. I was glad that they have relaxed their photography policy, which really ticked me off. When I was there last week, they didn’t seem to mind my D700.

The Hache burgers are just a tad dearer with the classic steak au naturel starting at £6.95. Now, the Hache menu is much longer and has more variety. In addition to steak haches, there are fish burgers, duck burgers and lamb burgers. I was a little disappointed to see the cod burger being taken off, I loved it when I had it.

Anywho – I ordered the Sicilian: parma ham and melted premium mozzarella cheese, £8.95.

I asked for it medium rare, it was cooked as requested. Tick. The hache texture is rubbery and bouncy compared to a ‘normal’ mince burger. I was disappointed that my burger was abit dry and unenthusiastic. It was tepid and it didn’t impart that grilled sensation. Flavourwise, a lot beefiness but on the whole it didn’t feel alive in my mouth. The hache bun is probably its weakest link – in short it’s crap. You cannot palm a hache in your hand, this posh cow requires you to eat it with a fork and knife. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but compared to Byron who have perfected the dark arts of the burger experience, I think Hache has lost abit of its bite.

The king is dead, long live the king

I tell you what was smashing at Hache: the mocha (£2.50) , the deep chocolate infused coffee was a devilish way to end my meal.

I think Hache has taken a step back, I distinctly remember being properly blown to bits once upon a time, last week it was good but not memorable. On the other hand, Byron continues to wow, everytime I go back, I feel like I’m having yet another enhanced version of an already perfect recipe. I just get the feeling that Byron are obsessed with their product, and that can only be good news for this regular burger goer.

If you have yet to give Hache a try, I would still recommend it because it is still pretty special in its own right. But for me, given the choice, I would go to Byron again and again. Long live the king, baby.

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It is true british food has a bad reputation. It’s so bad even british people think so too… but not everybody. There is a growing contingent ( or I should say, one that has always been there, but just very quiet ) who know that British food is more than curry chips and fried fish. It so happens, I’m one of those buggers.

SW Seven

South kensington is home to some landmarks such as the Royal Albert Hall, the natural history museum and is in fact, just off the side of hyde park where you can catch a glimpse of the Prince Albert statue in all its golden glory. Its suburbia and very residential. Did I mention that it’s also terribly expensive to live in this particular part of town?

So what is the point of me telling you this? Well, its history. Launceston Place has history. It’s been serving the residents for many a moon, but recently ( as recent as 8 months ago I believe ) , the old management ran out of steam and sold the place on.

Today, at the helm is Chef Tristan Welch, formerly of Petrus, of Marcus Waering fame and yes, formerly of the Ramsay empire. Excellent pedigree, so expectation naturally, is high.

Enter the Great British restaurant

I’ve walked past this place many times on my way to Wholefoods on High Street kensington and have always been rather intrigued by their sunday roast menu. Then one day, it shut down for refurbishments and when it eventually re-opened, it just looked as if Mark Ronson did a remix version. I.e. it looks cooler now.

Black woods and pristine, pressed white table cloths. The restaurant is very smart and very clean, almost too clean to the point where I felt I like I had to put on a jacket just to eat there. They have comfortable long sofas for the tables by the window. Very nice for the lady to just sink into, I suppose.

This reminds me of the time I was told that is table manners for the man to sit facing the wall (or window in this case) such that you give the lady your absolute, undivided attention. What say you ladies?

Intense, I do digress.

What’s for lunch?

Today I popped into for a spot of lunch. The weather is just all over the place these days. One day its sunny, the next is raining. If only it were sunny all year round, London would be such a beautiful town. Then again, it’d be nicknamed something like the big glare instead of the big smoke, which is a cooler name.

I do digress, yet again.

Their £18 three-course lunch menu caught my eye, have a look on their website here. I noticed that it’s pretty seasonal. On their website, starters include a duck rillette & spider crab risotto and they’ve got cornish lamb with globe artichokes for mains; on the occasion I went, the duck & the lamb were replaced with scallops & roast plaice respectively.

For £18, all the ingredients are of quite high standards. Ok so, I’m only expecting three courses, right?

Well, not quite , yes its good, smiley face. While I studied the menu, they brought over these rather interesting razor thin crisps with a rather lovely and smooth garlic cream cheese dip.

Cool, so what’s for lunch?

Pre-starters

Oh, hang on this doesnt look like my spider crab risotto starter. Not yet, while I wait (for my trouble) , they bring over a hearty celeraic soup with toasted almonds.

(Freebie!)

A mightily tasty one to boot as well. It is, what I can only describe as a savoury espresso. It’s quite thick and creamy, it’s a very straightforward soup and a good way to start, even though technically, I’ve not started as yet.

At this point I must point out the elaborate service as well. The sommelier is professionally warm, once he took my order, two waitresses started shuffling in the background and one of them started by placing my cutlery and then proceeded to perform a well-choreographed dance by placing the crisps, then stealthily inserting the butter and the garlic cheese before another finally brings the bread basket for a choice of soda brown or white.

Yeah it was pretty fun.

Spider crab risotto

Before I had a chance to take a picture, the rice was actually covered in a cooked spider crab shell, which looked really interesting. And then, ‘Waala’, oh that smell! The immediate fragrance of the crab fills the table and was just lovely. Garlic, olive oil and crab infused, the smell had me salivating even before I lifted my fork.

A mouthful. Rich, creamy and steamy. The sauce was definitely made with the broth from boiling the shell of the crab. The seafood juices are fully developed and very dominant, it’s given way to a buttery, creamy and just very rich palate of savouriness.

The rice, I will note, is a little different from conventional risotto. It’s not soft and creamy, rather it’s quite chewy and the individual pieces of rice don’t stick together. Small matter, because it gives it an interesting texture which I’m not really used to. It’s a good twist that works, oh I have to mention that sauce again. I think I’m getting some saffron as well, but really it’s just so rich, almost alittle too rich as I come to finishing the dish, but very good indeed. A heavy starter albeit but a very appetising one.

Beef Anglais

The mains is a beef casserole with sweet carrots, crispy bacon, radishes and a parsnip puree. The sauce is very light and just barely coats the ingredients. I started with the carrots, which are gently sweet. The radishes give the dish a crunchy and fresh edge to the bite, while that parsnip mash is just umami-rich and gives it alot of savoury goodness. The vegetables, in addition to the bacon combine to produce a perfumery fragrance to the dish. Very colourful both visually and tastefully.

Oh, the beef is so tender and just falls apart upon cutting. It’s definitely slow-cooked (for a very long time) and it’s given way to a very soft texture indeed. The taste of the beef is very mellow and it feels like the beef is there to provide a backbone to the flavour profile while the rest of the ingredients blend to give the overall taste. This dish is restrained and controlled, mellow and soft almost in total contrast to the rich and big starter. It works, I feel like I had two well-balanced courses. Nothing seems over the top, all the flavours are mild and very straightforward. The chef has a very clear idea of what he wants you to taste and I think that singular focus actually works very well. It’s just straightforward good cooking.

Applause.

Pre-dessert

Wow. They caught me by surprise once again! Another freebie-goodie? This time, for my trouble of waiting for the dessert, they are offering a baked vanilla cream custard with hazelnut nougat. Notice it’s served in a egg shell which is a nice touch, albeit a little gimmicky.

The vanilla custard was very smooth, delicate and mildly sweet. The hazelnut nougat was really a treat. It was nutty, crumbly and tasted of honey. This is almost a twist on the creme brulee. The fact that it was free, just made it taste all the more better.

Will the real dessert please stand up?

So I thought the pre-dessert was good, but this was a real stunner. Officially, its called the cornish cream tea pudding. What it really consists of is a good dollop of cream tea ice cream, the off-cream coloured one in the foreground. Behind it sits the dollop of clotted cream. If you’ve never had clotted cream, its a really thick and luxurious cream that has the texture of a really rich ice cream, like haagen daz, but at room temperature. Its not sweet, but the taste of the cream is very rich. People from devon will say clotted cream is from Devon, and Cornwallians will claim that clotted cream is really, cornish cream.

Either way, it tastes great. The red sauce is raspberry jam that is full of bubbles and very fruitilly bright. I perked up tasting this. I particularly like the cream tea ice cream. At first, it tasted like an infused vanilla ice cream, fragrant but couldn’t quite place that fragrance… and then I thought ah! its tea, hence the nice steamy aftertaste. Finally, the tea cakes allow you to mop up all the nice creamy concoctions. This was such a wonderful way to end the meal.

Thoughts as raindrops fall on my head

I also managed to order a glass of English white, the Bacchus. It was crisp and limey with a sweet peachy finish. A ode to the summer which we never had.

Well I started the meal expecting just three solidly cooked dishes which are British and understated. Instead, what I got was a semi-five course of innovatively constructed dishes, with well-balanced ingredients that hang well together and spot-on cooking which feature superbly delicate tastes. All this for £18. The rain may have dampened my spirits a little, but the food has coloured my mood. If this is what he can offer at £18, I really wonder how great the £42 three course dinner will taste like. But, that is for another day and another meal.