The Fable Bar - Holborn Viaduct

Let me tell you a story…..

I’m a big fan of bars opened by Drake & Morgan. I instantly fell in love with the décor and cocktails on offer at The Refinery, and was dazzled by the food and cocktails at The Drift Bar, so when I was asked if I would like to try the brunch menu at The Fable Bar I immediately thought “this could look like a romantic gesture” and arranged to pop along to the bar with the other half on a lovely sunny Sunday (she cottoned on that it wasn’t a hopelessly romantic gesture very quickly!). 

Based in Farringdon just on the outskirts of the city, The Fable bar sits over three floors and is situation right next to the stunning Holborn Viaduct. Every Drake & Morgan establishment has a theme, and at The Fable Bar it is literary - there are famous quotations everywhere you look, a cool booth made out of stacked books and on the second floor an enormous bookcase. 

This is what Drake & Morgan say about the bar…..

"Once upon a time in a land far, far away The Fable Bar was created for the Drake & Morgan collection. 

Inspired by the fantasy world of fairy tales, the fabulous fables of Aesop & influences from around the globe, it is a bar & restaurant out of the ordinary, where every detail tells a story. A veritable jewel box brimming with unexpected surprises, The Fable offers seasonal food & sensational cocktails alongside bespoke events, fascinating masterclasses & unique customised experiences.

From a writing desk complete with vintage typewriter to the wine shop & florist, ‘Bottles & Blooms’ & the library lined with leather bound story books sourced from vintage markets across the country, expect to be entranced & enthralled".

When we arrived the bar was quite quiet (something I like, so I can hear what people are saying) and the music was at just the right level - after being seated I opted to start with green tea before moving onto a cheeky cocktail, opting for an original Mojito while Rachel went with a passion fruit Mojito. Both were stunning (as I have come to expect from D&M), mine was packed with mint and it packed a punch, they certainly hadn’t been shy with the rum! Now that’s a way to start the day!

The food menu is awesome and there really is something for everyone, but after taking a peek at the menu online before setting off I knew what I was going to be having, and I plumped for the salt and pepper calamari/squid for a starter and the roast beef for my main.

The squid was crispy and well cooked - with a touch of lemon to season the rich batter this had me worried that I would be able to finish my main. The plate was rammed, and as a nice touch there were tentacles so like a child I could wave them in Rachel’s face while making strange noises. It’s the little things that amuse me!

Rachel’s starter looked amazing - she went for a scotch egg with piccalilli. She said that the egg was perfectly cooked and perfectly runny and the piccalilli was spicy enough not to overpower and dominate the taste, but give enough kick that there was a gentle heat. There you go (ripped off directly from her thoughts on brunch).   

For her main she went with a Wagyu Burger served with a blue cheese dressing with a rich tomato chutney. The burger also came with a portion of Cowboy fries which are drizzled in honey, chilli and garlic. I didn‘t like the sound of these but only managed to get to try one before she demolished them. 

As my dish was served my first thoughts were “where’s the beef”, it looked like a bit of a tight fisted portion at first, but then all of the other components of the dish arrived and I immediately thought “oh, sh*t, how am I going to eat all of this”.

The beef was actually just the right amount and cooked to perfection - mine was slightly rare and tender. It was easy to cut, not a hint of sinew and it just melted in the mouth. The vegetables were crunchy, the gravy lovely and rich. Everything had a full flavour and these blended with the honey coating on the carrots to create an absolute taste sensation. I have to confess, I couldn’t eat it all and even worse, I was so stuffed I couldn’t fit in one of the awesome sounding puddings. Instead I went for a pudding cocktail! 

Rachel went with a Tipsy Affogato with vanilla ice-cream, Amaretto and Kahula with a side helping of espresso while I had a Raspberry ripple which is a mixture of Johnny Walker Black, Drambuie and Honey Liquor was topped off with Raspberries and Cream. Holy Jesus! This starts off as a nice creamy number before boom - the Johnny Walker is almost hidden until the end, and as you work your way through you hit a bed of raspberries - it’s sweet, then strong, then sweet again, all topped off with rich cream. It is like a course in itself! 

The food and cocktails at The Fable Bar are out of this world - I have been back since and can’t get enough of those pudding cocktails. This is the perfect place to drop in and read a book over a pint, come for dinner in the evening or just for a bite to eat during the day. It’s clean, the staff are incredibly friendly and the dishes are reasonably priced while the meat is sourced from local butchers. 

The Fable Bar has everything.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Kitchin N1

There is such a thing as a free meal, well there is if you respond to Twitter requests from PR companies.

About 6 weeks ago I sent a random tweet saying that I would like to try Kitchin N1, a restaurant in Kings Cross, just around the corner from my offices and one I’d passed a few times but never ventured in.

Taking inspiration and influence from Indian, Chinise, Italian and Thai recipes the restaurant gives off a vibe of eastern promise and aromas that will assault your sense (in a nice way) while you try and resist the temptation to bury your head into the huge selection of dishes on offer.

Not only does Kitchin have so much food my stomach started to rejoice but the island preparation area allows you to watch in amazement as the chefs cook away.

Entering the restaurant, we were shown to a table and handed a drinks menu which had something for everyone, whether you like your wine, champagne, cocktails, beer or soft drinks, every need is catered for.  The joy of doing a restaurant review allows you to have the attention of the manager for some of the time to throw questions at him, nothing was too much for any of the staff and as we got to grips with how everything worked, I couldn't help but notice the number of people who came in, had their meals and left.

When you go to Kitchin N1, you have your table for around 1.5 hours, 2 hours at the most and as it is buffet style, essentially you can eat as much as you like, but be warned, if you waste excess food, you will be charged for it.

Their is a choice of cold or hot starters and your choices include Greek Salads, houmous, opinion rings, Sushi, onion Bhaji, prawn toast, soups and many many more, you simply go up, take a plate and choose whatever you fancy eating.

These are just some of the starters and main dishes that we made our way through.  Each dish tasted freshly cooked, if it was meant to be hot it was and likewise if it should have been cold it was.  There was nothing I disliked or wouldn't have eaten again.

When it came to trying the mains which were on offer, again there is something for everyone, whether you want it cooked in front of you from the Wok station to make your own stir fry or from the grill station where an option of meats will be presented to you and cooked for you to your liking.  Choices of mains again include dishes such as Pizza of the day, curries such as Rogan Josh, Kormas, Thai Green Curry, italian pastas, chow miens, prawn dishes and rice or noddles.

The final test if all of that hadn't been enough to try is the dessert menu!  By this point, both Rachel and I had been feeling pretty full, but felt it rude not to try a few of the options on offer, well as soon as I saw the chocolate fountain and marshmallows I was in heaven.

There is also a bit of theme for Kitchin N1 at the weekend.  On Friday, Saturdays & Sundays there is a selection of fresh seafood, including Prawns and Mussels as well as certain fish dishes. On Saturday evenings they serve crispy Duck, spring onion, sarded cucumber, hoisin sauce & pancakes and on Sundays there is a full roast!

Price wise, well lunch will cost just £7.99 and dinner in the evening £14.99 with a slight variation at the weekend, all of which can be found on the Kitchin website and to make life easier, you can book your table online too, a straightforward easy to follow form and it is all done for you.

For a restaurant which is hidden away from the bustling streets of Kings Cross on Caledonia Road, it is one which is worth going to find.  The food is exceptionally lovely, there is something for everyone and the experience is something I had never experienced before. From salads which are fresh and crunchy, to meat that is cooked to your liking and hot, curries which are as tasty as they are from your local Indian and desserts which melt in your mouth, it is not somewhere that will break the bank to enjoy good quality cooked food.  

If you are out and about in Kings Cross and are looking for something a little bit different, I urge you to give Kitchin N1 a chance, it is worth every mouthful.

It is so good I’m going again soon.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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Ilumi - Irresistible Taste You Can Trust!

When I see and hear the words "Wheat Free this, Gluten Free, Low Carb and Zero Fat" my immediate reaction is to run like the wind.

In my head (a place you really don’t want to be) such claims usually mean ‘taste free’ and ‘bland’.

The market for allergen free foods is growing, you can tell when supermarkets start to dedicate entire sections to pointing out what is Gluten free or Wheat free. Some of this is just a trend, but if you do have an allergy then you really do need to keep an eye on what you are shovelling down your throat.

Personally I’m not allergic to any foods, but boy am I a fussy eater – I have foods I’ll eat and I stick to them. I also have an annoying habit of smelling my food and if it doesn’t float my boat then it doesn’t touch my lips.

Ever tried to snort a lentil?!?

A few weeks ago, the lovely people at Tribal Media invited me to a quaint little cafe called Vozars in Brixton to sample a range of foods from Ilumi.

Vozars is London's first Cafe that is fully wheat and gluten free – there is such a thing as a free lunch/dinner!

Most readers, like me, will never have heard of Ilumi, but they are a cooking brand who make gluten, wheat, dairy and nut free products suitable for home cooking.

With home cooking in mind, the Illumi food is sold is pouches which can be quickly heated in the microwave, and can also be heated on a hob if the contents are transferred to a saucepan first or you can heat the pouches by immersing them in boiling water.








As a bloke who’s only allergic reaction is to cooking, seeing a product that can be nuked in the microwave and be ready in two minutes was a blessing.


In all honesty, I expected to either find the food dull, bland or unfilling. I was so very wrong.

Ilumi state:

"At ilumi, our absolute guiding principle is to make food that tastes great for everyone to enjoy. Nut-, gluten- and milk- free shouldn't mean free from taste - and with ilumi, it doesn't".

Having just launched their Asian flavours range we had four dishes to try and as a bonus with each course there was a specially chosen wine (which wasn’t gluten free) which helped oil the wheels of conversation. This was after all my first ever PR event




The first course was Sweet Five Spice and Chilli Pork with some rice and it is described as follows:

The spicy aromatics of this dish come from the Chinese 5 spice, with hints of star aniseed, cinnamon, fennel, cloves and black pepper - these combine with the honey to give a dish that is powerfully fragrant & spicy but subtly sweet.



My first impressions were that the dish was packed with meat that was actually meaty – with ready meals you tend to find (and I’m very experienced in this field) that you get the gristle or poor cuts. The aroma was beautiful and had my tastebuds tingling. The taste test had the wow factor and not only did it have a rich flavour, it was filling. One dish down and I was already impressed.

Added into the taste session was really pleasant conversation with……

The second dish was Beef in Black Been sauce and again as with the first course, it was full of flavour, had different textures and the meat most clearly present. You could taste each individual ingredient and once again there were large chunks of beef that actually tasted of beef rather than cardboard.

The product is described as:

" The unique slightly salty, bitterness of the fermented black beans gives a caramelised note and a depth to this Asian dish much as an ale does to a classic beef stew! The beef is cooked in a sauce made from the black beans, along with chili, garlic, soy, vinegar, and a touch of sugar...a great balance of salt, sweet, sour and heat!"




The third dish was Chicken Laska which is described as:

The wonderfully aromatic ilumi Laksa uses a wonderful coconut base sauce, to which we add our marinated chicken, and many aromatic ingredients including lime leaves, ginger, tamarind, red chilli and turmeric. This dish is truly warming, perfect balanced with a kick of chilli.







Personally I’m not a fan of coconut but I found it to be really subtle, again with large pieces of chicken that blended to produce a lovely creamy texture. The chicken melted in the mouth and with the chilli I was blindsided by heat I just wasn’t expecting. It’s mild and couldn’t ever be considered a ‘hot’ dish.

The final dish was vegetable biriyani – as a meat eater this isn’t something I would naturally choose but it was ridiculously filling. It had a rather stodgy texture but once again was packed with flavour. Described as:

"The biryani dish originates from Persia before making its way to India and establishing itself as an Indian favourite. There are many variations of biryani and our delicious ilumi version adds one more to that long list! This mild aromatic rice dish is full of flavour from spices such as cardamom, cloves, coriander and cumin, and includes lots of fabulous vegetables!"







The experience was something I did enjoy and the Illumi team being on hand to answer all the questions in my mind was incredibly helpful. Not only were they really well briefed and able to field any questions but what came through to me was that there was a very real passion about their products.

Outside of my own world and existence there are people who simply need food that is wheat and gluten free and the fact someone has come up with something that is so simply to use and tasty is amazing. By the time we left I was so full and with a didgy digestive system I expected at least a few twinges overnight. Nothing, there was nothing and this pleased me no end.

Whether you are a fan of Gluten free food or whether you have simply not tried it because like me you judged a book, I cannot recommend Ilumi products enough. You won’t be disappointed.







Thinking that readers may think I’m slightly bias or even more so, in the pocket of the manufacturer I took the free samples into the office for a taste testing session. My team loved the food.


VG, the resident vegetarian tried the biryani. His first impression was that the portion seemed small and before eating said he would go for lunch afterwards – he didn’t. He was stuffed after having a portion to himself.

On Tuesday three, yes three of us had a microwave masterclass – we added rice and used one pouch of the Five Spice Pork that filled us all up. The view of everyone was initially of surprise at the flavours and then that actually, it had satisfied their appetite.

I love the product – they are easy to make, taste fantastic and really do fill you up. I just can’t wait to see how their other products compare once released onto the market and you can read more here.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and then some….

www.Vozars.co.uk
Unit 26 Brixton Village
London
SW9 8PR

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Dirty Burger - The Best Burger in London!

For someone so obsessed with trying to reverse the ravages of time I really shouldn’t eat fast food, but I just can’t help myself when it comes to Dirty Burger.

I first spotted a review for Dirty Burger in Time Out when looking for the best burger joints in London.

All of the reviews had me literally drooling and as they had a branch in Kentish Town, Camden I just couldn’t contain my excitement. I even started to stalk pictures of the burgers online and on Twitter. It became something of OCD moment for me and it wasn’t long until I ventured off to find it – map in hand.

Make sure you play with Google streetmap before you leave home – this place is a hidden gem and you are more likely to walk on by a few times before you find it. I know I did.

Dirty Burger doesn’t need to be all flash and gimmicky - it also doesn’t need a menu the length of your arm. They sell burgers, correction. They craft the best burgers in town.

With a simple pricing system and few options ordering doesn’t take long – you can have a cheeseburger, burger or what is known as a Dirty Cop Out (that’s the vegetarian option). In addition, there are fries and onion fries (think stringy onion rings).

Once the order has been collected you can then tuck in. The patties are served on a brioche bun, smothered in a lovely tangy mayo with a tomato and gherkin. The burgers are juicy and the flavour to die for – you can really taste the deep rich flavour of the meat come out with each bite.

The patties use several cuts of beef including rib eye and Bavette. The juiciness comes from the way in which it’s cooked. Rather than just slapping the meat onto a grill the chefs drizzle stock over the cooking patties and then cover them so that they steam in their own juices.

Each time I visit I’m never disappointed – the fries are hot and crunchy. They have texture and flavour. The onion fries are awesome and so much nicer than conventional onion rings, but best of all the quality and consistency of the burger is king.

With a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks on offer you can’t go wrong if you fancy a snack or have a hunger hole the size of Texas.

Dirty Burger has everything you need.

As an aside, the shack in which Dirty Burger is located is always clean and tidy. It’s not the largest place on earth and it can become slightly crowded at times. Don’t let this put you off – pop in for a bite to eat and you’ll be hooked for life.

At £5.50 for a taste sensation of a burger you can do a lot worse.

Burger King who anyone?!?

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

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