Primeur, Stoke Newington, London restaurant review

I think it’s pretty telling that with all the restaurant options in London, our friends keep on going back to Primeur time and time again.

Sure, it’s in their neck of the woods in north London. But it’s more than the fact it’s just local.

I think it’s got something to do with its charming setting in an old garage where the concertina doors pull back to bring the outside in.

And I think has something to do with their daily changing blackboard menu of unfussy seasonal sharing plates which prioritise big flavours over prissy presentation.

It’s also probably got something to do with their interesting selection of wines by the glass. On our visit, we knocked back two types of fizz, Cremant D’Alsace and a Xarel Lo blend, before sinking some Austrian Riesling and a Valencian orange Macabeo.

It’s not just my mates who are fans either, it’s currently one of only 39 Michelin Bib Gourmands (which recognise good value and good quality cooking) in London. As I’ve grown increasingly weary of fine dining, it’s an accolade which I look for more closely than a Michelin star.

As a group of four we ordered a bunch of plates to share. Some were more successfully divisible than others…

Dark crusted sourdough was served with golden tangy butter.

Curried cauliflower (£10.50) was Coronation cauliflower operating under an alias. Nuggets of lightly pickled cauliflower were joined by a creamy yoghurt dressing, curry spices, crunchy almonds and sweet raisins. You can coronate almost anything as far as I'm concerned, and it’ll taste all the better for it.

A beautifully dressed salad (£10) of bitter leaves and tomatoes was zhuzhed up by the addition of anise twanged tarragon. Crunchy fried breadcrumbs meanwhile brought a bit of filth to proceedings.

Oily, tender and blistered skinned mackerel (£26.50) was a beautiful specimen. Served with salty sea vegetables, radishes and a creamy potato salad with plenty of dill, it was the standout dish of the night.

Warming spiced whopping lamb chops (£27.50) were accompanied by chickpeas, fresh mint and a smoke-licked aubergine puree. However, the excellent flavour combination was let down by the pieces of meat which were inconsistent in their tenderness.

Stock rich borlotti beans (£10.50), rainbow chard, a well-crusted cube of polenta and a flurry of salted ricotta was exactly my type of compelling vegetarian cooking.

The kitchen had run out of cherry clafoutis so they’d knocked up a chocolate torte (£9) instead. And what a torte it was; as dreamily light and indulgently rich as you could hope for.

A crisp and chewy meringue (£9.50) was accented with passionfruit, berry coulis and a good dollop of cream.

We had a delicious meal at Primeur and I can see why it’s a place which warrants repeat visits. I’d certainly be back if it was around the corner from my house.

However, if you’re looking for this style of unfussy and flavour-packed seasonal cooking in Cardiff then I’d say a trip to Vines by Alex Vines is essential.

The Details:

Address - Primeur, Barnes Motors, 116 Petherton Rd, London N5 2RT

Web - https://www.primeurn5.co.uk/

Telephone - 020 7226 5271

Poca, Canton, Cardiff restaurant review

I think I’ve finally cracked the code to enjoying small plates restaurants.

The secret? Don’t under any circumstances share a small plate with more than one other person. And make sure there aren't any fuzzy boundaries of social etiquette between you and the person you share with. 

If not, a meal quickly becomes a frustrating exercise in dissection (can I really slice a langoustine into five pieces?), genuflection (of course, it would be my pleasure if you have the last eighth of the lamb chop), and introspection (I’m sure Jim had a bigger bit of the mackerel than I did).

It’s fortunate I’d worked out this winning formula before a visit to Cardiff’s newly opened Poca as a group of five. Mrs G and I successfully shared six small plates with minimal fuss whilst our trio of friends were busy dividing a piece of toast into thirds.

Poca, which is located on the former site of La Cuina in Canton, is the newly opened restaurant from chef Antonio Simeone, who built his name at Dinas Powys’ Humble Onion by creating comforting plates of food using less glamorous cuts of meat. His second restaurant, the excellent Alium in Barry, has sadly recently shut its doors, demonstrating the current precariousness of hospitality.

It’s probably fair to say that the intimate setting of Poca, which means little in Italian, is a far more appropriate setting for Antonio’s cooking than the gargantuan Pumphouse in Barry. In Canton he’s got an all-star team which includes Lali Suto, formerly of Nook, heading up the kitchen and Ollie Banks, a familiar face from Ollie’s and Arbennig, in front of house.

Limoncello spritzes (£8.50), ice cold and packed full of fragrant and tart citrus, were bob on for a warm summer’s eve. We followed them up with excellent bottles of creamy Crémant de Bourgogne (£38) and bright and zippy vinho verde (£30) with a delicate fizz.

An individual focaccia (£5) wasn’t the softest crumbed example I’ve eaten. However, the clincher was that it was served hot and was absolutely delicious dredged through a bowl of sticky sweet balsamic reduction and grassy olive oil.

A whopping trio of sweet king prawns (£12) were de-shelled at their waists for easy access but with their heads left on for maximum juice suckage. Sat in a creamy shellfish bisque with a lovely intensity, we had to request a spoon so I could guzzle every drop.

The oozy decadence of an excellent Welsh rarebit (£9.50) was topped with sweet white crab meat and salty samphire. 

A brick of beef shin fritter (£9) was the only dish of the night which underwhelmed. Whilst the crumb was beautifully crisp and an earthy mushroom ketchup and zingy pink pickled onions were tasty garnishes, the long-cooked shin was a little bit dry. I think it probably would have benefited from being bound together with a sauce for added flavour and unctuousness. Also, I'm not really sure what purpose pea shoots ever serve other than to add a tangle of bland greenery to a dish. 

There was no such moisture issues with a stupidly tender piece of rolled lamb breast (£11) that was bathing in a bowl of glossy sauce dotted with sweet peas and soft courgettes. A well-judged seasoning of vibrant mint and a salad of raw courgette added much needed brightness to the plate.

The first of two stars of the meal were a pair of top-drawer teriyaki chicken thighs that were gorgeously savoury, crisp of skin and juicy of flesh. They were great by themselves, but a potent kohlrabi kimchi was an excellent condiment to balance the meat’s richness.

Secondly, cauliflower cheese croquettes (£7.50) are such a good idea that I’m surprised I’ve never seen them before. Filled with a thick, rich and cheesy cauliflower puree and blobbed with mustard, they were my favourite Sunday roast side dish in a handheld format.

Desserts were pretty things but no less flavour-packed than the small plates.

A perfectly wobbly panna cotta (£9) had the lactic tang of yoghurt to cleverly temper its richness whilst a fragrant forest fruit compote and the crunch of ginger biscuit were lovely pairings.

A silky-smooth quenelle of chocolate ganache (£8.50), with a good level of bitterness and sweetness, was served with the classic flavour pairings of crushed pistachios and tart raspberries. A rectangle of pastry served as a handy shovel.

We had stonker of a meal at Poca. With its comforting, big-flavoured cooking, intimate setting and first-rate front of house, it’s another feather in the cap of west Cardiff’s enviable restaurant scene.

The Details:

Address - Poca, 11 Kings Rd, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9BZ

Web - https://pocarestaurant.co.uk/

Savour, Cathays, Cardiff Chinese restaurant review

No sooner had I written about the recently opened Jianghu on Woodville Road than someone commented on my blog to express their surprise that I hadn’t included Savour in my list of excellent Chinese restaurants in Cathays.

In fact, it wasn’t just any Chinese restaurant in Cathays, it was their favourite Chinese restaurant in Cathays. And to be honest I hadn’t even really heard anything about it before.

Located on a corner of Salisbury Road, Savour’s understated exterior gives way to a functional and slightly shabby interior. Iron plates, hot pots, dry pots, flavoursome pots, skewers, casseroles, soups and more all feature on the huge menu. Whether you’re an offaly big fan of offal or more timid of palate, like me, there’s plenty to work your way through.

The first time I visited Savour was on a weekday lunchtime and I had the place to myself except for a steady stream of home delivery orders. The second occasion was for an early dinner and the place was much busier with big groups enjoying sharing hotpots. It’s worth noting that it’s cash only - I pitched up with just a bank card, which led to a slightly awkward interaction.

I’ve wanted to try squirrel shaped fish (£16.80) for many a year and as it was one of the dishes which was recommended to me, I thought I’d better order it. It was a real feat of engineering, but on balance it probably looked more like a hedgehog.

A whole fish had been dissected and deep-fried in light batter so that its flesh stood up in individual crisp spikes. The mild-flavoured fish was then drenched in an old skool sweet and sour sauce with a light thrum of chilli. It was very tasty but it certainly wasn’t a nuanced bit of cooking.

Cumin lamb (£11.80) was a lovely example of the dish with plenty of tender meat coated in that compellingly earthy spice and mixed with plenty of red and green chillies, coriander and crisp onions. I could eat this stuff for days.

Dry fried green beans (£8.80) were scattered with nuggets of crispy pork mince and well-seasoned with chilli, sesame and garlic.

A colossal bowl of dan dan noodles (£8.60) was easily a meal in itself. The two-person portion of slippery noodles were sat in a potent broth with plenty of chilli oil and creamy sesame paste alongside finely ground pork mince, the crunch of peanut and fragrance of coriander. However, I’m sure there’s been a bigger tongue numbing hit from Sichuan peppercorns when I’ve had this dish elsewhere and it was barely perceptible this time around.

A bowl of wonton soup (£6.80) was arguably the least impressive of the dishes. Whilst the generous portion of ten dumplings had delicate skins, I found their pork mince filling to be a little dense and the meat broth in which they were served also lacked a bit of oomph; or perhaps that was just in comparison to the dan dan noodles.

Boiled rice (£2.50) was also a little bit soft and clumpy rather than distinct grained.

I enjoyed my couple of meals at Savour and it’s clearly another Cathays Chinese restaurant which is worth a look. I’d certainly be keen to explore the menu further so I can find out what other treats lie in wait.

The Details:

Address - 16 Salisbury Road, Cardiff CF24 4AE

Web - http://www.savour-cardiff.co.uk/store/menu/merchant/red-chilli

Telephone - 029 2037 2909

Vines, Pontcanna, Cardiff restaurant review

Tom Simmons should strongly consider opening a culinary talent scouting agency.

Because both dinners we’ve had at different pop-up restaurants at his Ground Bakery in Pontcanna have been meal of the year contenders.

Last year it was Tom Waters’ Gorse.

This year it’s Vines by Alex Vines.

Originally from Cardiff, Alex built up an impressive CV in London at belting produce-focused restaurants like Rochelle Canteen and 40 Maltby Street as well as heading up his own kitchen at Lighthaus Café in Walthamstow. Now, he's returned to South Wales with the ambition of opening his own restaurant.

Open on Thursday to Saturday evenings, Vines offers a compact menu of seasonal small plates of big rustic flavours cooked with first-rate technique, some of which are made using vegetables from Alex’s own garden.

There’s also in interesting selection of natural wines by the glass. We kicked off with elderflower packed sparkling Muscat d’Alsace (£8.20) before moving onto glasses of Laurent Saillard Sauvignon Blanc (£7.60), sourced from Wright’s Wines, and an Italian orange wine (£6.20).

Slices of shatteringly crusty and light crumbed Ground Bakery baguette (£3.50) were a welcome change to ubiquitous sourdough. It was served with a halfmoon of top-drawer Glastonbury butter.

A trio of crisp-crumbed croquettes (£7) looked the absolute business. Filled with silky chickeny bechamel twanged with tarragon and studded with pieces of tender meat and melty washed rind Gubeen cheese, they were absolute corkers. A blob of thick, tangy and earthy beetroot ketchup had an addictive smoky hit, but I thought the croquettes were a complete dish all by themselves. Mrs G of course disagreed.

Summery ribbons and slices of cucumber (£7.50) were dressed with a vibrant citrusy dressing and sat on a creamy cucumber fragranced ajo blanco, which I gather was made with sunflower seeds instead of almonds. Slices of tart and juicy gooseberry provided pops of fragrant acidity, but I only got one bit in my half of the dish; such are the perils of sharing plates.

A bowl of tomato rice (£13.50) was described as a paella which had been on holiday to Iran. It was one hell of a good rice dish and that’s speaking as someone who’s just guzzled their way around Alicante eating arroz. The precisely cooked rice was bathed in a sauce which delivered a seriously big umami hit. All the garnishes added layers of flavour and texture – cleansing raw tomato pieces, creamy strained yoghurt, fronds of dill, crunchy onions, and slices of pickled walnut with a restrained acidity compared to those which I eat with abandon at Christmas.

A piece of skate (£17.50) served off the bone was as fine an example as I’ve eaten, lacking any gelatinousness or stringiness. Served with a bouillabaisse butter sauce with a good hit of earthy fish, burstingly fragrant pickled fresh coriander seeds, vibrant cavolo nero, a sweet buttery carrot, and carrot puree, it was a plate of very lovely things. However, it was perhaps stretching the definition of a sharing plate as every component needed to be carefully divided in two.

I’ve never seen kid (£16.50) on a restaurant before and I’ve definitely been missing out as it reminded me of a more delicate version of lamb. Fall apart tender pieces of meat were sat in a meaty smoky broth in which bobbed tender fava beans, charred and caramelised onions and smoky aubergine, all of which were given a big lift by a salsa verde packed with green herbs.

I’m a huge Bakewell tart (£8) fan and this was a stonking version. Served hot, its pastry case was gorgeously short with a good twang of toasty brown butter. It was the home to plump and fragrant cherry halves and a soft and squidgy frangipane. A dollop of tangy crème fraiche added extra luxuriousness.

Frozen lemon parfait (£8) was reminiscent of a lemon posset, such was its combination of intense citrus, sweetness and creaminess. Balanced by a thick blackcurrant compote with a good sharp acidity and light meringue pieces, it was another lovely pud.

We had a fabulous meal at Vines. With their superb seasonal cooking, great natural wines by the glass, and excellent service, it’s a contender for our best meal in Cardiff of 2023. And, with the menu changing every other week, it's the kind of place which demands repeat visits.  

Alex’s return to South Wales is a big win for Cardiff’s food scene. I’d highly recommend booking a table soon.

The details

Address - Ground Bakery, 15 Pontcanna Street, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9HQ

Web - https://vinescardiff.co.uk/
Email - alex@vinescardiff.co.uk

SlowBurn, Walthamstow, London restaurant review

I've visited plenty of restaurants in buildings with interesting histories, including former bank vaults, fish markets, and cooperages.

But, until a few weeks ago, I'd never eaten dinner in a working clothes factory.

Located in Walthamstow, Black Horse Lane Ateliers is London’s only craft jeans factory. However, the building leads a double life because on weekends it transforms into SlowBurn, a vegetable focused pop-up restaurant.

It would be easy to scoff at this as an east London hipster cliché. But, I’m all in favour of both eating less meat and maximising the use of urban space. It's also rather cool eating dinner in a dining room surrounded by sewing machines, rolls of fabric, and other random bits of equipment.

SlowBurn’s menu of sharing plates consists of vegetarian starters and mains which are split between veggie and meat. We constructed a meal for four with just a single meat dish, in part because they'd sold out of their delicious sounding smoked chicken.

Excellent soft crumbed sourdough (£1.50 per person) was accompanied by a slightly weird crystalline butter which lacked the billed seasoning of garlic and thyme. I would have guessed it was non-dairy but it wasn’t.

Uber-crisp panko-crumbed cauliflower fritters (£8) were paired with a well-charged garlic aioli. I could have eaten a bowlful to myself.

A pair of black bean tacos (£5) had cleverly been constructed using deep-fried gyoza skins. The result was hyper-crunchy, and reminiscent of the Old El Paso ones I used to eat as a kid. Coriander salsa brought fragrance and vibrancy to the dish.

A potato rosti (£8) was the only underwhelming starter. It lacked crispness despite appearing almost burnt whilst blobs of mushroom ketchup and labneh lacked oomph.

Onto the larger plates and thin and silky maltagliati pasta (£14) was bathed in a verdant pea and basil sauce. Smoked ricotta, toasted pine nuts and whole peas all added pops of flavour and texture to this summery dish.

Charred hispi cabbage (£13), one of my favourite vegetables, was smoky and tender and topped with a bunch of flavour-packed garnishes - creamy alubia bean stew, a warming urfa chilli dressing, and zingy gremolata.

Tender aubergine (£14) lacked the smoke and char which it had so much potential to offer. So, a thick, rich and spice-layered mole sauce had to do a lot of heavy lifting.

Excellent slow cooked caramelised heritage carrots (£14) were sat on a bed of creamy and nutty whipped feta laced with pistachios.

Our sole meat dish was a worthy centrepiece. Bavette steak slices (£18) had an excellent depth of flavour and were served beautifully rare alongside tomato and charred spring onion salsa and charred pepper.

Desserts were the least impressive part of the meal. They were enjoyable but didn’t wow.

Creamy tiramisu (£8) had a great texture but lacked a good hit of coffee or marsala.

Scoops of dark chocolate and peanut ice cream (£7) both had a really good flavour but their texture was too light and moussey rather than rich and dense.

I really enjoyed SlowBurn's veggie focused cooking and charmingly quirky setting. With its proximity to some great craft breweries (including Pressure Drop, Exale, and Wild Card), it’s a lovely spot for a night out in London.

The Details:

Address - 114b Blackhorse Lane, London E17 6AA

Web - https://www.slowburn.london/

Telephone - 07541 365064