LONDON: Hawksmoor

Juicy, succulent and grilled to perfection, our "dictionary-thick" steaks were definitely worth the 30 minute wait. A dinner booking a day beforehand was out of the question so we settled for a late lunch. 

I have to warn all the girls - if you intend to visit Hawksmoor for lunch, don't make plans for dinner because the steaks are incredibly filling. Like fresh snow on a warm surface, every bite of steak fillet melted on my tongue, flooding my senses with its wonderfully intense flavour. I'm not usually a steak person, being more prone to fish or chicken, but when quality like this comes my way an exception is entirely worthwhile. 

The steak is sourced from cattle reared in the UK, hung for at least 35 days and then charcoal grilled. Unsurprisingly, it was one of the best I've ever had but, like all heartily rich and hole-in-your-pocket-inducing meals, shall remain an occasional indulgence. 

Fillet, 300g: £32.00

Trinity Burnt Cream, £6.75

Pear & Almond Tart, £6.75

Hawksmoor

Seven Dials

11 Langley Street
London, WC2H 9JG
020 7420 9390

LONDON: The Breakfast Club

Like much of its surroundings, The Breakfast Club looks considerably lackluckstre from the outside; but step in and you're immediately engulfed in its cool, laid back atmosphere. With the walls plastered with photos reminiscent of the all too familiar college student's bedroom and the hippie vibe that pervaded the place, it was a refreshing change from the typical clean cut, rustic-type cafes that I've become so accustomed to. Feeling pretty satisfied with my surroundings, I wasn't going to be too fussy about the food but even that turned out reasonably well. It wasn't surprising to see a line forming as we sat down at our table. 

"When halloumi met salad wrap": halloumi, spinach, sundried tomato, houmous and reduced balsamic vinegar - with all my favourite things in one wrap, I couldn't resist.

Breakfast Burrito: Chorizo, Egg, Roasted Peppers, Guacamole and Cheddar

I've come to the slow realization that this blog has become a collection of ideas for the cafe that I would set up if I ever had the chance. In lieu of that I've decided to take note of little things that inspire me at each cafe, beginning with this one -

Note to self: If I had my own cafe, it would have a vibe as laid-back and unpretentious as The Breakfast Club, though probably with more space and light.

Breakfast Club, soho
33 D'Arblay Street
W1F 8EU

Tel: 020 7434 2571

OXFORD: Jamie's Italian

In a wild moment of complete un-me-ness, I cancelled all my plans and booked a single ticket to Oxford to visit some friends for the weekend last friday night. I wasn't disappointed. 

I always thought I belonged in the pulsing vibrance of the city but now I see the draw in the pervasive calm of a college campus. It's hard to say where I would have been happier, had I applied and gotten into Oxford. Anyhow, I've come to believe that it doesn't really matter which university you're at, or where in the world you are, as long as you're with the right people. And in a leap of faith for the world at large, I would say there are enough of "the right people" in the world to meet them wherever you go. 

Fish Fillet baked in a bag with clams, mussels, fennel, chilli, anchovies and Sicilian cracked wheat

Amidst all the socializing and exploring, I found the time to visit Jamie's Italian along George Street. I have professed my love for Jamie's recipes countless times, but sometimes I fear his restaurants don't live up to his name. The black angel spaghetti was not as inky as I'd hoped, but enjoyable nonetheless. I was thoroughly impressed with the garnishing of my grilled seabass (below) - roasted vegetables are a rarity for me in my ovenless state. In fact I think I treasured the sweet peppers and caramelized onions more than the sea bass itself which, though fantastically grilled, was slightly too much on the bony side. I probably wouldn't go back a third time because of the extensive range of Italian restaurants in London but the novelty of eating in a Jamie Oliver restaurant certainly is worth a one time visit.  

Anglesey Sea Bass: whole-roasted and served with crunchy sweet and sour vegetables

Black Angel Spaghetti 

Oxford, St. John's College

Jamie's Italian, Oxford
24-26 George Street,
Oxford, OX1 2AE
Tel: 01865 83 83 83

Coconut Crusted Fish Fillet

Coconut Crusted Fish Fillet 

Memories of Second Year have coalesced into a stream of images - warm, blinding sun, crisp golden leaves and, just last saturday, dancing snowflakes and flying snowballs. Winter has me eating like some kind of starving carnivore and I need something healthy to balance out my chocolate cravings. This coconut crusted fish fillet recipe I found online was the perfect solution. 

Coconut goes beautifully with banana bread but, being deprived of an oven in my apartment, I've resorted to using my left over desiccated coconut in my cooking instead. I call this recipe the "Rushing for Tutorials Coconut Crusted Fish" because I used to make them before my 2pm tutorials at Waterloo (and it was an excuse not to read any more cases). 

for the crust: stir together shredded coconut, flour, curry powder, chilli powder, cumin, salt & pepper 

If you don't have shredded coconut, you can use brown sugar instead 

Crack an egg into a bowl 

Spread the egg onto both sides of the fillet

You can put the coconut mix onto a plate and let it coat the fish, or you can be lazy like me and save washing by using a spoon

take a chunk of butter and melt it onto a hot pan with some olive oil (to prevent the butter from burning)

On medium heat, saute the fillets on both sides til crispy and golden brown

...and that's lunch!

Coconut Crusted Fish Fillet

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

•                4 firm white fish fillets, such as whiting

•                1 cup shredded coconut

•                2/3 cup flour

•                1 teaspoon curry powder

•                1/2 teaspoon cumin

•                1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

•                1/2 teaspoon ground pepper (or to taste)

•                2 tablespoons butter

•                2 tablespoons olive oil

•                1 egg

For the Mango Salsa: 

•                (I didn't do this for lack of time, but I'd have loved to.) 

•                1 ripe mango, peeled and diced

•                1/4 cup chopped red onion

•                Juice of 1/2 lime

•                1/4 cup chopped red pepper

•                1 tablepoon vinegar

•                1 tablespoon sugar

•                1 tablespoon vegetable oil

•                2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

•                1/2 teaspoon curry powder

•                Salt and pepper taste

Preparation:

1.              Make mango salsa: Stir together the chopped mango, chopped onion, lime juice, chopped pepper, vinegar, sugar, vegetable oil, cilantro, curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

2.              Mix 1/3 cup flour, coconut, cumin, curry powder, salt and pepper together on a plate.

3.              In shallow bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Place the remaining 1/3 cup flour on a second plate.

4.              Dredge the fillets first in the plain flour (shaking off excess), then in the egg mixture, and finely in the coconut mixture to coat both sides.

5.              Heat the olive oil and butter over medium high heat, then sauté the fillets until browned on both sides and cooked though on the inside, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Serve fillets warm with rice and mango salsa.