One of life’s great moral dilemmas……..Burger……or Lobster?

BURGER AND LOBSTER.

I was faced with this very dilemma when I visited the aptly titled, well, Burger and Lobster. Now I have been to a few places that serve similar food, The Big Easy on the Kings Road being the standout, so if I am honest I was expecting checked table cloths, barnacles on the walls and other such ‘crab shack’ paraphernalia. So imagine my surprise, (and perhaps slight dismay) when we arrived at a very unassuming, almost wine bar-esque, restaurant in Mayfair. And while I can’t be certain, I think this might just be the secret weapon in their arsenal.

We were greeted by a waiter in a ‘Burger and Lobster’ apron who escorted us to our table and gave us a drinks menu. I loved the fact they had a list of ‘B’ Cocktails (to accompany the burger) and ‘L’ Cocktails (to accompany the lobster) along with American craft beers on draft such as Sierra Nevada.

What might just be my favourite thing about this place is that there are 3 options. Not 33. Simply 3 dishes to choose from. The burger, the lobster or lobster (brioche) roll. And they’re all the same price. 20 English Pounds. I, of course, had the lobster.

It arrived very quickly on a silver platter covered in greaseproof paper. A very large, full and beautifully cooked lobster, served with French fries, salad and garlic butter in a wee metal gravy boat sat before me. This place is such good value. I cannot think of many places (especially in Mayfair) where you could get a lobster served with sides for £20, and for as good quality as this one. The meat was juicy and chewy but not undercooked, and slightly charred on top as recommended by the waitress. The French fries were delicious as was the salad, and the portions sizes weren’t over bearing, its very clear the ‘boss’ of the plate is the lobster, the chips and salad are just along for the ride.

I do feel kinda bad for the burger in this place. For all I am sure it tastes delicious, coming out on a platter and placing its next to the lobster, I would feel kind of cheated. Especially as it comes with the same price tag as the lobster and the lobster roll. However, I would highly recommend this place, the service is very good and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable about everything on the menu.

Advice; GO EARLY. We got there at around 5pm and within the hour the place was full and there was a queue along the street. And this was a Wednesday afternoon.

LOOK HOW HAPPY THIS MAKES ME.

http://burgerandlobster.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/londonlobster



STREET FEAST.

After being ousted from its spot in a car park in East London, the outdoor food market/experience Street Feast has taken up temporary residence at the virtually hidden gem, Camden Town Brewery. So, after eating a light lunch, we made our way down to try as much of what was available as we could....all in the name of research of course!

Arriving at Camden Town Brewery at about 5pm I quite surprised as to how family friendly it was. For the first 2-3 hours there were a lot of families with their children, all meandering through the stalls, in the sunshine of all things! It really gave it almost a festival-type feel. But we weren't there to meander. We were there to sample a whole lotta street food!

First up was Yum Bun. Juicy belly pork, hoi sin sauce, spring onions, cucumber and Shiracha hot sauce, served in a lighter than air steamed, and slightly sweet bun. These are delicious. I could have eaten 10. The pork is so juicy and not too fatty. Teamed with the freshness and crunch of the onion and cucumber then the tangy sweetness of the sauce, all of the elements really work perfectly with one another. And at £3 each or two for £5 they are really reasonable too.

Mama's Jerk Station was next on the menu (a mere ten minutes later I hasten to add!) and I went for a classic Mama's Jerk Chicken Wrap. The 24hr marinated chicken was tender and beautifully marinaded, and having been finished off on the grill it was charred to perfection. The jerk marinade itself was FIERY, perhaps slightly too fiery for me (this is not a criticism, just a personal preference) however, it was softened slightly by the additional peas, sweetcorn, grated carrot, salad and finished off with tropical mayo that was then expertly stuffed onto a tortilla wrap! The veggie option was a sweet potato bake made with black eyed beans, kidney beans, coconut, plantain and Mama's Jerk Marinade. This was also served in a tortilla with same additions as the chicken wrap. These wraps are £5 each, very good value for money!

By this point I am fast approaching a mini food coma but with steely reserve I am determined to go on! Oh, hello Big Apple Hot Dogs. This was the most unassuming of all the stalls here at Street Feast however it was definitely my favourite of all the food I tasted here SO FAR. We went for the The Big Frank, which was 100% pork sausage but also available were The Frank Jr., The Pimp Steak and The Big Dog (a blend of both pork and beef). The hot dogs are almost cartoon-like in presentation, with a banana type bend, but they are completely delicious. The skin actually pops in your mouth as you bite into it and the meat is so juicy and yummy. And again at £4 each, if you're greedy like me, gives you the opportunity to sample more than one stall without breaking the bank.

The Street Feast organisers have also introduced a dining experience for those not completely ready to embrace 'guerilla dining'. They now offer a dining services win which you order from waiters and they queue for you. Some believe this takes away the camaraderie of queueing and exchanging in conversation with both the traders and other punters, but I like it. It opens up the possibility for people who want to embrace the idea of street food but are still slightly nervous to take the plunge. Unlike me, I went in head first and loved it. I cant wait to go back and try everything else!



http://www.streetfeastlondon.com/#!home/mainPage


https://twitter.com/#!/streetfeastldn

  

MEAT.MEET.ME.

MEAT LIQUOR

After what seems like months of Homer Simpson-esque salivating and calling upon my vegetarian(ish) boyfriend to 'just suck it up and take me, eat some cheese or salad' the day had finally arrived. I was FINALLY going to Meat Liquor. Having read much about Yannis and his amazing ethos about how he thinks people want to eat and what they deserve to eat, and his love for what he does is right there on every plate thats served, its a true gift.

As we arrived and left the gail force wind and rain outside, you are greeted by a definite 'lived in' atmosphere, for all it is still in relative infancy, dark and seedy lit by red lights. The staff were pleasant and efficient and we were seated within 20 minutes (scholars maintain that queueing times are generally a lot longer). This can only be a good thing.....right???

We take our seats and I order a 'Meatjito (geddit?) it arrives in a jam jar, this seems to be the norm across many bars and restaurants at the moment. I'm not complaining. Its kitsch, its retro and I love it. Their cocktails all seem to be around the £7-8 mark which is pretty average in a lot of places in London. My friends had the Belgian beer Vedett which came in 330ml cans (same as a coke can) but for around £4 is pretty expensive.

I order the Dead Hippie Burger which by all accounts is Meat Liquor's crowning glory. Their take on the Big Mac. 2x beef patties, Dead Hippie Sauce (a mustard based delight), cheese, onions and gherkins between a gorgeous and slighty sweet bun. We ordered fries and their homemade 'slaw (made with red cabbage instead of white, giving it a lovely purple hue), and waited with much anticipation. Again, waiting times were not unrealistic, around 20 minutes again.

They arrived. No plates. Each burger wrapped in greaseproof paper on trays covered in red gingham. We were not here to be civilised. We came to eat meat.

Its not until I am 3/4 through my burger that I remember I was meant to take a picture...oops. So I have pilfered one from a friend of mine. The burger was delicious, moist and slightly pink in the middle, the ratio of cheese and sauce was just enough to stop the burger being sickly or falling apart and the gherkins added a sweet crunch. The fries were standard french fries, we opted out of the chilli fries for some reason....something I immediately regretted when I saw a tray go by moments later. And like I said the purpleish 'slaw was light and full of flavour of the red cabbage.

All in all, Meat Liquor is a massive success, proven recently by the opening of a second branch in Covent Garden, aptly name Meat Market.

My only gripe with meat liquor (and it is TINY) is that it is so dark inside you literally have no concept as to whether its daylight or not outside. And the daylight literally stabs your eyes when you exit the building. like I said, a teeny tiny gripe which I wouldnt even want them to change as I like the dark and seedy vibe inside......erm yeah. In short I loved it.

http://www.meatliquor.com/

Eek. My first foray into bloggers paradise. I have wanted to start a blog for a long time to talk about one of my great loves. FOOD. the other is film. Another blog will follow, hopefully in the next few months.

What I do want to say and will re-iterate constantly is that I am not trying to be a food reviewer. I am simply talking to you about the food I eat, where I eat it and whether or not I would eat it again.

So here it is. My first 'chat' about food. Enjoy.