Penny Reviews:Restaurant-Lakeside Park

As a belated birthday gift my granparents took me to a restaurant that I've always wanted to go to. Lakeside Park, located on the Isle of Wight, is known for its high class restaurant and spa facilities. Its located in Wootten Bridge, near a lovely and scenic lakeside. The restaurant is presented in a modern, clean and crispy white decor. 

When entering the restaurant we were welcomed warmly and shown to our booked table. We were read the specials and explained that we could order from the fixed menu or the a la carte menu. I ordered a Kir Royale, cause it was my (belated) birthday and cause why not. Drinks came promptly after we ordered them. We were left alone to decide what we would like and after about 5 minutes we ordered.

For my starter I ordered the scallops with pork belly, cauliflower puree and mango puree. The presentation was incredible! Art on a plate or slate rather. I'm not fussy on slates for plates but the black against the cauliflower and scallops, it really popped. The saltiness pork against the fishy scallop then partnered with the fruity mango was balanced well with a number of different flavours and textures. 

Main course was also beautifully presented, I did feel it need a little more colour however. It was a fillet of halibut served with Parisian potatoes, curly kale and braised red cabbage. The halibut was perfectly cooked but I did find 2 thin bones-it happens with fish- and perfectly seasoned too. The potatoes and curly kale were also perfectly cooked, however the red cabbage was bitter and I felt that it was a little out of place on the dish.

Now dessert took ages to order. With the restaurant filling up, our waitress was a little flustered and passed us a number of times before we had to ask for a dessert menu. The Lakeside 'Toffee Crisp' looked interesting, so I ordered that! Dessert was hand prepared, so it did take a little while, but it was worth the wait. The dessert itself was made up of a blood orange sorbet, chocolate popping candy 'soil', a dark chocolate cup filled with a caramel sauce and a chocolate mousse topped with crispy oranges. One of the best desserts I've ever had!

Overall, the whole experience was amazing. The menu is pricey, so its worth a visit for a special occasion. The staff were kind if a little over flustered and familiar, some of the staff were a little unprofessional by stating that my Nan was 'doing a runner' when she was just going to use the restroom. Which made us a little uncomfortable. But other then that, both the waiter and waitress were nice enough. 

Penny Reviews: Restaurants- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea

*Note:This week is a little different as I'm reviewing a restaurant that served afternoon tea*

(Image Credit:http://www.onealdwych.com/food-drink/afternoon-tea)

I turned another 20-something this year, and got a special treat for my birthday. After doing a little research on the best afternoon teas in London, I found a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea at One Aldwych in Covent Garden, which looked much like the Mad Hatter Afternoon Tea that I have attended before. This time I went with my friend Sofia.

Entering the hotel, we were shown to the Indigo Restaurant by the friendly staff, seated and the menu explained. The staff asked if we were preferred just tea, champagne or a Cocktail Charlie. Sofia and I went for a Cocktail Charlie, which consisted of Scotch Whiskey (Sofia went booze free), grapefruit juice, cherry syrup and chocolate bitters. It was sweet and smooth on the tongue, may I say that it looked pretty awesome! I believe that it was dry ice that made it delightfully smoky.  

Next the savoury selection entered our sight, the presentation was minimal and clean. The selection itself was pretty standard for an afternoon tea, but executed very well. I was impressed very much with the leek and stilton quiche, which was Sofia's favourite too. We thought that we could have used more savoury items, however, the staff were very patient in explaining that we could request more, if we pleased. And we did. Quite a lot! We ordered about 8 quiches and lots more smoked salmon and herb creme friache sandwiches. I mean, we really took the piss and ordered lots more savouries as we felt the initial portion wasn't really enough. 

After 2 more savoury orders, we asked if we could have the sweet course. Again without missing a beat, the staff asked if we would like tea. We both finished our cocktails and opted for different teas. I wanted English Garden, which was a refreshing mix of lemon, spearmint, cornflour and strawberry. While Sofia opted for the Sugarcane Black and Mango Noir teas. 

A short while later the sweet course arrived, and it looked stunning! I went straight for the candy floss, which tasted like rhubarb and custard.

I moved up to the lemon cake pops, which also had a dusting of freeze dried raspberry, which was a little disappointing as it was a regular cake pop and I felt that the lemon could have been more pronounced. 

Eton mess was sweet, creamy and looked very appealing. The chocolate caramel milk was one of my favourites, as it was like drinking a mini milkshake, which hinted at sticky caramel.

One of the coolest parts of the afternoon tea was the golden egg, that was filled with vanilla and mango cheesecake. I don't actually like cheesecake, but this was so delicious. I was surprised to see real vanilla seeds in the mixture with a mango layer on top of the egg. The chocolate was thickly layered so it was hard to break but worth it.

Next were the scones, they were nice, soft and served with clotted cream and apple compote. Next I tried the blueberry broiche, which I thought was a little dry but I added for apple compote to make up for it. One of the best treats, was the cocoa bean financier, which was a small brownie shapped in a cocoa bean. It was sticky, sweet and warm chocolatey goodness in a small package. 

Overall, I felt compared to other afternoon teas I have been too, the food was lovely with a good variety, but I felt that the treats could have more unusual considering that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is so wacky in the book. Also, I felt that the price was a little high for the quality of food that we got (£49 for a cocktail afternoon tea). The staff are definitely the reason I would come back again, they were attentive and they sung me happy birthday too, with a little cake! They really made the effort to make the day special. 

 Thanks for reading.

Penny Reviews Restaurants: Truffles of Southsea

On a brilliant sunny Thursday afternoon, I went for lunch with my nan to a restaurant that she would like, so we ended up in Southsea at a restaurant that I've been to before and had nothing but good experiences, Truffles of Southsea.

We arrived at 1:15pm, so well within time for the lunch time set menu. We settled down into the somewhat empty restaurant, with a lack of people it seemed a little chilly. There was a woman who was serving who was extremely polite and offered to take our coats for us. She allowed us to sit wherever we wanted to and asked us if we wanted a drink, an americano and a diet coke later. We settled on reading the lunch special set menu, which was really good value for money (£9,95 for two courses and £11.95 for three courses). I was impressed with the quality of the menu and ordered a cured salmon as a starter and seabass fillet with parmesan polenta and a beurre blanc sauce for my main course, with a side of triple cooked chips. 

The waitress asked if we needed the heating on and we said yes, sadly the air conditioning wasn't behaving correctly, so we had to sit a little chilly. The wait for the starters was perfect and presentation was lovely, with great attention to detail. The taste of the cured salmon was perfect, it reminded me of a sashimi texture, not raw however but not quite cooked. There was a beetroot and radish spread on the plate which added colour as well as flavour to the dish. Light and tasty as a starter. 

The starters were left on the table for about 2 minutes before being taken away by the polite waitress. She asked if we enjoyed the starters and made she we had enough to drink. She didn't linger too long at the table to make it awkward, as she cleared away our plates. 

We didn't need to wait too long for the main course, approx 10 minutes at the most. The seabass fillets were cut into angles, which made it look very contemporary. The parmesan polenta added colour to the dish and the beurre blanch added a richness that really brought the dish together. The issue I had was I found three bones my fish. I know that fish have bones and of course, there is never a guarantee that fish fillets will be completely boneless. Its a hazard that you have to take when you eat fish, however its still a little off putting. Even though the dish was nice, I felt a little more beurre blanc sauce would have been appreciated. The triple cooked chips were an absolute delight, a perfect mix of soft middle and crunchy outside. I also noted that there was a little flavour of truffle on the chips, which was a really nice touch.

We didn't opt for dessert or a drink as we felt that we wanted to leave because we were so full as well as being a little cold still. The waitress gave us the bill and we paid, but not without a little conversation. For £25.90 for a quality 2 course meal, drinks and a side dish, its a good price for a great lunch. 

Penny Reviews Restaurants: The Coast Bar and Restaurant

When spending a little down time with my family on the Isle of Wight we found our way over to Cowes. The location itself is very well known for its yachting enthusiasts and small cafes. Being still in the Winter season, I wasn't expecting much to be open. That's when we happened upon The Coast bar and restaurant, which was full, almost to bursting! It looked like a busy lunchtime. As we entered we were greeted with the restaurant manager, he politely greeted us and directed us to an available table for two. 

The layout of the restaurant was cool, with sharp lines, comfortable chairs and with a view into the kitchen, which boasts a woodfire kitchen. What I really like in any restaurant is cleanliness, and Coast is spotless. 

The waitress handed us a menu each and asked us for a drinks order. One americano and diet coke later! The menu was small but well thought out with options for veterinarians. As we browsed the menu, the drinks were placed down and we were asked if we would like water for the table. In any restaurant that I've ever been in, I don't think I've ever been asked I would like water for the table. Its a really nice touch. Also, I would like to point out, that we were given a good amount of time to browse before the waitress came to take our order. 

I opted for a starter of 'Pan fried Scallops with a Cauliflour Puree' and for my main course, 'Venison with Rosemary carrots, Celeriac Puree and Cranberry Jus'. I took in the atmosphere and everyone was content, including the staff were amiable. It was really reassuring and comfortable, even though we were surrounded by lots of people.

My starter arrived within 10 minutes, I enjoyed every bite of it! I wish they had a main course version. The scallops were cooked perfectly, not chewy or rubbery. The addition of the pancetta really brought the dish together. The size was perfect as a starter, not to small or large. Presentation was lovely as well. 

The wait for the main course was a bit much, I think we waited about 40 minutes- (ish?), however we were always attended. When we finished the water jug, it was replenished and replaced as quickly. The staff here were so on the ball. The wait for our main course didn't arise as an issue as the staff were so attentive. 

When the main course did arrive, it was worth the wait. Beautifully presented and my venison was served pink (as it should be), it was juicy and well seasoned. The dish also had parsnip chips, which wasn't mentioned on the menu but it was a great texture against the soft texture of the meat and puree. The jus itself I felt could have been more tart, as it was a cranberry jus, but I still enjoyed it. 

Honestly, it was hard to pick out any fault with the food or service for that matter. I was so impressed with the whole experience. It was a little pricey for a lunch (£44 approx), we got what we'd paid for. If this is the quality of service and food at lunch, I would love to come here during the evening!

Overall, I would highly recommend that you make the effort to visit this restaurant, even if its for a coffee. I will definitely be coming here again!

Fat Friday #19 Hazelnut Cake with Pistachio Ice-Cream & Cream Toasted Almond Cream

December. You know what that means right? Its shopping time! Lucky enough for me, I've finished all my Christmas shopping now which is a big relief. In the next couple of weeks there will be a some Christmas recipes coming up soon. Maybe on Fat Friday or who knows. Its my most busy time of year but I hope your not too busy enough to make this restaurant dessert.

Its a nut themed dessert with a sweet hazelnut cake, savoury pistachio ice cream and a luxury almond cream. Its a fairly simple dessert which takes minimal effort with maximum 'wow' reaction at all that 'effort'.

Recipe: Makes 8 servings 

Cake:

·       225g ground hazelnuts, sieved

·       50g plain flour, sieved

·       1 teaspoon baking, sieved

·       3 eggs

·       200g castor sugar

·       200g butter, melted and cooled

·       Juice of 1 lemon

Pistachio ice-cream:

·       200g pistachio’s

·       300ml milk

·       7g milk powder

·       200ml double cream

·       6 egg yolks

·       60g castor sugar

·       10ml glucose

Toasted almond cream:

·       700ml double cream

·       100ml milk

·       75g toasted sliced almonds

·       110g sugar

·       3 gelatine leaves

Equipment:

·       Mixing bowl x 2

·       Sieve

·       Saucepan x 3

·       23 inch cake tin lined with silicone paper

·       Baking sheet

·       Whisk

·       Fine sieve

·       Ice cream machine

·       Small bowl

·       Small mould

·       Liquidizer

·       Sugar thermometer

For the pistachio ice cream:

1.    Bake pistachios in an oven 170c/Gas Mark 3/ 325f for a few minutes to release some of the nuts oils.

2.    Place the milk, milk powder, and cream into a pan. Bring gently to the boil, add the pistachios. Wait until cooled and then liquidize until smooth.

3.    Return to the plan and bring back to the boil.

4.    Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, glucose and sugar.

5. Pour half the pistachio mix into the eggs, whisking constantly.

6.    Return the pan to the heat. Heat to 84c using a sugar thermometer.

7.    Strain immediately through a fine sieve and cool.

8.    Place into an ice cream machine.

For the cake:

1.    Pre-heat oven to 170c/Gas Mark 3/ 325f.

2.    Melt the butter in a pan and allow to cool before using.

3.    Mix the ground hazelnuts, flour and baking powder together.

4.    Whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale, then slowly whisk in the melted butter.

5.    Fold in the hazelnut mixture followed by the lemon juice.

6.    Pour the mixture into the lined cake tine and bake for 40 minutes.

7.    Remove from oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the Almond cream

1.    Toast the almonds like the pistachios as above. Put cream, milk, almonds and sugar into a pan and bring to the boil.

2.    Remove and infuse the almonds for 40 minutes.
3.    Place the gelatine in cold water until gooey.
4.    Bring the cream mixture back to the boil and remove again from the heat.
5.    Add the gelatine and sieve to remove the almonds.
6.    Pour into small moulds of your choice and set for 4 hours.

To complete:

1.    Cut the cake into 8 pieces.
2.    Dip the mould into a little hot water to realise the almond cream.
3.    Scoop a little of the ice cream on top of the cake.  

Are you nuts over this dessert? Would you order it at a restaurant?

Fat Friday #18 Rice Pudding Terrine served with a Salted Liqorice Parfait and Bitter Chocolate Sorbet

Welcome to Novembers last Fat Friday. This quite an usual dessert, it sounds like something that would grace the table of a nice little kitch restaurant. Well for now it will grace this blogs Fat Friday #18. I was not convinced to start with, but tasting the finished dessert was sweet, salty and creamy all in one. Its a great dinner party dessert and will impress dinner guests. Tuille is a type of very thin biscuit that can be shaped as soon as it comes out of the oven. However, in this recipe they are kept straight for height. Also for future reference, a parfait is a type of mousse and as Donkey says: "Everybody like parfait!"

Recipe: Makes 1 terrine, which will serve 6-8 people (recipe kindly  provided by my pastry tutor).

Rice Pudding:

·       50g sugar

·       75g risotto rice

·       350ml milk

·       100ml double cream, plus 100ml extra lightly whipped cream

·       1 ½ leaves gelatine

·       1 vanilla pod split lengthways

Pastry Cream:

·       100ml milk

·       75ml double cream

·       40g sugar

·       1 egg yolk

·       5g cornflour

Rice Tuilles

·       35g egg whites

·       40g icing sugar

·       100g reserved rice pudding

Salted Liquorice parfait

·       200ml double cream

·       100ml water

·       150g sugar

·       6 egg yolks

·       40ml liquorice essence

·       Fine sea salt

Bitter Chocolate Sorbet

·       750ml water

·       250ml milk

·       50g sugar

·       75ml glucose

·       100g cocoa powder

·       240g bitter chocolate

Equipment:

·       Saucepan

·       Rubber spatula

·       Bowl x 3

·       Blender

·       Pastry brush

·       Baking sheet

·       Whisk

·       Measuring jug

·       A square container that is suitable for freezing x 2

·  Ice cream machine

·  Fine sieve

 

For the rice pudding

1.    In a saucepan, simmer the pods, milk, cream, rice and sugar for 20 minutes until thick and creamy. 

2.    Remove from the heat and reserve 100g of the rice pudding for tuilles.  

3.    Place the gelatine in cold water until it is soft and add to the remaining rice pudding. Place both the rice puddings in the fridge to cool.

For the pastry cream:

1.    Bring the cream and milk to the boil.

2.    Whisk the egg yolk, sugar and flour.

3.    Combine the two mixtures and return to the pan until thickened. Leave to cool

For the rice tuille:

1.    Place the egg whites, sugar and rice pudding into a blender and puree to a smooth-ish texture.

2.    Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

3.    Brush onto a sill matt using a pastry brush into a thin strips and bake on gas mark 3/170c/ 325f for 5 minutes or until golden brown.

For the parfait:

1.    Whisk the cream to ribbon stage. So almost whipped but not quite there.

2.    Place the sugar and water into a pan and cook to a deep caramel.

3.    Whisk the egg yolks until pale.

4.    Once the caramel is ready, slowly add the eggs whilst whisking.

5.    Fold in the cream and essence and place into a square shaped container and freeze.

Bitter Chocolate sorbet:

1.    Place the water, milk, sugar and glucose in a pan and bring to the boil.

2.    Whisk the cocoa powder into the milk mixture and pour the hot liquid over the chocolate to melt it. Whisking as you go.

3.    Strain through a fine sieve and freeze in an ice cream machine.

To Serve:

1. Cut the rice pudding into a rectangle on a plate.
2. Cut the parfait into a rectangle shape and place directly place on top of the pudding. Make sure its not too thick.
3. Scoop a little of the ice cream and place on top of the parfait.
4. Quickly place a tuille biscuit on top. Nom.

So would you order this dish? What do you think of the combination?