Surrey is a marvellous place to live, as it is an easy commutable distance from London, and one of its more exclusive areas is Oxshott village, which, in 2010, was voted the village with the most footballers, as it is very close to Chelsea’s training ground. Indeed, the alleged who’s who of celebrities that live in Oxshott is very impressive, as it includes Andy Murray, Jamie and Louise Redknapp (she of Strictly Come Dancing fame and the band Eternal), Colin Montgomerie and David Lloyd to name but a few, and The Bear, one of two local pubs, has just had a complete overhaul, so who knows, you may see some of this celebrities here now over a pint or two!
As mentioned, The Bear has been lavishly renovated and extended, and they have taken the old design and modernised things to give a classically designed interior with rich fabrics and finishes which provides a lovely relaxing space to enjoy fine pub food, and for those looking for a place to hold a party or large family lunch, there is a private dining area available and flexible spaces throughout.
My wife and I visited The Bear on a Tuesday lunchtime, and although not full, it still had a lively buzz (I would suggest booking as this Pub gets very busy in the evening), and having drunk in the pub a number of years ago I was immediately struck by the change.
We were taken to a comfy booth adjacent to the new conservatory, and after ordering a crisp and light Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (£22) we perused the menu that has been updated to complement the new décor. It was then I started scanning the room for those well known stars, but to my disappointment they must have all been working that day!
‘Our food is all fresh, seasonal and British’ states the menu, and you will find classic dishes along with more contemporary items and an extensive wine list to suit all tastes. We started our meal with two dishes from the nibbles section, the Crispy Pork Fritters with chilli jam (£5) and the Smoked Salmon Pâté with seeded wholemeal loaves (£4), and although the pâté had just enough horseradish and lemon to bring out the flavour of the salmon without overpowering it, the pork fritters were a little over fried, which slightly detracted from their lovely meatiness. I would also say that for me fritters are flat, whereas these should be more like pork balls. For our starters I chose Cod and Salmon Fish Cakes (£7) and my wife the Spiced Bramley Apple and Roasted ParsnipSoup (£6).These fish cakes were this time lightly fried and were suitably fishy, whilst my wife’s soup was warming with a perfect amount of sweetness from the apple.
The main courses are split between a range of pub favourites and The Bear’s Signatures Steaks, and although I love steaks, and these are all hand selected 28 day dry aged certified English Aberdeen Angus beef, I chose a British classic,Young’s Beer Battered Cod,Triple Cooked Chips, mushy peas and chunky tartar sauce (£13), and my wife chose The Bear Beef Burger, cheese, ale onions, and pickles in a brioche bun with fries (£13). The fish and the chips mirrored each other in that both were light and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside and this is just how I like them and my wife, who is usually not a burger type of girl, loved it, as the meat
was crispy on the outside and soft in the middle and the cheese and other fillings complemented the burger perfectly.
For dessert I had a thick and fudgy Brownie (£6) which certainly satisfied this chocoholics taste buds, whilst my wife opted for a lighter option of Cookies and Jude Ice Cream scoops (£6).
Oxshott is a very fashionable suburb of London, and it now has an equally fashionable gastropub to cater for its residents, and next time I come hopefully I will be luckier with my celebrity spotting.
I have visited Highbury and Islington station many times, as my father-in-law is an Arsenal season ticket holder, and I am now delighted to have an amazing venue to have either pre- or post-game drinks and dinner, as Tootoomoo is just a stone’s throw away from the Emirates Stadium.
Tootoomoo is set up as both a restaurant and takeaway, and if we hadn’t known it was there we could have easily missed it or passed it off as just another local takeaway, which would have been tragic, as this is a great little spot for dining. Although it is also a takeaway, this doesn’t detract from the restaurant itself, and in fact adds a busy vibe to the restaurant. The warm lighting coming from the bare light bulbs and the bird cage designs, coupled with the colourful furniture and tables inlaid with pretty tiling patterns, gives a fusion Asian street market themed restaurant.
Tootoomoo’s food has an Asian fusion menu, which combines Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese styles, and does so really well, taking the best of each to satisfy everyone’s tastes, and certainly mine. I understand that the food also takes a strong influence from their great matriarch Grandma Pang, whose secret ingredients and recipes have been incorporated with modern techniques, and I wish I had such a Grandma, as the food is truly delicious.
My wife and I visited on a Sunday and opted for the bottomless brunch which allows you to select anything off the menu for a set price. This brunch is flexible, allowing either 1 1/2 hours or 2 hours, and offers a food only price or a price that includes unlimited drinks. Prices range from £30 to £45 per person and are excellent value.
After we ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (£23) we started our trip across Asia with some Edamame (£2.95) followed closely by some Crispy Duck Rolls accompanied with a lovely rich hoisin sauce (£4.50) and a lovely Wanton Soup with Chicken Dumplings (£2.95). These were quickly followed by some fabulously rich and meaty BBQ Pork Ribs (£4.95), and Satay Chicken (£5.75) which was slightly crispy on
the outside and succulent in the inside. Our final starter was some Crispy Smoked Chicken in chilli salt and spicy mayo (£4.95) which was just perfect and hugely enjoyable to eat.
After another glass of wine we turned our attention to one of my favourite part of any Asian menu, the Tempura and Grill section. As we were on the bottomless brunch we selected the Popcorn Rock Shrimp with nori dust and yuzu mayo (£7.50), the Soft Shell Prawn Tempura with shichimi salt and jalapeno mayo (£7.95) and Aromatic Duck in pancakes (£8.95), with more of that rich and warming hoisin sauce. The shrimp was almost addictive, and the saltiness of the shrimp was well supported by the gentle citrus tang of the yuzu mayo and the spiciness of the jalapeno added substance to the Soft Shell Crab Tempura. What I do know is that the chefs know how to deep fry things, as the batter was light and crispy and as good as you would find anywhere in Asia.
What is nice is that dishes come when they are ready, so our table kept being filled with goodies, but after such a feast we decided to take a slight break before tackling the Wok section of the menu. This break allowed me to fully investigate the mains, and the more I looked, the harder the choice became as all appealed. After much deliberation we chose a Thai/Chinese combination with Singapore Noodles with squid and shrimps (£6.95), Pad Thai Noodles with chicken (£6.95) and a Chicken Thai Green Curry (£6.95). The Singapore Noodles had just enough heat as did the Thai curry, all be it this time with a lovely creamy sauce, but the Pad Thai was a little sweet for my taste, but maybe that is me being picky considering the quality of the rest of the food.
Desserts are limited to a selection of Frozen Yoghurts, but after such a complete meal a light ending is always sensible.
The service matched the impeccable food, and please look past the frontage, because if you do you will be treated to exceptional street food all served in a restaurant environment all under the shadows of the Emirates stadium, and if you are an Arsenal fan you may need cheering up after the game!
When you see a name of a restaurant you can usually get an idea of what type of restaurant it is, and Absurd Bird sums this quirky restaurant up perfectly, as the bird (the chicken) you get is absurdly good.
Nesting behind the well-known main streets of Soho, this Absurd Bird is truly a hidden gem (I know this comment is over-used, but here it is valid), and it is testament to the quality of the food and the buzz that has been created, that even early on a Wednesday evening in October, the restaurant was full, as unless you knew it was there it is not a place you would walk past and go in.
The company kicked off its chicken-focused takeover of London in March by launching two outlets, one in Spitalfields, and the one my family visited in Soho, and they seem to have already built up a dedicated following - will they be called Absurders?!
The great thing about their offering is its pure simplicity. There are a few gimmicks, which I think are designed to attract people initially to their restaurant, but once you visit, it will be the food that will keep you coming back. The simplicity is top quality chicken combined with American deep south cooking, and that quality is based upon a link up with Fosse Meadows Farm where they have bought every single
one of their chickens whilst still in the egg, all 14,000 of them. Fosse Meadows Farm birds are additive and hormone free, fed on maize and bred for half as long again as the average free range chicken, and this makes their chicken succulent and incredibly tasty.
As I said, this restaurant is not easy to find, but the effort is worth it, and once you enter the small upstairs and pass the open kitchen you descend to the main seating area. The downstairs is cosy and is dominated by an old school saloon bar and has the feel of an illegal drinking den, which is fitting, as no Southern den should come without its own moonshine which is brewed exclusively for Absurd Bird by Signature Brewery in Leyton.
On taking our seats, and whilst my daughter scanned the menu after selecting a diet coke, I had the much harder choice of selecting one of the array of cocktails on offer from specialist mixologists Soulshakers (does anyone else think this sounds like a music group from the 70’s?). There are many twists on old favourites, but being adventurous, I selected the Cock Shot which combined a shot of Moonshine with a shot of chicken consommé, which sounds a bizarre combination, but is actually a must-try.
I picked up the menu and immediately got a warm feeling about the food we were going to eat, as the selection is large enough to satisfy everyone’s tastes, but small enough to ensure that everything is done well. The menu fits on one page and is split into 5 sections. The first has the smallish plates which are perfect to have with your drinks. The Jalapeno Cheese Biscuits with apple butter (£5.20) have lovely warmth, and the Spinach and Artichoke Dip with Fried Tortilla Chips (£6) is very moreish. For those more healthy than me, and that is probably more than it should be!, there are 4 exotic salads under the Greenish Plates heading offering Quinoa and Mango (£8.50) or a Baby Kale salad with roasted pumpkin and dried cranberries (£8), but my eyes were drawn to the next section ‘From the Wingshack’. Absurd Bird are famous for these and it isn’t hard to see why. These wings are not the usual wings you find in supermarkets or other restaurants, these are super wings and are enormous, and your next dilemma is to work out what flavour you want as there are a large number of different choices. I used to work in Boston a number of years ago, and when there I tasted some of the best Buffalo wings, so I am overjoyed that I have found a place in England that serves wings of a
similar standard. The sauce is perfect with just enough spice to give you that zing when eating, and Buffalo wings just have to be accompanied by a blue cheese dip which was rich and creamy. My daughter and wife also ordered some Crispy Fried Buttermilk Wings where the succulent chicken contrasted well with the light and crispy outer shell. Other choices are Smoked Garlic Parmesan and Lemon Wings, Smoked Chicken Wings and BBQ Wings, and the final dilemma is the number you want, as you can choose from 4 to 24 (£6 - £24), and although absolutely delicious, be careful, as these wings are big, so factor that in when ordering as these are probably the largest wings in the UK.
Having gorged on wings we all turned our attention to the main course, and my daughter and wife selected the Crispy Fried Chicken Burger with BBQ sauce and coleslaw (£9.80). The bun was light and surrounded the largest piece of chicken I have ever seen. My daughter usually picks at her food, but this time there was a marvellous silence as she devoured her burger and delighted in her chips served in a copper flagon. My wife was equally silent and they both declared that this was the best chicken burger they had ever had.
After my wingfest, I chose a small portion of Big Mama’s Favourite, which was succulent Southern style smoked chicken served with a sweet gravy (1/4 £7) as I needed to save some room for dessert! Again the chicken was melt in your mouth and as a true chicken lover, I was in heaven.
This heavenly experience continued into dessert, where my daughter picked the Choc Chip Cookies (£4.50), and my wife and I chose the Crack Pie (£4.80). The cookies were crunchy and came with some milk, and the crack pie is a sweet toothed persons dream, as it is a glorious explosion of caramel and sugar and is probably as addictive as its namesake!
Absurd Bird is a welcome addition to the UK food scene and has 2 restaurants in London, one in Exeter and one in Bath, and I for one will be coming back again and again for their wings, and one of these days I will get them to give me their Buffalo sauce recipe as it is not only amazing, but takes me back to my youth.
Go once and I will bet you will return again and again, as this is soul warming comfort food with roots in the London Street food scene all wrapped up in a bohemian styled restaurant, and although you may feel these styles shouldn’t go, the bizarre thing is that they do. I for one am now an Absurder, and if you go I think you will be one too.
If you have ever been to Jersey in the Channel Islands you may be thinking that the name ‘Ormer’ sounds familiar. That is because the original Ormer restaurant has its home in St Helier, the island’s capital, and is renowned for its Michelin Star winning cuisine. Named after the Channel Islands’ prized local abalone, the man behind Ormer is Shaun Rankin; a world-renowned chef and respected gourmet on the world’s food stage. Gaining his first Michelin star in 2005 for his work at Bohemia restaurant in Jersey, he subsequently spent 18 years promoting the Island’s gastronomy, winning a further Michelin star shortly after opening Ormer, Jersey. In the UK he is well known for his performance on BBC Two’s Great British Menu and is a regular on Saturday Kitchen; essential Saturday morning viewing for anyone with even the slightest interest in food.
Shaun has now brought the Ormer name to London, along with his love for the island and its local food. Having visited Jersey on a couple of occasions it is not hard to see why it should be the inspiration for a restaurant in London. The island itself is a really charming place, with many unspoilt beaches and a fascinating history (having been occupied by the Nazis during the Second World War) along with a reputation for superior produce, perhaps most notably Jersey Royal potatoes, and dairy from Jersey cows. Ormer Mayfair offers seasonal Jersey produce
including fresh lobster, crab, oysters, hand dived scallops, Jersey royals and hand-picked shoreline foraged herbs along with handmade butter that will have you spreading ever thicker slathers over your bread (guilty as charged!). In fact, a high proportion of the ingredients are sourced from the island, as much as 90% in the summer months, according to the website.
The restaurant itself is a fairly new addition to the gastronomic scene in London, having undergone a major refurbishment prior to its opening in September. The extensive work, and impressive attention to detail, has resulted in a glamorous yet sophisticated interior. There is a strong Art Deco influence at work, with stunning geometric marble flooring, glass tiles, velvet banquettes and mirrored columns. Being housed in the historic Flemings Hotel, established in 1852, Ormer feels like it has established its own identity whilst managing to retain an atmosphere perfectly in keeping with the hotel and its history.
On the night we visited, the restaurant became steadily busier and busier until there was a real buzz about the space. Looking around there was a group clearly engaged in business discussions, a large group celebrating a special occasion, guests from the hotel who appeared to be visiting from abroad, and other couples and groups of friends out for an evening of fine dining. It’s always reassuring to see the popularity of the place where you are eating, although we needn’t have concerned ourselves with this!
Before our meal, we were treated to a glass of fizz from a selection that included English Sparkling
wine from Sussex amongst Champagnes and Prosecco. The English wine scene has been doing very well in recent years and the sparkling wine we sampled stood up to any of the alternatives we could have chosen. Making a difficult decision seemed to be a continuing theme of the evening as we studied the menu. In the end, I opted for the Hand Dived Scallops with chicken wings, creamed corn and basil, whilst my companion chose the Jersey Lobster ravioli. Teaming scallops with chicken seemed like an unusual combination, but my empty plate bore testament to the fact that it really worked. The starters range in price from £13-£18, and include other tempting options such as Jersey Crab and Roast Foie Gras.
Our main course choices continued the island theme, with both of us choosing fish. I opted for Turbot with a pine nut crust with cockles and sea vegetables. The fish was sublime served with the sea vegetables - which are foraged from the Jersey coast. My partner chose Dover Sole with smoked salmon, potato and leek risotto and pickled caperberry salad. We also enjoyed sides of mushrooms and broccoli. The mushrooms were quite delicious and a much healthier alternative to the triple cooked chips we had been considering! We are both real food lovers (you may have sensed this) and enjoy eating out in a whole range of places, but you really can tell when the food you are eating comes from the highest quality ingredients, and has been prepared with skill and passion, which is certainly the case here. The meat choices include Iberico Pork, Roast Duck, Scottish Venison and Chateaubriand. These main courses are priced between £29 and £35 with a tasting menu available for £75. It is also worth mentioning that Ormer caters very well for specific dietary requirements and offers separate vegetarian and vegan menus.
The dessert selection at Ormer reads like a list of all-time favourites, including Baked Alaska, Treacle Tart, Chocolate Brownie and Apple Crumble. I chose the Cherry Soufflé, in an attempt to branch out, and I was glad I did. The dessert was stunning. A large soufflé sat alongside a boule of cherry sorbet and a mini black forest gateau. The chocolate mirror glaze finish on the gateau added to the overall impact. It was quite delicious, the perfect combination of textures and flavours; with the sweetness of the gateau balanced out by the tartness of the sorbet, and combined with the light fluffy texture of the soufflé. My companion chose to round off his meal with a selection of British and French cheeses, which he enjoyed, but I am sure I detected a serious case of food envy after he sampled my Cherry Soufflé. Desserts vary between £9 and £16.
We desperately wanted to conclude with a visit to the bar -a really fabulous looking spot to curl up with an after-dinner drink, or coffee, but unfortunately the need to catch the final train of the evening dictated otherwise. This is a great destination for food lovers, and with a bar menu, and newly created Afternoon Tea menu, there isn’t any occasion unaccounted for here. The only thing you’ll be left wanting at the end of the evening is an opportunity to dine at the original Ormer in Jersey.
To many music lovers, Britain is Music Heaven, with hundreds of venues, concerts and gigs to suit every taste or genre. Whether your favourite is rock, jazz, folk or classical; grime, gunge or gangsta rap - or a sound so new it doesn’t have a name yet - the UK hosts a breadth and variety of music unequalled anywhere on the planet.
London’s Southbank Centre, a particular jewel in the nation’s musical crown, starts the new year with a passion, offering plenty to stir the heart and warm the soul. Expect a glittering array of classical pearls, historic gems and
contemporary sparklers, as the world’s most gifted musicians take centre stage and wave batons, show off vocal vim and make their instruments sing.
Belief and Beyond Belief is the Southbank Centre’s rich, ripe central theme for 2017, bringing with it an ambitious year-long festival of music, performance, film, debate and exhibitions. If you’ve ever asked yourself “Being human: what’s it all about?”, this is the festival for you. In a fruitful partnership with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, there will be eight themed weekends across the year. A creative mix of music, words and ideas will explore massive themes like “The search for the meaning of life”; “How do we live with death?” and “Can science and religion live side by side?”.
The coming Southbank year will also see dozens of musical premieres and artist
debuts, movie screenings with live orchestra, an international piano series and a Nordic season, as well as the annual Women of the World, EFG London Jazz, Darbar Indian Music and Imagine Children’s festivals.You’ll be spoilt for choice with evenings of Mozart masterpieces, the Sounds of Musicals, the Glenn Miller Orchestra and concerts from the cream of classical soloists like Mitsuko Uchida, Pinchas Zukerman, Maurizio Pollini and Vladimir Ashkenazy.
You can always depend on the Southbank to have plenty for families and young people, including its popular FUNharmonics family concert. This year’s Imagine Children’s Festival will have a strong Nordic focus. There will be dancing, singing, wiggling, giggling and other childish fun for all ages, from Groove Baby, dance for the very youngest set, to Rave-a-Roo, a brand new clubbing experience for the whole family.
The Southbank offers many attractively priced or free options, such as over-60s concessions, student and family tickets, series savings, Friday Tonic after-work concerts and other free foyer events.
Surrey is a marvellous place to live, as it is an easy commutable distance from London, and one of its more exclusive areas is Oxshott village, which, in 2010, was voted the village with the most footballers, as it is very close to Chelsea’s training ground. Indeed, the alleged who’s who of celebrities that live in Oxshott is very impressive, as it includes Andy Murray, Jamie and Louise Redknapp (she of Strictly Come Dancing fame and the band Eternal), Colin Montgomerie and David Lloyd to name but a few, and The Bear, one of two local pubs, has just had a complete overhaul, so who knows, you may see some of this celebrities here now over a pint or two!
I have visited Highbury and Islington station many times, as my father-in-law is an Arsenal season ticket holder, and I am now delighted to have an amazing venue to have either pre- or post-game drinks and dinner, as Tootoomoo is just a stone’s throw away from the Emirates Stadium.
When you see a name of a restaurant you can usually get an idea of what type of restaurant it is, and Absurd Bird sums this quirky restaurant up perfectly, as the bird (the chicken) you get is absurdly good.
If you have ever been to Jersey in the Channel Islands you may be thinking that the name ‘Ormer’ sounds familiar. That is because the original Ormer restaurant has its home in St Helier, the island’s capital, and is renowned for its Michelin Star winning cuisine. Named after the Channel Islands’ prized local abalone, the man behind Ormer is Shaun Rankin; a world-renowned chef and respected gourmet on the world’s food stage. Gaining his first Michelin star in 2005 for his work at Bohemia restaurant in Jersey, he subsequently spent 18 years promoting the Island’s gastronomy, winning a further Michelin star shortly after opening Ormer, Jersey. In the UK he is well known for his performance on BBC Two’s Great British Menu and is a regular on Saturday Kitchen; essential Saturday morning viewing for anyone with even the slightest interest in food. 
London’s Southbank Centre, a particular jewel in the nation’s musical crown, starts the new year with a passion, offering plenty to stir the heart and warm the soul. Expect a glittering array of classical pearls, historic gems and
contemporary sparklers, as the world’s most gifted musicians take centre stage and wave batons, show off vocal vim and make their instruments sing.
Designtec Web Design