Lunch in Paris and the frustrations of Eurostar delays

On our last day - a Sunday - in Paris this January, Big Sis and I decided to have a long leisurely lunch close to the hotel before our scheduled departure on Eurostar back to London later that same afternoon. The trains had been cancelled the day before due to a lorry fire in the freight tunnel, but all seemed to be in order when we sat down to enjoy our aperitif or a glass of champagne (we were in Paris after all).

But then I had the fateful text: "Your train has been cancelled".

What to do? I tried to telephone the number on the text, but was told the queue was 1/2 hour long. "There's also plenty you can do online," said the friendly Eurostar lady on the automated message, so I decided to enjoy our lunch and see what I could do on my laptop later.

I'm glad I did, because when a couple of hours later I telephoned again, it took over 4 hours to get through to change our booking (and no, you couldn't do it online). By that stage we'd rebooked our lovely room at the Crowne Plaza, and were resigned to another night in Paris. (What a hardship!)

But before we knew about the frustrations of Eurostar delays, we concentrated on (what we thought was going to be) our last lunch in Paris.

As soon as we'd stepped into the Astier we liked the look of the place. Traditionally French, the service was friendly and extremely courteous. There were delicious-looking meals being enjoyed all around us, and looking at the menu, we had great difficulty in deciding on what to have.

Eventually Big Sis chose the marinated herring to start, while I had the pumpkin soup, which was topped with cabbage and bacon bits. Both were  absolutely delicious, but better was to come.

We both had St Jacques Creme Laitue, or scallops in lettuce cream sauce, something we'd spied being enjoyed by a neighbouring table. The scallops were cooked to perfection, and the creme sauce was light and very, very tasty.

By pudding we had to say no to cheese, something which I'm now regretting back in London, where cheese is routinely chilled to a much too low a temperature, and hence often tasteless. (I know these are probably European rules, so differently applied in different countries.)

But when our friendly waiter showed us the pudding menu, and I spied the words "Baba au Rhum", I convinced Big Sis that we should share one. And my, was I glad we did. The dough in the baba was light and fluffy, the rum poured over it deliciously boozy, but still sweet enough, and the Chantilly cream as light as newly fallen snow.

We'd arrived quite late for our lunch (at two pm), and as we were finishing our Parisian feast, the tables around us were emptying. In spite of this, at no point were we made to feel that we were imposing on the staff, who by now must have been there beyond their working hours. When I asked what time they closed, the answer was a shrug "Whenever it suits you".

A Gallic shrug can sometimes be so comforting.

Restaurant Astier
44, rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud
75011 Paris

Five Places to Eat and Drink in Tampere, Finland

I was born in Tampere, this former Finnish industrial town, but now we live in London, I don't often spend more than a couple of days here.

Last week, however, my father was rushed into hospital, and the Englishman and I flew into town, having cancelled our skiing holiday in Lapland. My dad is now better, thank goodness, but the week spent here has allowed us to sample some of the eateries in town. Here's five of them (in no particular order):

1. Scandic Tampere Station
The first night we were here was Valentines Day, and having not thought to book, we found it difficult to get a table anywhere. Even the restaurant in our hotel, the new Sokos Solo Torni, a towering construction by the railway station, could only accommodate us at ten pm. So we decided to grab a quick beer by the Scandic hotel opposite. It was a bitterly cold night (for us soft southerners at least), so we ended up eating there too. I had a perfectly reasonable reindeer steak and the Englishman and Big Sis a sirloin, washed down with a bottle of Malbec. If in a hurry before grabbing a train, you could do worse than eat here.

2. Stockmann's Fazer Cafe 
I'm really not able to visit Tampere without having lunch or coffee at the top floor cafe at Stockmann's. This place brings so many memories of my childhood and since, and although the food doesn't exactly stand out here, it doesn't disappoint either. We had a very enjoyable salad followed by coffee - which to be fair wasn't so brilliant - and an excellent cinnamon bun.

3. 4 Vuodenaikaa Restaurant at Kauppahalli
Kauppahalli, the covered market at Hämeenkatu, has several good cafés and lunch places, but the best in our opinion is the 4 Vuodenaikaa (4 Seasons). It's a French style restaurant with a short, daily changing menu of fish and meat dishes, nestled at one end of the market. It gets very busy, with seating on first-come-first served basis, so there's often a queue at the till. It's worth the wait, however. We had fried pike-perch with carrot risotto and spinach sauce, a dish which would have been a star turn in any Parisian bistro. 

The restaurant is also right next to the best fish mongers in town, the Ahlströms. If you are able to buy and cook your own food while in Tampere, you must get the fish from here. They do fresh, smoked and pre-prepared dishes, and their version of the traditional Savo rye pastry pie of sprats and bacon, Kalakukko, is slightly lighter and can be bought by the slice. Perfect for a light supper.

4. Pikkubistro Kattila 
On Tuesday night we stumbled across this little new restaurant on Alexis Kiven katu, (just off the main street, Hämeenkatu which runs through Tampere centre) and were very pleasantly surprised about the quality of the food and the friendliness of the staff. We were not going to have a big meal, but as we sat down and saw the menu, we couldn't resist the starters. This was the right choice, as the Englishman's cold-smoked pike perch was absolutely delicious, as was my main of slow cooked beef. The Englishman had Moroccan lamb, which he reported was excellent. After such good two dishes, we couldn't resist pudding either. I had chocolate mousse to die for, and the Englishman had sea buckthorn pastry with vanilla yoghurt mousse. Kattila has a different menu every night of the week, and we'll definitely sample their cooking again.

5. Kaffila 
This small, cozy coffee place serves most delicious coffees, teas, cakes and pastries. This time of year in mid-February, they had the traditional cream buns, Laskiaspulla, eaten in Finland for Shrove Tuesday. We've had quite a few of these light, cardamom scented buns during the week, but Kaffila served by far the best ones. They also had Oatly oat milk for my no-milk latte, and the Englishman reported that his Americano was perfect too, so we were both happy.

Lastly I must mention Pispalan Pulteri. Not one of the five because I wasn't so very impressed by it, but if you wish to visit an authentic Tampere institution, make your way Pispala. This is an old worker's quarter which has since become the most desirable area to live in, mainly due its old charm provided by wooden houses, built higgledy piggledy during the first part of the 20th century, on a hillside overlooking one of the large lakes surrounding the city, Näsijärvi. Pispalan Pulteri is an old bar/pub which various Tampere artists have frequented over the years, and if I'd asked for coffee and vodka, I'm sure I would have been served it without an eye brow being raised. Instead we had two beers, but the Englishman refused point blank to eat there after a visit to the gents. Say no more.

Tenu - Finnish pop-up restaurant in London

I've been longing for a Finnish restaurant in London and even though Tenu was just a pop-up open for one month in December 2014, it was such a pleasure to see Brits being introduced to the delicacies of my home country. On the night we went, there were a lot of fellow Finns there too, and we spotted at least one famous chef sampling the Nordic fare.

The Englishman and I thoroughly enjoyed the Tenu house cocktail 

Antto Melasniemi, together with the artist Klaus Haapaniemi (who is most famous for his designs for Iittala ceramics), created a bit of Finland in Soho, in an intimate room near Leicester Square, a space that was previously occupied by an outpost of St John's Bread and Wine. 

I took my family, and we'd all been looking forward to having reindeer, but seeing the menu on the night, couldn't decide what to have. The Englishman suggested the 7 course tasting menu, and that was an excellent choice. I made one provision, however. I'd heard through the Finnish London Ex-pat grapevine that the sweetened potato bake (imelletty perunalaatikko) was to die for, so I wanted some of that on our menu. Son asked for reindeer, and when the friendly waitress promised us both we sat back and enjoying out Tenu gin cocktails with lingonberries, waited for our tastebuds to be taken back to Finland.

Tenu Gin Cocktail

And my goodness that - and more - is what happened. For me, the potato bake was the star of the show, and I had to stop myself from licking the dish clean. (I particularly loved the slightly burnt bits round the top of the dish). It took me right back to my childhood in Tampere. 

The salmon fish chowder with salmon roe was also excellent, as was the lingonberry granita for dessert. There were also two more fish courses, and some very tasty chicken liver with those beautifully fresh tasting lingonberries, in between.

Salmon fish chowder.

Reindeer with beetroot.

Sweet potato bake.

Lingonberry granita and liquorice brûlée.  

The whole experience of the meal was improved by the beautiful table coverings, china and decorations by Haapaniemi, who now has a shop in London on Redchurch Street, just a hop and a skip from Shoreditch House.

After our meal I decided to have a quick chat with the chef, Antto Melasniemi. I'd been watching him do the cooking in the open kitchen at the back of the restaurant, and wanted to thank him for the wonderful experience. When I told him my only wish was that Tenu would be permanent, and leant over the counter, I noticed that while chatting to me Antto was also caramelising a couple of liquorice creme brûlées with a blow torch. 'Oh,' I said and moved away, 'I'd better leave you to it!' In a typically understated Finnish way, Antto took a swig out of a martini glass with his free hand (it was nearly the end of the service and the pop-up) and said, 'No, it's fine.' (When a Finn says it's fine, he means that it is no problem at all - really - unlike a Brit who'd mean exactly the opposite...). I'm sure Antto's laid-back attitude to life is what made the pop-up such a relaxed, happy place.

Me with Antto Melasniemi

Please, please, please, Antto, make Tenu a permanent feature in London!           

Father's Day lunch at Heirloom, London N8

The Englishman enjoying his Father's Day pre-lunch pint.

There's a new kid in the restaurant block in Crouch End, called Heirloom. Both the Englishman and I have been watching the changing shopfront of the restaurant on Park Road while walking past on our way into town on a Saturday, or passing onboard the W7 bus on our way home from work. Over the months of the refurbishment, we'd heard good things about Heirloom, so when it was time to book somewhere for a Father's Day lunch, Daughter and I thought this new British restaurant would do nicely.

Reputedly this restaurant was going to use ingredients from their own farm in the not-too-far Buckinghamshire to offer fresh ingredients for a short menu. Just our cup of tea (or coffee for me...).

I really liked the decor of Heirloom. It's very pared down and simple, with wooden tables without tablecloths (but with generously portioned cloth napkins - yes!) and white walls with just the odd colourful print adorning them. There's a bar at the front where you can enjoy nibbles and drinks, and some tables at the back. We were seated at a lovely round table under a skylight. But the table was right next to a back door, with a bit of a draft coming through, which on a hot London day would have been very welcome.  But because I have been 'blessed' with another bout of frozen shoulder I couldn't sit with any kind of draft. (I know - it's depressing to have it again but at least it reputedly only hits a shoulder the once, so this should be the last time). The staff were very good about it and moved us swiftly onto another table in the middle of the restaurant.

In  spite of this, it was obvious the restaurant had been open for a matter of days, because the service was a little tentative, although friendly, which is ultimately what matters. Plus the food was - in one word - divine.

To start I and the Englishman had baby leeks with lobster, which was a combination I certainly would  never have thought of but was perfectly balanced. Daughter had fried asparagus with pork jus and breadcrumbs. I am really pushed to say which one of these was the better starter; both had a clean taste, with none of the ingredients overpowering the dish.

For mains I had skate wings with capers, burned nut butter, new potatoes, fennel salad and greens. Although the dish was far too large for me, I enjoyed the perfectly cooked fish. The new potatoes were really tasty too, and the fennel salad and greens were good accompaniments the dish.

Daughter had ricotta-filled courgette with courgette flowers and pineapple tomatoes. Again the taste of this dish was fresh and well seasoned.

The Englishman's Red Devon rib of beef with baby beets was melt-in the mouth, and rare - or rather blue. It was just as well he did like his beef barely alive, because the waiters had not queried his preference. As I said before, there were a few teething problems with the service, something I'm sure Heirloom will put right in the weeks and months to come.

The puddings were again delicious, with the treacle tart and gooseberries getting the most votes at our table.

Puddings - treacle tart at the front.

This is the kind of food we like to cook at home and equally delicious if we get it right on occasion. Not to be big-headed about it, but it's rare that we get the same quality British fare when eating out locally. Which is why I just had to write about Heirloom and recommend it to you all.

Oh, and the craft beer according to the Englishman was excellent too, as was the pre dinner drink of Cava Daughter and I had. Plus the bread brought to the table at the start tasted excellent with the small pot of hot pork dripping. The taste combination reminded me of the Swedish tradition of Dopparedagen when you gather around the kitchen to dip bread into the juices of the traditionally seasonal cooked ham night before Christmas Eve.

There was a definite Nordic flair to both the cooking and decor of Heirloom, which is probably why I loved it so much. It'd be interesting to find out if the restaurant has a Scandinavian connection?

With three courses, pre dinner drinks, a bottle of good quality white wine and a glass of red our bill came to just under £50-00 per head. That's not too bad for excellent food in North London.

Heirloom
35 Park Road
Crouch End
N8 8TE
Te 02083483565
www.heirloomn8.co.uk
@heirloomn8

Osteria Tufo in Finsbury Park, London

Photo by By: Sunil060902 (Own work) via Wikimedia Commons

Ever since we've been in North London, for me Finsbury Park has just been a place to take the tube from. Lately, however, I've noticed that the area is undergoing a definite transformation.

Just a stone's throw away from the station is the newly opened Park Theatre, which we are yet to try out, but which has had great reviews for its first season. And a few streets away is an Italian restaurant called Osteria Tufo, which Son had heard good things about, so off we went last Sunday lunchtime to try the place out.

The place is owned by an Italian couple, Paola and Morris, who have over 20 years' experience in the restaurant business, including time spent at Carluccio's.

The shortness of the menu at Osteria Tufo gave me immediate hope for freshly cooked food, as did the simple decor. I and Son's fiancé (still looove saying that!) opted for traditional antipasti of Calamari Fritti, which was beautifully fresh and light, although I would have preferred the dish not to be served in a glass Pyrex dish. That and the cheap paper napkin which lined the dish, really let the presentation down.

The Englishman chose Polpette di Pesce to start. This was delicious tuna and swordfish meatballs served with chill tomato and capers, which tasted delicious. Son had Parmigiaba di Melanzane; oven-baked aubergine with tomato and mozzarella, which he was very happy with.

For mains we girls chose pasta. I had absolutely perfectly cooked ravioli with ricotta and spinach in a gorgonzola sauce, while Son's girlfriend had flat pasta with sausage meat and truffle oil. We all agreed this was the best dish of the day,with the meat tender and the truffle adding a beautiful scent of a rain soaked woodland. (Or perhaps it's the Finn in me that thinks of forests when eating anything with fungi in it?)

The boys had meat in the form of Porchetta, 'Savoury pork roast of Italian culinary tradition, layers of stuffing meat fat and skin.' Not something I would have chosen, but the Englishman said the taste delivered on a much higher level than its description.

For puddings the others shared a Babba Napoletano, a dish that came highly recommended. The sweet baked sourdough was indeed melt-in-the-mouth as was the dessert I always opt for, if it's on the menu: Affogato. Here they serve it with two scoops of ice-cream, but I asked for just one, because for me, the espresso needs to be the star of the dish. The staff were more than happy to oblige.

For the wines we chose a Sicilian house red, and a Gavi for the white. Both bottles were of excellent quaffing quality with a price tag to match. The whole meal came to £125.20 (for four, including a couple of beers to start), which I think is pretty good value for London.

This is beautifully executed traditional Italian food, with friendly, unfussy service. A simple task, you might say, but it's so very rarely achieved even by the big names in the industry.

We will definitely go back Osteria Tufo, if only to take Daughter who couldn't join us this time. This local Italian will also be the perfect place to shelter from bad weather when the tubes and trains are out of action. Here's hoping for some more storms and snow this winter. (Only joking)

Osteria Tufo
67 Fonthill Road
London N4 3HZ
Tel 020 7272 2911
www.osteriatufo.co.uk

Best Fish & Chips ever in North London

Last night, after the Six Nations Rugby, we couldn't be bothered to cook and decided to sample the fish and chips we'd heard a lot about in Muswell Hill. Toffs, on The Broadway is supposed to serve North London's best fish supper, so that's where we headed.

Doing our usual 'fly-past' check, the place looked just as a good chippy should. The fish at the counter was freshly cooked, and at just after six it was already filling up with both take-away business and those who wanted to eat in.

We booked a table for 7.30 and went in search of a pub called The Famous Royal Oak, which the Englishman had seen on Fancy a Pint was the only 'decent pub' in Muswell Hill. The pub is tucked away at the other side of the viaduct, in a very residential area, but once inside you realise this is a local spelled with a large L. You could see some of the punters had been there all afternoon watching the rugby, still there were a few families, all enjoying the friendly, convivial atmosphere of this 'proper boozer'. I can see another visit will be imminent…

Back at Toffs just before 7.30 we had to fight to get inside. After a while we were shown to a table upstairs (the restaurant seems to go on and on, up into the attic of the house), and although I'd much rather have eaten in the bustling dining room downstairs, at this stage I was happy just to be seated.

The menu does have other things on it apart from the traditional fish and chips, but I wasn't going to go away without sampling the real thing. The Englishman ordered cod and I opted for haddock. We also wanted some mushy peas, something which in my view you cannot eat fish and chips without.

Whether it was the pint we'd had in the quirky old-fashioned Royal Oak, or whether it was the half an hour wait for our meal (the menu stated that all food is cooked to order and asks for your patience - fine by me), but when the food arrived and I took a first taste, I just couldn't believe how good the fish was. The batter was thin and delicious, with a definite beer taste to it, and the fish was cooked to perfection. I normally eat but a fraction of the batter, but this time I could not get enough of it. The chips too were crisp and uneven, only the way chips cut from real potatoes are. The only thing missing was sliced white bread - but thank goodness they didn't offer it. I was full to bursting afterwards and still couldn't finish my dish.

I really believe this was the best fish and chips I've ever had in England - and I've been both to Bryans in Headingley, West Yorkshire, and Harry Ramsdens (before they went all commercial and franchised).

The staff at this Muswell Hill institution were very friendly too - they were literally rushed off their feet, but all had a smile on their faces and couldn't do enough for you.

We're already planning our next visit to Toffs - that's how good the meal was.

Toffs of Muswell Hill
38 Muswell Hill Broadway
London N10 3RT
Open Mon-Sat 11.30 am to 11 pm
Closed Sunday
Phone 0208 883 8656

Fäviken launch at The Swedish Ambassador's Residence in London

I've written before about this extraordinary restaurant in Northern Sweden, Fäviken Magasinet, where chef Magnus Nilsson creates flavour explosions from locally sourced food and fauna. And I mean locally sourced. This is from their website:

'We respect our raw ingredients for what they are, what they look like and where they come from. We strive to monitor the production of each ingredient from seed to plate. We accept nature’s own choices as the primary factor, and apply our own knowledge in order to maximise every product’s potential. We concentrate on harvesting, preparing, cooking and then serving it. We present every single ingredient in a manner that conveys the feelings that arise in the process to createrektún food.
 Our ingredients are primarily from the Fäviken Estate, grown and raised in conditions that we control. After this, they come from people we know in the local area, Jämtland, and, lastly, they come from our Norwegian neighbours in Tröndelag.' 

The result is the purest tasting food I have ever enjoyed. Though Magnus has an estate and a small farm at his disposal, still, you need a hugely creative mind and excellent skills as a chef to produce the delicacies such as 'Langoustine rolled in dried malted vinegar'

Me with Magnus Nilsson

When we visited Fäviken last March, Magnus told us that he was writing a cookery book which would come out in October. And, true to his word, on 1st October came out the moorishly good looking book, Fäviken, which promises to be not just a cookery book but a book on a way of life.

Last night, when the Swedish Ambassador, Nicola Clase, introduced Magnus to a crowded room, she said something very perceptive about the way of cooking at Fäviken. I'd quote her word for word here, but alas, after a few glasses of their excellent wine and even more excellent Hors D'oeuvres, this morning I could not for the life on me remember what she said…but it was something about the past having brought Magnus to the future of cooking.

The cover looks fabulous.

I cannot wait to have my copy, which is waiting for me at West End Lane Books. Sadly, at yesterday's event we weren't able to purchase copies.

Fäviken is published by Phaidon Press
Hardcover Price: £35-00

Brunch at The Blue Legume Cafe, London N8

When we moved to this particular corner of North London last January, I set out to do The Crouch End Knowledge, i.e. visit all pubs, bars and cafes in the N8 area and report back to you.  But, due to some other important business (such as the publishing of my book), this task has been rather on the back burner lately. But today, to start these efforts anew, I persuaded the Englishman and Daughter to join me for brunch at the more recently opened establishment in Crouch End, Blue Legume Cafe on Crouch Hill.

I've been wanting to go to this place for some time, because when passing the place onboard the number W7 bus, I've watched people sitting at tables outside, enjoying cups of milky coffee and delicious looking plates of food. Sometimes it takes all of my will power not to get off the bus and join them, and delay what ever trip I am making into town.



When looking at the menus today I noticed (to my slight disappointment) that the Blue Legume Cafe serves the kind of fare which most small restaurant/cafes London nowadays do. You know the kind that's called 'Modern British', old-fashioned food with a Mediterranean twist. But since this place almost always looks full, I decided here the food must be a little more special. Or at least a good example of its kind.

And the place is certainly friendly. As soon as we sat outside on this unseasonably tropical morning here in London, a smiling waitress came over to ask if we'd like drinks. We were given menus and (almost too) swiftly our first order of skinny cappuccino, americano and Earl Grey tea arrived.

Both the Englishman and I decided to have the vegetarian sausage breakfast, while Daughter went for Eggs Royal. All again arrived in record time and were on the whole delicious.

Vegetarian sausage, grilled 1/2 tomato, beans, fried mushrooms and granary toast.

Eggs Royal: Toasted muffin with smoked salmon and two poached eggs.

The poached eggs were well cooked (not a mean feat), just soft enough in the middle.  Although both the Englishman and Daughter found theirs were a little cold, mine was perfect.  The wholemeal toast was also hot and the butter which arrived was room temperature, a perfect match. I also loved the mushrooms, they weren't slimy, nor dry, which they sometimes can be, and as a whole my meal was just what I wanted on this Saturday morning.

So as the first establishment of the second leg of The Crouch end Knowledge, I would wholeheartedly recommend the Blue Legume Cafe. It's friendly, has a nice atmosphere and on the whole is as nice as it looks!

Lunch at Brawn, London E2

The Englishman has been going on about this restaurant for a while now, and since today was the date of our second 28th anniversary (we got married twice, if you want to know why, go here), we thought a long, plentiful lunch would start the Jubilee double Bank Holiday weekend off with a swing.

Jubilee weekend outfit No 1:  jeans from H&m, French boots bought in Sweden, blouse Gap, Union Jack scarf  Gieves & Hawkes from Selfridges Wonder Room

We decided to go down to E2 early, taking the Overground to Hoxton, so that we could have a browse at the quirky little shops on Columbia Road. We very nearly bought a set of garden table and chairs from here, and did actually purchase some Union Jack ribbon for tomorrow's Thames pageant hat run from here.

But back to Brawn.

Selection of charcuterie, with brawn and pork rillette.

Cod with pea puree & tortellini.

Beetroot risoli with goat's cheese and Lamb's tongue with bean salad. 

Puddings: Chocolate Ganache with Creme Anglaise & Prailine and Panna Cotta  with Strawberries.

The food was excellent, although the lamb's tongue was too much for me. Not because it was tongue, but because it was lamb. I just don't like the taste. However, the  plate of charcuterie was absolutely wonderful and took me back to my home town Tampere, where my mother would buy brawn and (something like) pork rillette at the local covered market. The beetroot risoni was very filling and still quite refreshing. I would never have thought to combine pasta, beetroot and goat's cheese, but the dish worked really well. The cod was perfectly cooked, opaque in the centre, and the pea puree sweet and the pasta al dente. As for the puddings, you can see how good they were. Oh, I feel full just thinking of them!

At Brawn the dishes are supposed to be small, so they advise you to have at least two each. We found this was more than enough, although at the end we had to have an extra dish of different coloured tomatoes when some were delivered to a table next to ours. 'This is definitely the place for serious next-table-plate-envy,' The Englishman remarked. Indeed, when we were waiting for our puddings, I saw several dishes I could have easily chosen as well as the ones we'd just eaten. A restaurant to revisit, I think.

Brawn isn't too pricey either. Our bill for the five courses, plus two puddings, a bottle of house white and two double expressos came to little under £100-00. Believe me reader, that is good value for London.

As a bonus, Brawn is also only a hop and a skip away from Shoreditch House. We headed straight up to the pool bar on the roof, and as if by magic the sun came out. We had a lovely glass of Pimm's watching the younger (and thinner) patrons getting into their swimwear and plunging into the pool. Ah well, we were young'ons once too...

Brawn
49 Columbia Rd, Bethnal Green E2 7R 
Tel: 0207 7295629