Masterchef Popup Restaurant, London

Many of us probably have a restaurant where we know the chef well enough at least to exchange greetings and comment on the food.  But how about going to a smart restaurant in central London for the first time and feeling that you know so much about the chefs and their lives that they feel like part of your family.  Such is the power of television.  Masterchef exposes every facet of the contestants character as they prepare dishes, under pressure, for close scrutiny not only by the judges, Greg Wallace (@greggawallace ) and John Torode (@johntorode1), but also by viewers, many of whom will voice their opinion via social media.  So, arriving at the Blue Fin Building in London for lunch last Sunday at the Masterchef Restaurant, everyone must have felt that they already knew the chefs. This was enhanced by their presence in the dining room where they enthusiastically shared views and ideas with the diners. One big happy family !

The Masterchef Restaurant is a 'popup' which brings together champions and finalists from the past 10 years to create bespoke menus for a five week period.  We booked for lunch on the first Sunday ( 7th Sept) and our chefs were the 2014 winner Ping Coombes ( @wanpingcoombes ) and finalists Jack Lucas ( @jacklucas1) and Luke Owen ( @master chef_luke ).  The popup is located on the South Bank in the Blue Fin Building, so called because it is covered in 2,000 blue aluminium fins, each with a metallic finish that changes the building’s appearance from different positions. 

On arrival we were directed to the 11th floor roof terrace to enjoy a glass of champagne and to take in the stunning view of the Thames and London skyline which includes iconic buildings such as St. Pauls, The Shard and The Gherkin. The restaurant on the 10th floor was very contemporary with clean lines and lots of glass which allowed us to enjoy the views throughout the meal. The menu comprised 3 courses with a choice of two items per course each of which was attributed to the chef.  We opted for one of each so we could taste them all and we were not disappointed. Not all were seafood of course but they are each worth a mention. 

For starters, I had the Shellfish Arancini with prawn cocktail garnish which was the only dish designed by Luke. The crusted ball of risotto rice was packed with flavour and garnished with prawns and cocktail sauce.  I admit I had slight worries by the thought of the seventies-style sauce but Luke had given it a spicy lift with chilli which worked perfectly.  He explained to me later that the intensity of flavour in the rice resulted from the shellfish stock which he had prepared from prawn shells, celery, sherry and wine. The other starter was the Pork Sandwich designed by Ping. This was braised pork belly in a bao with crackling and sesame salad. The light steamed bun combined perfectly with the succulent meat and oriental sauce.  

For main the Prawn Laksa was also one of Ping's creations. Laksa is a popular spicy noodle soup which is combination of Chinese and Malay cuisine. The aromatic, spicy broth was prepared with lemongrass, galangal (a root from the ginger family), coconut and shrimps.  This was served with soft noodles, tiger prawns and garnish. A perfect combination and with Ping's 'special spices' the dish was light, flavoursome and satisfying. 

The main course designed by Jack was Cannon of Lamb with a breaded shoulder croquette, pea and mint puree, mashed potatoes, anchovy vinaigrette and redcurrant sauce.  The melt-in-your-mouth lamb was flavoursome and cooked to perfection with smooth creamy mash and intense pea puree…..delicious…... and that is from a seafood fanatic !

Ping's Pudding was Coconut and Pandan Panna Cotta  with chargrilled pineapple, compressed mango, lime and lemongrass granite. Great depth of flavour here from the fruit together with delicate panna cotta reminded us of Ping's skill in creating successful combinations with all types of food.

 Jack's pudding was Indulgent Chocolate Tart with orange yoghurt ice-cream, candied orange and popping candy crumb with an indulgent addition of edible gold leaf. All presented on the almost obligatory 'buttery biscuit base'. 

All in all this was a great event with good service and excellent food.  The atmosphere was convivial with no rush or panic (at least not at front of house) and we could take our time to enjoy it all.  All three chefs took the time to engage with the diners in a very relaxed and friendly way despite the fact that they had just prepared lunch for 150  having already prepared brunch earlier and had dinner to come.  So 'hats off' to the chefs but also to the organisers and support staff who created a very pleasant experience which in no way felt contrived. 

Hawksmoor Air Street London

The Hawksmoor Air Street only opened in November but is already attracting good reviews. Unlike the other Hawksmoor restaurants this one doesn't only do great steaks. They have included a nice selection of seafood but not in a 'tacked on' way; they have teamed up with Mitch Tonks from Dartmouth to develop a seafood menu of high quality. The result in my opinion is great meat and equally great seafood with no compromises.
We had the seared scallops which were cooked with white wine , herb butter and sea salt. They were delicious and cooked to perfection. Main course was the monkfish which was well seasoned and grilled over charcoal. The result was succulent and very tasty with sides of fries and spinach with lemon and garlic. Service was friendly and helpful thanks to our waitress Aleksandra who was very knowledgeable about the food. We will go again.

The Caxton Grill - London SW1

Hotel 41 is No1 on TripAdvisor for London and its easy to see why.  From the moment you arrive nothing is too much trouble and if you do have a problem you are compensated. It is a 5 star hotel which is situated on the top (5th) floor of the Rubens Hotel (4*) on Buckingham Palace Road (SW1).  An oasis of calm this small select hotel feels more like a private club with the central library (Executive Lounge) providing the hub.  Great personal service which included complimentary champagne (choice of four leading marques) and comfortable quiet rooms provided a wonderfully calm ambience.  However, they do not have a restaurant so after reading the reviews on Square Meal we headed to the Caxton Grill at the St. Ermin's Hotel which is about 10 minutes walk away. 

Squid Ink Raviola with Crab

 The hotel lobby at St Ermin's has an impressive array of grand terraces and chandeliers but initial impressions of the restaurant were that it is a bit 'ordinary' by comparison.  That was soon forgotten however as we were directed to our table and our Portuguese waiter, Ivo explained the menu choices.  He was fully informed about all of the dishes which we had questions about and was most helpful throughout the meal.  For starters I had the Squid Ink Raviolo which was stuffed with fresh Devon crabmeat and Sea Fennel, topped with Coriander Gremolata in Crab Bisque. Ivo told me it was his favourite and I think it will be mine too (once I have been back to try all the others !). 

Dover Sole

For main course we ordered the 'Catch of the Day' which was whole Dover Sole grilled in the Josper Grill. Of Spanish origin, the Josper is a charcoal based 'closed draught barbeque' that cooks super fast at incredibly hot temperatures and (as the argument goes) more thoroughly than any other option as the heat is distributed evenly from above, below, left and right of whatever’s been placed on the grill. In my opinion overcooking fish is the worst thing you can do so I was interested to see the results by this method.  I needn't have worried, Executive Chef, Hus Vedat, is a very talented.  The Dover Sole was skinned topside only then cooked upside down which allowed the fish to cook beneath the skin to the perfect result.  Dressed with burnt butter and lemon soaked almonds it was simply delicious.