My housemate Livie and I headed down to Regents Park a few weeks ago to sample as many delights as we could manage. As soon as we arrived, we beelined straight for Jamie Oliver’s cooking demonstration, where he rustled up a slow roasted lamb with spring vegetables and a guinnes cheesecake, not the best thing to watch when you hadn’t even had breakfast.
After 40 minutes of Oliver conjuring up these incredible dishes, we were absolutely starving and in need of our first dish. Having only a few crowns between us (taste of london currency) we had to plan our dishes carefully.. This is what we went for…
Pulled Pork Shoulder, BBQ Sauce and Coleslaw
1. Jamie Oliver inspired us so we headed to Barbecoa. I got treated to a meal here as a christmas present, so had already sampled this delicacy but it was so good I went back for more. Sweet and smoky soft meat that literally melts in your mouth with delicious cruncy coleslaw.
Poulpe Rôtie: Grilled Octopus, Chorizo and Romesco
2. Bar Bouloud. Trying to keep our dishes varied we went for a fish dish next, this one really stood out on the menu. I’m no expert in cooking, but all these flavours seemed perfectly balanced and left a beautiful aftertaste. Very light and fresh but packed full of flavour. I have to vote for this as my meal of the day.
3. Club Gascon. We didn’t pick this off the menu but were immediately attracted to this restaurant when we passed it. The staff were really friendly and it was beautifully designed. Having done her reasearch, Livie knew that this stand had been awarded Taste dish of the year 2012 for their marmite royale and soldiers, we thought we should give it a go. Due to our lack of crowns, we opted for the squid dish. I was actually quite underwhelmed by it, the froth was pretty bland and I think the squid was quite overcooked. However, people nearby where raving about their Icon dish, marmite royale and soldiers, marmite infused foie gras.
Crispy Pigs’ cheeks, Piccalilli, Chive & Lamb’s Lettuce Salad
4. Back to Barbecoa. Being quite let down by the squid, we had to pick our last dish. After a few cocktails, we wanted something filling that would not dissapoint. These pig cheeks did not dissapoint. Crispy on the outside and soft inside, the pig cheeks were delicious. The contrast in flavour between them and the piccalilli was a delightful combination!
Hopefully next year i’ll be employed and can shower myself in crowns!
eliza's larder 