5 Things You Need to Eat in London This WeekBy Alicia Grimshaw
Hungry? Thought so. From mini burgers to Mexican meatballs – here’s 5 things you need to eat in London this week. Knives and forks at the ready:
1. For a New Pop-Up: Bite Me Burger Co.
What: Mini burgers are the order of the day at new pop-up restaurant, Bite Me Burger Co.. Opening on Monday (5th June), the pop-up is based within an existing Holborn restaurant. Bite Me Burger Co. will be Making The World A Burger Place, with Chef Adam Rawson serving up a menu of mouth-watering mini-burgers, available in boxes of up to a dozen.
Why: A two-time winner of London’s prestigious Slider Decider competition, Rawson has created a menu that combines well-loved burger classics with some more unusual flavour combinations. The Beef Encounter, a meaty combo of aged grilled beef patty with special burger sauce, American cheese, shredded lettuce and pickles is a tribute to the Big Mac, while The BC with aged beef patty, cream cheese aioli, bacon, brie and crispy onion is Rawson’s version of a bacon cheeseburger. For those who like their sliders a little more leftfield, the Duck Me features a duck patty topped with truffle mayo, smoked hoisin, Swiss cheese and rocket, and the Pluck Me with buttermilk fried chicken, yuzu mayo, shredded lettuce and pickles. And there’s a veggie option too.
Where: Bite Me Burger Co., 36-38 Kingsway, Holborn, London WC2B 6EY
2. For a New Special: Baz and Fred
What: Baz and Fred’s permanent gaff in Flat Iron Square is a pizza mecca. All of their doughy creations are cooked in their revolutionary Chadwick Oven, designed by Dan Chadwick, who handily happens to be Baz’s godfather. Baked for four minutes, the result is a thin based flavoursome pizza with the perfect, chewy, crispy crust. And if you haven’t made it down yet – they’ve just added a new pizza to their menu and it’s an absolute belter.
Why: The new pizza features nubs of speck ham and lashing of creamy, rich mascarpone. The majority of their tasty toppings and ingredients are sourced straight from Italy, including their tomato base made from crushed sweet San Marzano tomatoes. Other pizzas on the menu include a simple tomato and mozzarella finished with parmesan and basil, a goat’s cheese and caramelised onion variation, a spicy chorizo and ‘nduja creation and a veggie’s delight; Portobello mushrooms with mozzarella, parsley oil, rocket and basil.
Where: Flat Iron Square, London
3. For New Dishes: Balls & Company
What: This month, Balls & Company (that really nice meatball place in Soho), will take a whirlwind trip around the world with a specially created menu of meatballs, inspired by some of Founder Bonny Porter’s favourite flavours from afar. Growing up in Sydney surrounded by a plethora of culinary traditions, Bonny will take guests from Morocco to Mexico, Italy to Argentina, for one month only with her ‘Around The World’ menu, which will also be supporting the World Food Programme, with a £1 donation added to each bill.
Why: To kick off proceedings, starters will come courtesy of Brazil and Italy; sweet potato and crab bolinhos with chilli sauce, and mushroom with aioli and truffle honey, which will be followed by Balls & Company’s signature offering of house-made meatballs, with a far-flung twist. Morocco will be represented by chermoula cous cous with cumin honey and yoghurt, whilst from Vietnam prawn and rice topped with pork floss and sweet chilli sauce will explore flavours from the East. The Mexican meatball of chorizo, aioli, jalopēno hot sauce and crispy shallots will sit alongside the USA edition of spiced bbq shortrib and corn hushpuppy, with the line-up completed by Malaysia; marinated chicken with a satay sauce. Of course, meatballs will be in good company with a host of seasonal sides from Charred baby gem and summer greens with pangrattato to Roasted aubergine with labne, honey, pomegratate and Dukkah, and Polenta chips with rosemary salt.
Where: 58 Greek Street, Soho, London W1D 3DY
4. For a New Vegan Menu: Berners Tavern
What: Swanky Berners Tavern at The London EDITION has launched its first plant-based vegan menu, featuring a range of seasonal and healthy dishes and a botanical cocktail to match. Phil Carmichael, who has cooked with Chef and restaurateur Jason Atherton for over ten years, heads up the kitchen and is responsible for the restaurant’s first plant-based menu.
Why: Available now, the special three-course lunch menu showcases the best seasonal British spring produce, available from £30 per person throughout June. Starters include pickled carrot tartare, caraway seed crackers, radishes, carrots and cardamon puree and orange dressing; and roasted fennel and courgette salad with avocado tartare. Mains feature sweet and salty artichokes, baked shallots, smoked chilli salsa verde, turnip tops and truffle; and chargrilled broccoli with toasted buckwheat salad, broccoli pesto and shaved hazelnut. The coconut panna cotta with marinated pineapple and mango sorbet is not to be missed.
Where: 10 Berners St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 3NP
5. For a New Afternoon Tea: Blakes Hotel x Maitre Choux x Lalani & Co
What: Blakes Hotel in South Kensington will launch a newly curated afternoon tea in time for summer on Friday (9th June), created in partnership with Lalani & Co and Maitre Choux. Specialists in craft, single-batch tea, Lalani & Co have worked with three Michelin-star pastry Chef Joakim Prat from Kensington patisserie Maitre Choux, and the team at Blakes Hotel, to pair four signature choux pastry éclairs with complementary teas.
Why: Visitors to the award-winning Blakes Hotel will be able to enjoy a salted butter with homemade caramel éclair, paired with an incredibly rare Kyoto Oolong from Japan, the Gold Leaf Black Autumn Tea 2016 has been paired with a gold-dusted Hazelnut & Milk Chocolate Treasure, and Maitre Choux’s Spanish Raspberry favourite comes with an Autumnal oolong from a tiny garden in Nepal. Lastly, Himalayan Imperial Black Summer is a black tea with deep chocolates notes, slightly caramelised with a hint of smoke and a silky body. Picked from Jun Chiyabari garden at 6000ft, this tea has been paired with a coffee flavoured éclair.
Where: 33 Roland Gardens, Kensington, London SW7 3PF
