1. Dead Hippie Burger – Meat Mission 15 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HG
Part of the Meatliquor group of meaty places to eat, this cool and hip place in North Shoreditch (or Norditch as I call it) is a former church mission building and has retained most of the original features (addition of neon lights, animals in biblical clothing and a DJ aside). Dude food is quite a good description of the menu & features a Time Out Top 100 dish in the form of Deep Fried Pickles with Blue Cheese Dip. We of course had to order these to tick them off the list and they didn’t disappoint, great tangy dip with lightly battered gherkins, interesting but winning combo.
With burgers dominating the menu, I went for the intriguingly named Dead Hippie Burger. Gloriously moist burgers that had been marinated in mustard, tiny diced onions for sweetness and sliced gherkins for tang. A secret sauce, like a fantastic version of the Big Mac burger sauce completed it. I had to have a spoon to eat up the sloppy stuff that fell out as I bit into the burger and mopped these up with the sweet bun. Burger me!
There has been a surge in dedicated lobster restaurants opening up so we took the opportunity for a special lunch in this branch in the City. As it says on the tin (or above the door) you can have the burger or lobster each served with crunchy fries and a nicely dressed side salad.
The amount of lobster that is stuffed into the sweet brioche roll is more than generous and is so meaty that this alone fills you up the fries and salad are just a happy after thought.
Quite rightly, the stars of the show take centre stage!
Another quick return to this local bistro and the food hit the spot again. A crispy skinned (what seemed like) half a chicken, generous pistachio crumb which really brought out an interesting but tasty flavour and the piece de resistance, truffle mash.
There was a strong truffle taste in every mouthful which proved that the kitchen didn’t scrimp on this luxury ingredient. Very satisfied with this meal!
I like to think this was cooked by the fair hands of Michel Roux Jr or James Martin from the luxury pop up kitchen at the BBC Good Food Show so let’s not break that fantasy! I’ve featured it as it was surprisingly so tasty and cooked perfectly from the ‘school canteen’ that I’d go as far to say as some of the best crackling I’ve had. Really good value and filling, perfect.
A fantastic butchery course held in a posh butchers shop in the West End was a lovely present from Mama & Papa Piggy and resulted in me tasting the best roast porky ever. A comedy duo of butchers take you through the dissecting of a whole piggy carcass which then leads you to eating the best Ginger Pig has to offer. The main course (which is one they prepared earlier as it takes 5 hours) had thick, crunchy salted crackling crowning the most tender pork. Rich dauphinoise potatoes were the only veg accompaniment and just when you thought you’d burst, choc bread and butter pudding was brought out for dessert. Fantastic experience that I’d recommend for the foodie in your life!
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