Chinwag

Everyone loves a good chinwag over tea and cake. Or over a lunchtime chicken wrap and a glass of wine. Or even over an evening cocktail and a gourmet burger. But what kind of cafe is open all day to satisfy all your eating, drinking and chinwagging desires? Well, Chinwag of course! This little beauty has just opened in New Cross and is already a huge hit and just what the area has been crying out for. It means one less fried chicken shop and one new exciting eaterie, made even more special by its quirky interior, great food, enthusiastic staff and excellent feel-good tunes.

Chinwag is the result of Eren & Ellie's pure hard graft and determination - a couple who have plucked this old chicken shop back to its bare walls with their bare hands and given it a complete overhaul with their unique stamp. You enter Chinwag via an original red telephone box door, and once inside you are surrounded by bicycle spoke chandeliers; exposed brickwork; random tables (including old school desks) and fresh flowers in tin buckets. There's a giant old cash til on the counter nestling against a bunch of old hardback classic books, sneakily disguising the menus. And if you need a pee, then you just need to step behind the door of No.10 Downing Street. There's a definite buzz in the air as Curtis Mayfield and Toots & The Maytals play in the background, competing with the gurgling coffee machine. And on a decent day, you can take a pew outside on the wooden deck and drink your coffee as you watch the world go by. It's bang opposite Goldsmiths, so I reckon it's worth going to Uni, just so you can hang out here!

Even though the paint has barely dried, Chinwag is already hugely popular and still in the throws of finding its feet.  I popped along for a top notch hot chocolate and a slice of white chocolate and raspberry cake which was good but admittedly shop-bought. They assured me that once they're fully up and running, all their cakes will be homemade, and their booze licence should be in place soon to sell all sorts of lovely wines, beers and even cocktails, which means it'll be open even later than it's current 10pm closing time. I'm going back soon to try one of their gourmet burgers which I hear are already getting a reputation as being the best massive, juicy (horse-free) burgers in South East London, for a bargain £6.99. In fact, Chinwag is so reasonable, so you can treat yourself everyday if you like. And the best thing of all, is it's literally a scone's throw from my house, so I can see this becoming a regular haunt. So if you fancy a chinwag, see you there...

Chinwag
21 Lewisham Way
London SE14 6PP
@ChinwagNewCross
(website hopefully coming soon)

Open for breakfast, lunch, tea & dinner
Mon - Sat 10am - 10pm  Sun 10am  - 5pm

The Foragers Sunday Lunch at The Dead Dolls Club

There's a lot to be said for foraged food. The sense of thrill and achievement from hunting and gathering your own fodder by rummaging amongst the undergrowth for that perfect mushroom; catching a wild trout from a secluded river; picking blackberries straight from the hedgerow, or if you're lucky (and have the snuffling abilities of a pig), perhaps discovering a prize truffle. And for the serious foragers out there, arriving home at dusk with a brace of hare or a venison slung over your shoulder. It definitely beats pushing a trolley around Sainsbury's.

For those townies who like the idea of indulging in a feast of foraged food but don't know the difference between foraging and roadkill, and are slightly apprehensive about donning a pair of wellies and setting foot outside the M25, you need to go to Dalston, where wild boar are so rife, it's hard to get a seat on the tube! I jest of course. Well partially. You see, the team behind The Dead Dolls Club (synonomous with hearty stews and cocktails), have collaborated with none other than The Foragers, a top team of foraging chefs. And what a perfect marriage of great food and ambience they make.

 

The Foragers in fact do their foraging in The Shires of South East England, then bring their freshly foraged-wares to East London. Their Sunday roasts are particularly spectacular, as I found out the other day. No mundane roast pork or lamb here, oh no. We're talking roast muntjac (a small deer-like creature) served with homemade wild horseradish which was so good, I'm going to see if they'll let me have their secret recipe. I've never eaten muntjac before and it was excellent, beef-like and tender. My friend had the duo of hare leg and loin which was slow-cooked in red wine and also tender and delicious. Accompanied by mighty fine roast potatoes, proper veg and a good helping of Yorkshire pud and gravy, it was verging on epic as far as Sunday roasts go. Prior to that, we both started with the hedgerow berry-cured trout served with more of that special wild horseradish.

Unfortunately my enthusiasm waned when it came to the pudding options which I found sadly disappointing and 'un-puddingy'. I was hoping for something wintery, comforting and definitely involving custard. Perhaps a foraged fruit crumble; a steamed honey sponge or a rich bread and butter pud. And anything chocolatey would of course have got my vote. The puddings on offer included lemon posset with rhubarb; fruit cake with blue cheese, or fennel with goats cheese and honeycomb, none of which grabbed me.But that's just me. During the week and on Saturday, you can expect the menu to include simple grazing type dishes to share, such as pigeon kebab with a sticky rosehip barbeque sauce; filo parcels stuffed with nettles, dandelion leaves, goats cheese & hedge garlic mayo or that delicious berry-cured trout with wild horseradish I mentioned earlier.

The decor at The Dead Dolls Club is simple, yet effective - walls decorated with a clever mural done with nothing more than a black marker pen; long tables and benches; vases of feathers; subtle candlelight, and decadent decanters full of water (with a stick of charcoal to keep it carbonised, at least I think that's what it does). There's a little bar area at the back where you can try out one of their many imaginative cocktails. It's a lovely, unpretentious down-to-earth place to be, whether you want to while away a dreary winter's afternoon enjoying fine food and drinking good plonk, or upping the tempo by spending the evening there, especially Friday or Saturday when it's open til 3am.

There's no end to the different delights you can forage. Horse-meat burgers are already a bit passé, but I'm thinking squirrel pate, badger balti and hedgehog haggis could be all the rage soon. Only joking of course. But listen up urban foxes, if you don't behave, you may well end up on The Foragers menu!

The Foragers at The Dead Dolls Club
428 Kingsland Road
London E8 4AA
Nearest station: Dalston Junction
dalston@thedeaddollsclub.com 
@WeForagers @deaddollsclub

Opening hours:
Wed & Thur 6pm til 12.30am
Fri & Sat 5pm - 3am
Sun 1pm - 11pm

Opium Cocktail & Dim Sum Emporium

Well, firstly can I say a belated Happy New Year! I trust 2013 is treating you so far, so good. January really is a grim month, but I managed to emerge from hibernation this week so I could go and check out a new bar in the heart of Chinatown, the Opium Cocktail & Dim Sum Emporium Tucked behind a jade green door on Gerrard Street, you are greeted by the smiliest, friendliest bouncer I've ever met. Ushered upstairs, the attentive staff showed us to a great table in The Attic area which was very inviting with comfy retro furniture, discreet booths, Chinese prints adorning the walls, and the lingering scent of incense sticks. It felt just how I imagine a Shanghai speakeasy to be.

Located on various levels, Opium is more than just a cocktail bar. It's a collection of rooms which can be used as a venue for events, lunches or even creative work meetings. As well as The Attic, there is an Apothecary Lounge which is a great spot for afternoon tea (and apparently where they create Chinese medicinal potions). There's a room called The Den for private dining and parties (up to 25 people), and the red glass window overlooks a secret alleyway, believed to be the real Chinatown...

 

Although my friend and I were having a booze-free evening, the cocktails all sounded delicious and intriguing. Had I been drinking, I reckon a kumquat-infused Laughing Buddha, a Double Bubble or even a smoking Opium Signature Cocktail No.1 (all complete with fortune cookies) would have gone down a storm.

We chose a selection of dim sum, including samphire & crab, and scallop & coriander dumplings which were all excellent. But very overpriced. Our bill came to £62 for seven portions of dim sum and a couple of soft drinks which seems pretty steep to me. Especially as being in the heart of Chinatown, there are many equally good dim sum houses literally within spitting distance for a fraction of the price. I'd say Opium is definitely worth going to if you want to indulge in their excellent cocktails (served on gorgeous coasters I might add). Then eat your heart out elsewhere.

With the Experimental Cocktail Club a couple of doors away, Chinatown is proving to be a great spot for Londoners to avoid the oblivious Peking duck-munching tourists and enjoy clandestine cocktails. And with Chinese new year approaching on 10th Feb, I reckon Opium is the place to go and celebrate the Year of the Snake.

Opium Cocktail & Dim Sum Emporium
Behind the Jade Door
15 - 16 Gerrard Street
London W1D 6JA
@OpiumChinatown
Tel: 020 7734 7276

Mon - Sat 5pm til midnight
Sunday 12pm til Midnight (from 10th Feb 2013)

Merry Christmas and A Round Up of 2012

So 2012 has almost whizzed by and despite it being the wettest year on record, what a fun, exciting and positive year it's been. Red, white and blue has dominated the landscape for a massive chunk of 2012, as we've seen our country do us proud not only hosting the best Olympic Games ever, but winning medals left, right and centre. The Queen has been at the helm of a multitude of magnificent royal Diamond Jubilee celebrations, as well as performing her acting debut with none other than Mr Bond (who turned 50 this year). And the news that a Royal baby is on the way.

Amongst it all, Miss Immy has been very busy exploring and discovering all sorts of intriguing new places for the blog. This year's adventures have included an amazing trip to Hong Kong to see in the Year of the Dragon; dining on stew in a Dickensian-themed arch; meeting the extraordinary duo who are James and Streetcat Bob; shopping for monster supplies in Hoxton, and listening to bedtime stories whilst dressed in a nightie, sipping cocktails...

A definite highlight for me was being featured in Time Out. Twice. Once in the actual magazine, and another on the Time Out website which you can read here. Oh and I even got around to creating a Miss Immy's London calendar which has proved hugely popular. If you'd still like to order one, just get in touch.  Now over two years old, Miss Immy's London is practically an established veteran in 'Blogsville', so a big thanks as always for your continued support.  In the meantime, here are a selection of my personal favourites from 2012 (click each title to go to the link).

Hong Kong for Chinese New Year

Fox & Anchor, EC1

Brixton Village Market

Ruby's Bar

Bedtime Stories at 40 Winks

Birthday at Bootleg Banquet

Scooter Caffe

Evans & Peel Detective Agency

Hoxton Street Monster Supplies

Pip's Dish at The Garage

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and see you in 2013!

Miss Immy x

PipsDish at The Garage

Last Sunday, my friend and I had lunch inside a bright red truck parked inside an old garage. As you may have gathered, this is no ordinary place to dine. This is PipsDish at The Garage - a hidden, self-styled restaurant tucked off Upper Street in trendy Islington. As you enter the old Citroen repair workshop via a small red door, you find yourself in a wonderful, huge space full of long tables with checked cloths; antique cupboards and shelves creaking with vintage crockery, and wicker baskets laden with farm fresh fruit and veg. And as it is the season to be jolly, there was a merry smattering of festive fairy lights, decorations and a Christmas tree to add to this enchanting gem of a restaurant.

The Chefs/Hosts/Brain Wizards behind this unique establishment are Philip 'Pip' Dundas and his fabulous kitchen 'soulmate', Mary Doherty who really are a culinary Dream Team. They originally created PipsDish as a temporary dining experience, but its enormous popularity has meant it's here to stay a while longer. Thank goodness! The decor is rustic and simple, with the focus being on the kitchen which takes centre stage as Pip and Mary beaver away producing delicious, wholesome and impromptu dishes of home-cooked grub. The blackboard on the wall details the menu being offered each day, and sometimes you'll find a couple of choices, whilst other times it's a set menu which adds to the intrigue of wondering what delicacies you'll be devouring. Believe me, you won't be disappointed.

It doesn't matter where you sit at PipsDish as all the seating is great, but I must say there was something pretty special about having lunch in the truck (you'll probably need to request this in advance if you'd like to eat in there). Decked out with a candlelit wooden table, chairs and a comfy cushion-clad sofa area, this really is the place for an intimate lunch or dinner for up to 5 guests (maybe 6 at a push). To give you an idea of what kind of food to expect at PipsDish, this is the excellent menu offered from our Sunday lunch. We literally dined on quince and a host of other delights. The only thing missing was a runcible spoon!

Chicken Liver Pâté served with toasted sourdough

Cauliflower & Horseradish Soup

* * * * *

Steak & Woodpigeon Pie served with Roast Potatoes & Kale

* * * * *

Apricot Trifle

Homemade Chocolate Mousse

Manchego Cheese Plate with Quince

Being hungry (and greedy) so and so's, we sampled the lot, apart from the chocolate mousse which due to popular demand, shot off the menu before we got a look in. I can honestly say that absolutely everything was delicious - perfect hearty, winter fodder. Other dishes you may find on Pip's menu include Shorthorn Boeuf Bourguignon; Squid stuffed with Chorizo & Tomato; Baked Peach Alaska with Chantilly Ice-cream, and Homemade Lemon Creams with Shortbread. Yum!

When Pip's not busy creating culinary magic, he's creating perfect cookbooks. His first one 'Cooking Without Recipes' is already published (and available in the restaurant), and there's a second one in the pipeline. PipsDish is open for dinner on Thursday, Friday & Saturday, offering canapes followed by a creative 3 course meal. Sunday lunches at PipsDish are epic and a perfectly quirky way to while away a Sunday afternoon. As PipsDish is BYO (with no corkage fee), it really is affordable and worth every tasty morsel. Also on Sunday, kids under 8 years old eat for free, and those under 12 can eat for half price. Pip and Mary's generosity doesn't stop there - they're so kind and thoughtful that they're working with AgeUK to provide free nourishing lunches for the local elderly folk on a weekly basis. So if you know any old people around Islington, do point them in Pip's direction. Or better still, take an elderly person with you and treat them to a meal they won't forget. With a dining capacity of around 45 covers, it's also very much worth considering hiring out PipsDish as an ideal venue for your next party. But not til I've booked mine first!

Miss Immy was a guest of PipsDish. Big thanks Pip & Mary!

PipsDish at The Garage

133B Upper Street

London N1 1 QP

Nearest stations: Angel or Highbury & Islington

Tel: 07503 293 438

bookings@pipsdish.co.uk

@pipsdish

Dinner: Thur, Fri & Sat (3 courses & canapes @ £30)

Sunday lunch 1pm (3 courses @ £25 or main course only £15)

BYO wine