The Icecreamists - Covent Garden

With much hype and press around The Icreamists a.k.a the agents of cool with a license to chill, I was a little bit confused as to what it was. Was it an ice cream parlour? Was it a club/bar? To answer these questions, the Icecreamists were generous enough to invite me to a preview night before the official launch to sample the goods and to share with you (slightly late - sorry) my experience as what I can only describe and as 'an experience'! In all fairness, this was a preview night and I am too poor and tired to see it in all it's glory (the half-naked nurse) so I will be as fair as possible.

Be warned, the following images and descriptions may not suit the eyes of a younger audience, however I will do my best to keep it in good taste.

From what you can see, The Icecreamists is very much like a stylish and modern but camp cocktail bar with elements of vice. Not forgetting their campaign to get you to 'lick your addiction' whilst a suggestive tongue licking shadow attempts to invite such encouragement, almost suggesting a seedy underworld for ice cream. The decor is predominantly black with touches of hot pink, the staff are dressed smartly with hot pink ties and a pvc policeman's hat that you would find most men wearing in George Michael's favourite Soho clubs.

The logo hints at a deathly force behind it's ice creams (Absinthe - wohoooo) whilst the names of the ice creams and cocktails add a bit of humour to enhance the entertainment.

The place itself is quite small, there is very limited seating, about three tables with red leather style cushioned seats and a small bar area with barstools. As of yet no reservations are being taken, it polices a first come first serve basis. You wouldn't find anyone wanting to rush themselves out so a long wait may need to be endured. Worth it? We will find out a little later. I was placed on the bar stools with a silhouette poster of the infamous Miss Whiplash.

Behold the cocktail menu with tongue and cheek names and prices which are more cheek! The cocktails are quite expensive at the £15.00 mark (was free for me) but with enough kick to make you tipsy, who's going to notice?



This is the taster menu for the preview night, there is a much larger menu which offers full descriptions of each cocktail and ice cream flavour. I also got a badge, very cool! In fact I am extremely pleased with the badge.

The ice cream collection 'WikiLicks' contained 'The Vanilla Monologues' (it continues this way), 'Choc and Awe', 'Glastonbury' and 'Cold Sweat'. Other varieties including 'Baby GaGa', the breast milk ice cream that has graced our morning papers for weeks now are also available on the full menu. We will revisit this in a little while.

Cocktails on offer were the 'Toast Mortem', 'Sex Bomb', 'Miss Whiplash' and the 'Molotoffee Cocktail'.

First up was the 'Glastonbury' (roughly £4-£5), a seasonal berry sorbetto with a 'naughty' splash of berry liqueur. The ice cream itself was less gratifying it looked although it was very fruity. The liqueur failed to make a grand entrance unlike it's makers, this is the part where unfortunately I have to say even for ice cream specialists, perhaps more attention is given to style and atmosphere than the ice cream itself. Considering this is a 'premium' ice cream without much of an alcoholic kick, is this really something I couldn't get at another ice cream specialists such as Gelateria Danieli for a third of the price? Even more so when Danieli's rum and raisin has an almighty rum kick to it.

But that kick certainly did make it's presence known in 'The Sex Bomb' (£14.95). It boasts a thick and creamy fior de latte ice cream, a shot of La Fee Absinthe served through an IV drip by a busty blonde in a nurses outfit, and it's blowtorched before being poured over the ice cream. With it are ingredients such as Guarana, Ginko Bilabo and Arginine to create 'a natural viagra'. Banned spirits, viagra, nurses, I could be in heaven! Limited to one per customer so perhaps limbo on this one!

Now for those of you who are unaware of the nature of Absinthe, it originated from a herb plant (which is why its so green) and it is a highly hallusanegenic and alcoholic drink with an anise flavour. I believe this was 40% but 70%+ is most probably illegally available, but try Amsterdam. It is traditionally served in a demonic looking chalice with cold water as a diluting agent and salt.

I was expecting hallucinations and certain notification that this natural viagra mix worked. However neither of the two came to life so to speak, most likely because the busty blonde nurse was absent and the Absinthe was so controlled it was just a strong spirit. Again, this issue of being gimmicky comes to mind. It paints the picture of taboo, risk and contraband but in the end, it does slightly disappoint. I guess on a proper night there would be more of a show to be entertained by.

Here is the 'Molotoffee Cocktail' which the nice lady let me photograph for your enjoyment. Unfortunately she didn't let me try it so I can only explain that it is Creme De Banane liqueur mixed with Dulche De Leche ice cream and served with toffee and a meringue. Once more it is blowtorched (the novelty is slowly wearing thin). Here is also what the main ice cream counter looks like. As you can see the ice creams have fantastic names, 'Taking the Pistachio' is my favourite name, and they all look great and thick too.

See below for some close ups!



a couple more....

And lastly....

You may look at the 'Baby GaGa' and think where do I know that name from? It's not Lady GaGa, it is in fact the breast milk ice cream that has been all the rage in the papers recently. Gladly I did not try it, not sure I really want to either but if you are a little more adventurous than me, I hear it's good stuff. Previously sold out (questionable), I have been informed it's now back on sale.

As part of the invite, I am on a list for upcoming press releases and amusingly the breast milk concept is no longer under scrutiny, now it's the name. It appears that certain lawyers believe that it is too similar to Lady GaGa and after spending all their wages on luxurious waste, they need a pay rise! The PR buzz is impeccable, but once more, when the novelty dies down, what can The Icecreamists really do to keep it going?

THE VERDICT:

Being a preview and tasting night without the full blown theatrics of liquid nitrogen and models tarting up the cocktails, it was quite difficult to judge where The Icecreamists fit into my happy thoughts.

To go once is definitly worth it, it is different and it certainly is entertaining. I probably would not consider going again on my own money. The ice cream was nice but not brilliant and the hype of breast milk ice cream and absinthe is probably enough to overlook this point.

It was quite difficult to relax whilst being cramped in to a small space and having people constantly shuffling past. For a sit down place, the music was too loud to interact with anyone, it's not a club environment where constant drinks and pulling a funny face is enough to seem socially engaging.

I still had a good time and glad to have checked absinthe off my list of things to do before I die.

4/10.

E-Wok Chinese: St Margaret's, Twickenham

E-Wok is probably the best takeaway Chinese food I have tried in a long time, probably better than a lot of Chinese restaurants too. It is situated round the corner from St. Margaret's railway station or a short bus ride from the Richmond/Twickenham/Isleworth area. There is very limited seating area inside, only two tables I think but I don't have a picture of the outside (yet) as we always order in, so instead I will leave you with an image that you first thought of when reading the name....

With a recently updated menu I decided to go for something rather different than my usual (but all time favourites) Mongolian, lemon or sweet and sour chicken. However, these three options are a spectacular first choice if you a weary of what to order and go for the safe option. You will certainly not be disappointed.

The lemon chicken comes in abundance with two diagonally sliced bread crumbed chicken escallops in a moderately thick, sweet lemon sauce and not that sugared lemon water rubbish you find elsewhere. The sweet and sour chicken is how you would expect it to taste but with crispier and larger chunks of chicken which are not covered by a round layer of fat to make it look bigger. The sauce itself is thick and the sweetness is enhanced with pineapple chunks. The Mongolian chicken, oooooh, less sauce and more glaze but so succulent and addictive to eat.

Be warned, each dish comes in BIG portions (just the way the Rebel rolls)! Here I have chosen char siu pork with special salt and chilli, to accompany this delight is a portion of pad thai rice noodles. Yummy Yummy Yummy! The pad thai rice noodles are always on my order list, this can come with plain thicker noodles however I think the rice noodles absorb the flavour so much more. The noodles are very sweet and slightly spicy and are made with a subtle fish sauce, topped with peanut crumbs is traditionally served with a wedge of lime which is ultimate addition to this dish. My only hassle is picking out the crabsticks, you can ask for these not to be put in but I always forget. Give these a good mix and sprinkle the lime on top and you will love it for the rest of your life!

The char siu pork was not something I have tried before, the pork had been flattened and fried in flour, chilli and 'special' salt although I am unaware of the reason for the salt being special. It is very crispy on the outside but the meat itself is quite soft and easy to eat, I am glad that it wasn't chewy or too salty. Got a great kick to it spice wise, a fair few of the dishes (especially the chiu yim squid/prawns) come with fried chilli including seeds but again you can ask for it to be less spicy. Also served with fried onions, peppers and spring onion.

I have to say I really enjoyed this one!








Next up is chiu yim squid and steamed broccoli. The chiu yim squid must be eaten as soon as possible, its best when it's boiling hot and perfectly crisp, but still great by the time it gets delivered. Each piece is lightly floured and fried with chilli and salt. This is quite a spicy one with bits of chilli, seeds, onions and a few peppers.

The broccoli is oh so good, perfectly steamed in soy sauce. Simple but beautiful, it goes well with practically everything on the menu and make sure you really soak up the sauce and let it ooze out as you eat it.






And finally here is a red thai curry with some prawn crackers and plain boiled rice. Not my favoured choice, I guess everyone has a standard concept of what a red thai curry consists of and this was quite different, sharper flavours and much spicier. Was very tasty but I guess one would be put off by the fact it's not what they expected with regards to other versions.

The prawn crackers (although priced at a pound) usually come free with orders of a certain amount, and again there are lots of them!

Each main dish comes to around £5.50 and side dishes (vegetables and rice) come to about £4.50. Rice and noodle dishes which contain extra ingredients such as special friend rice will also come to the £5.00 mark. Prices have gone up since the new menu a few weeks ago. The final bill came to about £36.00 for three people without drinks and free delivery.


THE VERDICT:


Excellent food, mostly freshly cooked and clean. Big portions for much less than what you would pay at an actual restaurant. Friendly telephone manner and are open to altering the dishes to your spice or meat preferences. For a takeaway it is restaurant quality and believe me, there are Chinese takeaways in the area that are not even good for what you would expect from a takeaway, so it's great to have something this good around. Try it and you will be back the next day!

7/10

Other recommended dishes:

• Lemon Chicken
• Sweet and Sour Chicken
• Mongolian Chicken
• Lamb with Ginger and Spring Onion
• Special Fried Rice
• Singapore Fried Noodles (spicy)
• Malaysian Fried Rice (much like the Pad Thai Noodles)
• Special Crispy Fried Noodles (crispy at the top, soggy at the bottom, too good!)
• Fillet Steak
• Roast Duck

Giraffe - Spitalfields Market (Plus Crepe Affaire and Extras)!

This is a bit of mix between Giraffe, Crepe Affaire and breakfast at a meeting on Friday. Although I will go through Giraffe with the greater focus, I want you to see what a day in the life of a food blogger holds and why it's a bloody good thing to be!

So first up my office sent me over to a social media conference near Spitalfields Market where a really informal and amusing chat took place about how viral videos work across different countries. Talking aside, a lovely self service breakfast table was provided, courtesy of the ever so friendly Unruly Media. Thanks!

As tempted as I was to pig out and dive into everything, I did my best to remain civilised and polite by taking only a few items.....now and again. In short: Danish pastries, samosas, cakes, croissants, aubergine pastries, muffins, toast and a fortune cookie which told me that "my wish would be granted after a long delay". Not sure what that wish was but it's either money or a micro pig.

After that finished I took a trip down to good old Spitalfields Market to try Giraffe, the restaurant not the animal! Although I'm sure it would be very interesting, as long as it's better than kangaroo.

Now for those of you who are like me and thought that Giraffe is a vegetarian and eco-friendly restaurant that has overpriced health foods, it serves meat, and lots of it! A misconception that has left me to wonder why I didn't try it all those years ago. Well better late than never.

The restaurant is extremely cosy with dark wooden furnishings that compliment the concept of it being a world food restaurant. It's quite rustic Latin with an African twist almost. Great music, booths for a more comforting experience and friendly and fast serving staff members.

See menu: http://www.giraffe.net/menus

For drinks, Sweden's most popular premium cider, Rekorderlig (£4.50). I chose the strawberry and lime flavour which was highly recommended by the lovely waitress with bartending experience. The way to serve this is with ice, mint leaves, a dash of lime and sliced strawberries. Although Giraffe did not use sliced strawberries, he drink itself is excellent. Very fruity, the strawberry flavour is quite noticeable and the mint leaves add such a refreshing element to the drink as a whole.

Working for an agency that deals with imported beers etc, I have learnt to expect more from drinks than the standard options and tastes. It is about appreciating flavours that add that extra dimension and the history behind it's brewing which makes it that extra special. Rekorderlig fits the bill and you will not be disapointed.

For starters I went with an uncommon choice, Cajun style chicken wings (£4.95) served with a hot and fruity ketchup. Not on par with the likes of Sticky Fingers or Tony Romas but we're not in a steakhouse. The wings were actually quite a treat, Cajun flavoured with a sweet sticky glaze. The ketchup did have a fruity note to it, very similar to a sweet barbeque sauce. A splash of lime on top and the citrusy kick is well paired with the fruity flavours of the ketchup.


I really like the presentation of it too, a clean wooden platter and again adds to the worldly/rustic feel.





The main course was grilled mojito chicken (£8.95), half a chicken marinated in rum and lime with some mint, served with chips and a red pepper coleslaw. The chicken did not have a burst of the rum and lime marinade. In fact the chicken was somewhat plain without the little pot of garlic and herb seasoning (unless this was the rum, lime and mint marinade, but it didn't taste like it). The chicken was at first glance well cooked and succulent. A little more into it and the chicken leg was a fair bit pink. Only the leg though, I was full up by the time I reached it so it didn't make much of a difference. Just double check if you do order it though. For the quantity, the price is very admirable, not that far off the Nando's half chicken price either. You can replace the chips with rice instead and the coleslaw is another treat. I will want all coleslaws to have red peppers in them from now on.

There were many other interesting dishes up for trial next time, the ribs and the jambalaya risotto. I heard the breakfasts are meant to be really good and the desserts look great, especially the pancakes.

Against my better judgement, I spotted a nearby Crepe Affaire and thought (just like Giraffe), if I don't try this now I never will! In a way I wish I stayed, but absence makes the heart grow fonder and those pancakes will be mine.

Crepe Affaire is a sweet and savoury crepe eatery with delicious coffees. I took it upon myself to order a mellow yellow with mint ice cream and a vanilla latte which came to about £7.00. I can't give it a full review on the basis of one crepe, but I did not fully enjoy it. The latte was worth the try though.


THE VERDICT:


Giraffe is a somewhat cultural and rustic at the same time and offers a great range of cuisines and flavours. Glad to know it's not a vegetarian restaurant (no offence), although vegetarian dishes are available. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, relaxing and fun environment and open for breakfast through dinner. Ticks all the boxes and as all the dishes are different it will take a few visits to enjoy all they have to offer.


6/10

Battersea Pie Station - Covent Garden (& Paul's Bakery)!

The sun is finally shining down on us after a bitterly cold winter, time for a nice long walk down Covent Garden to my favourite pie 'n' mash place.



The Battersea Pie Station is tucked away at the bottom floor of the Covent Garden market. You will find it located past a woman in an orange Mickey Mouse costume (obviously an unofficial Disney made one) and a stereotypical opera singer 'Pavarotti-ing' whilst making a balloon poodle! Expecting a somewhat fish and chip style place, Battersea Pie Station was very modern and stylish in a bright lit and white minimalist way. Clean and simple whilst making the pie the main attraction.

Although there is hardly any known history about the origin of this pie station, the pie itself was developed over time by the Egyptians and Roman from over 9000BC all the way to the Medieval and Tudor times. As it stands today the pie is one of Britain's most loved concepts, so much so that this pie station has appointed Ray Winstone as a worthy endorser of the steak and kidney pie. This is now officially called the Ray Winstone.

I have been here once before during the Christmas period where I guiltily ate little Rudolph in a delightful pie that had a peppered stencil picture of his face on top. Sadly we must wait another 10 months for that to comeback.

This time around I thought I'd go for a timeless classic, the steak and Guinness pie. Not the largest pie but an admirable size for a lunch portion including side orders such as creamy mash, red wine and herb gravy and even peas with mint and butter or baked beans.


The pie is well crusted and has a slight burnt edge which gives it the added crispiness and charred aftertaste. My favourite texture for a pie is when it is half crispy and half soggy after it's drowned in gravy. It is a filled pie as opposed to a top crust, the top crust itself is peppered. There was a fair amount of chunky meat, it was not shredded like a Greggs pasty. The gravy was much better than standard restaurant gravy, the herbs added greatly to the flavour yet the hint of wine was very faint. Fortunately the mash was not Smash or a recollection of the old school dinner days, the consistency was nice and thick and very smooth (although I like my mash lumpy, perhaps that should be a menu option).

If taking away, it is served in a plastic/cardboard type flat box. My only issue with this is that the flaps get in the way of being able to cut and scoop the food. The first time I came the gravy was served in a mini cup, this time it was poured all over the pie and mash. Considering I had a bit of a walk back to the office it did make the pie a bit too soggy. I would recommend asking for it to be separate.

The total bill (without a drink) came to £5.50 which I find a very reasonable price considering the quality of the meal.






As I came out of the pie station, I noticed this great little paella stand (£4-£6.00) with a giant pan full of bright yellow rice and a superb smell of saffron and peppers. As much as I really wanted it I didn't think I could manage it and then return to what would be a cold pie. However with that extra need for something to snack on later on in the evening, I took a trip down to Paul's Bakery (also in the Covent Garden area) for some bread and cake.





The olive bread (£2-£3) is just fantastic, nice hearty and wholesome stone baked bread in a pretzel style shape with chunks of olives on the outside and whole ones in the middle. The bread is lovely and soft and is definitely not one to miss out on. There is a piece missing here as I ate some on the way back!

For dessert and to snack on for the rest of the day were a bag of 10 chouquettes for £1.30. These are absolutely awesome, very soft and very addictive. Not bad for the price either. They are mouth sized and not tiny little ones, although keep these as dry and cool as possible as mine got a bit sticky in the bag with the pie.

Paul's bakery also does very nice French style sandwiches, pizza slices and a superb Le Fraisier cake (individual £3.50, whole around £12-£15). With fresh strawberries, green marzipan and vanilla cream. Highly recommended!


THE VERDICT:


Battersea Pie Station: 5/10: Friendly staff, short waiting time and very the price is very reasonable with regards to taste and quantity. Atmosphere is quiet and personal with a noisier outside seating area for Covent Garden's entertainment.

Paul's Bakery: 6/10: Great choice and range of cakes, bread and sandwiches. Quite pricey but the quality is well maintained and the coffee is also matching quality. Can become very busy but that is always a good thing. I have been to many of these outlets including Richmond, Kingston, Chelsea, Holborn and Kensington, each one maintains it's high standards and helpful service.