To start, we were served with green olives and pork crackling with apple and mustard. There was a gasp (I think it may have been me) and Laura claimed she’d “died and gone to pork crackling heaven”. Yes, it was that good!

To start

We decided to go with the a la carte menu. To start, two lardies opted for the soft hen’s egg, with asparagus, truffle puree and smoked eel soup. One declared “that really is something” and the other wanted to pick up her bowl and lick it.   The roasted quail “brunch” with cereals, toast and tea was given a verdict of very nice and very rich, however a little confused as to why it was “brunch” when the pearl barley with quail accompanied by a cup of broth would have made a good main, if it had been a little larger. The tartare of fallow deer was proclaimed to be absolutely bloody fantastic, and I enjoyed my stunningly presented Colchester crab vinagarette with nashi pear and cauliflower, despite the fact there were a few pieces of shell.

Soft hen’s egg, with asparagus, truffle puree and smoked eel soup

Crab and nashi pear

Despite some tempting sounding fish dishes on the main course menu, we all opted for meat. Laura and Eva shared the cote de boeuf for two and Trisha the black angus rib eye, both served with duck fat chips and salad, Liz went for the roasted squab pigeon with yakitori pigeon offal  and Alex and I both opted for salt marsh lamb with mint ricotta and potato, peas and broad beans. Laura commented that she thought it was the meatiest lardy mail meal we’ve ever had, it was reported that even the chef assumed he was cooking for a table of men! Laura put the Maître d straight so he knew who he was dealing with “we are the Lardy Ladies and we’ve got a global blog” – we think he may have gone off trembling

After quite a lengthy wait for our food, the mains arrived. The cote de boeuf was salty, unctuous, and delicious with a lovely flavour and though there was some fat, it was “bloody delicious”. Eva thought she was actually going to have a heart attack it was so nice. Trisha also confirmed it was the best rib eye she had ever had. “Like butter”. The duck fat chips also went down well. Though Eva hit the “Lardy wall”, she thankfully had a second wind. The pigeon was also amazing, Liz confirming she’d just licked a bit of her plate and the gravy was “unbelievable”.

Rib Eye

Pigeon

Cote de boeuf

Salt Marsh Lamb

Ganache

Along with the tea, we were served with a selection of macaroons and chocolates.

All in all, we loved the place, we loved the décor, the food was divine, just the slow service (it took 3.5 hours for two and a half courses) let it down slightly.

Upon arriving at 7pm we encountered a very drunken table of people who were still there from lunch at 1pm. In fact it was harder to tell whether the waitress or the clients had been drinking more. However everyone was very friendly and welcoming and we were seated and informed that there is no menu and no wine list, that we could expect antipasti, pasta, main and dessert. Across the next 3 hours plate after plate, course after course of delicious food arrived at our table. I struggle to remember everything that we, or should I say I (Simon was defeated half way through the antipasti) ate. But I remember antipasti including a board of parma ham and bresaola, aubergine involtini,  razor clam, scallop and prawns, asparagus wrapped in ham and artichoke hearts, grilled courgettes and peppers… the list goes on. There were then 2 different pastas. Almost bursting by this point, I managed a small plate of delicious pasta with tomato and mozzarella after being won over by a passionate description of where the tomatoes were from and how sweet they were. The main course of langoustine (I believe) neither of us could tackle so we finished with a plate of fresh berries and lemon cream.

All the while we were entertained by the waitress who, having asked if I was eating “everything” given I am pregnant, then proceeded to take huge offence when I didn’t eat “everything” produced.  By the end of the meal Si looked ready to pass out and my bump had tripled in size, in fact half way through eating Si and I changed seats as I got too fat to fit in behind the table! We almost had to be rolled out. Upon asking for a glass of wine, a bottle of delicious primitivo arrived – it seems the expectation was the pregnant lady could drink her way through all of that too. I didn’t! Apparently unsatisfied that the wine or food had hit the spot, we were presented with a large bottle of fantastic Virgin Olive Oil to take home from the waitress.

If you like quiet refined dining this is probably not a place for you. However, I loved the fact it was quirky, loud, drunken (if only for the staff and not me) and most of all the delicious food and wine. I will definitely be back, maybe after baby’s arrival, so I can enjoy the wine and spend a long Sunday afternoon enjoying the experience. For £80 for two people including about 15 courses and a bottle of very good wine, this was a good price too.

I urge you to try it – go with an open mind and go hungry. You won’t be disappointed

Caroline

http://www.nonsolovinoltd.co.uk/

We were sat on one of two long tables, and after a bit of shuffling we all – just about – squeezed in. There was one large party celebrating a birthday, which took up about two thirds of the space, with the rest miscellaneous twos and threes happy to meet other greedy people and try interesting food. Our immediate neighbours shared their white wine with us, and we our red with them, and chattered happily through the meal.

First up came crab bisque, which was tasty and looked quite rustic with a piece of toasted bread in it and a sprinkling of cheese. I’ve never had bisque before but enjoyed it; the guy to my right thought it good but not outstanding. Not a bad start.

Crab bisque

Next came a huge amount of very moist and juicy ham carved in front of us, along with baked vacherin, and huge pickles. Now I love mountain food – indeed the only argument in favour of skiing I can see is the copious meals of cheese, pork products and wine which go with it – but I thought this was a bit simple for a supper club. All the individual elements were good – the gherkins were amazingly sweet and delicious – but it seemed a bit basic. Not that I didn’t tuck in to the mounds of cheese with gusto of course – Lardy Lady entry requirements surely mandate a love of calorific treats.

Mountains of mountain food!

We had been warned that this was a ‘second starter’. But there was a lot of it, and service slowed down. So we all kept eating and drinking.

Then, finally, out came out the cassoulet, and we realised our error. Hats off to the chef for confiting the duck himself. The cassoulet was incredibly rich and filling. It was tasty, but by this stage I felt weighed down by cheese and ham, and struggled to do it justice. Not so our wine-sharing friends for the evening, who managed two and three helpings each – quite an epic feat to behold.

Cassoulet

Cassoulet

Then came a pause. A long pause. The cheese course had been set out on the counter beside us, and we had finished eating. But nothing happened. We drank more, and time passed. The heavy food began to settle heavily on us all. Midnight seemed well on its way.

Finally, we were given the cheese. By this stage, I was tired and full and not really in the mood for cheese, Lardy credentials or no Lardy credentials. It was nicely presented, but if I am given cheese at after 11 I want it to crawl across the plate with ripeness; lovely as comte is, it didn’t really cut it, and nor did the other rather firm cheeses on offer.

Cheese course

Unfortunately, the evening did not speed up at this point. But our host had been lovingly decorating his baba au rhum for some time. So we sat and waited, and were rewarded with huge portions and exhortations to have seconds. It was good, light but full of citrus flavour and candied peel. But it was a struggle for all, and though our table-mate managed another slice I think he will have come to regret it …

Baba au rhum

Overall, I enjoyed the evening and the company. There was a relaxed and friendly atmosphere – including the kitchen being in view so you can see the dishes being prepared and cooked. However, I feel a bit sad (particularly as I enjoy the host’s blog and supper club reviews) to conclude that no dish really stood out from the meal.  Supper clubs are run by individuals, and you therefore expect some delays and occasional glitches as part of the charm of the event, but I did find the slow end to the meal a bit much on a Thursday evening. Perhaps a lesson for me in choosing my bookings as much as for supper club hosts.

The plan was to start with drinks at Agile Rabbit, have dumplings at Mama Lan’s, a main course at Kaosarn and pudding at Lab G (the much discussed salted caramel ice cream) but as we all know, the best laid plans of mice and lardies can go astray.

We met for drinks at the Agile Rabbit as planned. A nice place which has a good drinks list, serves nice looking pizza and has live music. Warm ginger drinks were perfect for the cold weather (I personally would have added some booze) and I had a spritz (aperol mixed with prosecco – a favourite of mine), we also ordered the more expensive house wine. All in all, a nice time was had.

Someone disagrees with their line! We didn’t try the pizza so can’t comment

Maybe too nice? Too much chatting and drinking left us to miss a table at Mama Lan’s and so the dumpling plan was scuppered, we were told it was a 20 minute wait and lardies don’t wait when they are hungry! However, I have eaten them before, and can recommend them highly, very fresh and home-made tasting, with wonderful flavours and textures.

So we had a mooch (Brixton Village is great for mooching) for something to replace the dumplings and saw a sign which said, ‘Tacos £1″, never one to miss a bargain, we gave it a shot. Actually, very yummy, but what’s not to like from the ingredients below? A choice of pork, chicken and vegetarian. We had the lot, washed down with mulled wine? Odd? Yes! But it was cold.

Taco ingredients

And so on to the main event – Kaosarn. Being a place none of us had been to, we were very excited. I have been reading excellent reviews for over a year and was really looking forward to what was described as a basic Thai menu, done extremely well, and of course, their famous chicken dish I had read so much about. Kaosarn is BYO which is great as we could bring the exact wine we wanted, a gorgeous Sauvignon Blanc, perfect with Thai food. There is no corkage charge.

The starters we ordered were very nice: Chicken Satay (gorgeous sauce), Pork Larb (gorgeous kebabs with an amazing dipping sauce, could have eaten 10 of these), some succulent chicken wings and an incredibly spicy, but lovely, beef salad. On reflection, if I were to return, I would stock up on the starters of I’m honest!

The starters at Kaosarn – a triumph

For mains, we had green, red and massaman curries with varying meats and the chicken dish I had been looking forward to. The curries were very tasty, and the sticky rice was excellent. The chicken dish was a huge disappointment, it was so dry, I could barely chew and swallow it, I told the staff and not much was done about it, simply a ” I will tell my boss”. So if you read the reviews about the amazing chicken dish, don’t believe them. The chicken dish came with a green papaya salad, something I always order from a Thai restaurant, this one however, was drowned in fish sauce. Another let down I’m afraid.

Overall the feeling of the restaurant is nice, unpretentious, homely, you’d have a wonderful evening there if you ordered well.

Main courses at Kaosarn

And so on to pudding. Too cold for ice cream at Lab G, we all agreed that (although we will go back when it’s warmer). So we went on to Casa Sibilla for coffees (lovely, even the decaf) and sweet things (meringues, cannolis and chocolate salami – all lovely.) But the best thing was the warm feeling we had from being there (and from the blankets they provided).

Get that warm feeling from Casa Sibilla

Out of 10? Hard to score. The vibe of the village (although changed much from the early days) is a 10, we all agreed. And there’s still so much for us to eat there!! The tacos an 8, just what we needed, the Thai a 7, tasty, but disappointing in places, and a 9 for the lovely finish from Casa Sibilla.

We will go back, so you will read more, but when it’s warmer.

4 of 6 lardies attended Brixton Village.

I’ve wanted to eat at Locanda Locatelli for years, having been an avid reader of Giorgio Locatelli’s column in the Guardian, but I’ve never been quite organised enough to get a table at this usually booked-up restarant. With the determined organisation borne of trying to meet the expectations of the other five of my co-Lardies, I secured us a table for six on a Friday night, albeit at a rather early 7.15pm.

I sensed this was a place I would enjoy when my glass of wine in the bar came with a bowl of delicious olives and, rather than nuts, a plate with generous chunks of nutty parmesan. Those of us arriving first had to be dragged away from the nibbles to move to our table, but thankfully there were parmesan grissini waiting for us.

On sitting down, we were offered the truffle menu, which we thought surprisingly reasonably priced. The truffle arrived for our inspection on a glass platter, the glass dome theatrically lifted to release the pungent, truffley aroma. The smell was  fantastic, but once we learned that the truffle is costed separately from its menu, at £9 per ounce with a recommendation of at least 3 ounces per dish, our love affair with truffles was over. The waiter flinched slightly at the question from Laura: “so the first thing on the truffle menu is £9 just for the poached egg”? Away went the truffle in its glass display case, in search of an oligarch, tycoon or investment banker to release it in £9 portions.

This exceedingly poncy episode, and the ban on using camera flashes in the restaurant (which is a major challenge for food bloggers – but maybe that’s the purpose), aside, I loved everything about Locanda Locatelli. There was even a moment of surrealism: leaving the soft, dim lighting of Locanda Locatelli for the toilets provided us unsuspecting diners with a The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe moment as we emerged blinking into the bright lights of a hotel lobby complete with model giants, a singing pianist and a toilet escort to guide the way…

Burrata with pumpkin

Starters
The cool, creamy burrata with pumpkin, hazelnuts and thyme prompted the statement “I’m dying in happiness”. My pheasant ravioli with rosemary jus was fantastic, with a rich, stewy flavour. The pan fried scallops with saffron vinaigrette were described as “the nicest scallops I’ve ever eaten”, a pretty impressive endorsement from Alex. I’m usually wimpy about shellfish but these were sweet, with a perfect firm texture – I’d happily have eaten the lot had they been mine. Opinion divided between the two tasters of the salted anchovies and pepper salad: “the fishiest anchovies I’ve ever tasted – lovely” or “a bit too much”. Bresaola with goat’s cheese dressing was “delicious” and “rich”.

Main courses
Laura had the pheasant ravioli as a main, and I felt pangs of envy having already eaten this as a starter in a smaller size. Two orders of linguine with lobster, tomato, garlic and chilli were “delicious” – “I worried I wouldn’t be able to fit it in but I really enjoyed it”. The special, roast suckling pig with apples, had perfect crispy crackling, a rich flavour and “lovely spuds” according to my unsophisticated notes. Homemade (I should hope so too, Mr Locatelli) pasta parcels with pumpkin, amaretti, butter and sage were happily devoured by Trisha, while Laura polished off the remains of Liz’s filetto di manzo, having declared herself stuffed, “because it’s too good to waste!”

Pheasant ravioli

We shared “tiny, thin strips of deep fried courgette and batter deliciousness” (my notes – proper name zucchine fritte) but were all underwhelmed by the cavolo nero with pancetta which was decidedly lacking in porky taste.

Zucchine fritte

By this time we were really and decidedly full. So while Trisha, dessert queen, tucked in to her chocolate fondant, the rest of us moved on to drinks. The “tasty” dessert wine Moscato d’Asti had a surprising fizz – think champagne meets sauternes – while the espresso martini was “amazing – I feel like I’ve been reborn” according to Caroline. The petits fours were likewise delicious (and more camera friendly in the soft lighting than the rest of the meal).

“The nicest Italian meal I’ve ever had” concluded one of our number, as we paid the fairly substantial bill. It wasn’t cheap, but the food was excellent and worth the price tag (truffles aside). We concluded that a Lardy trip to Italy is the natural follow up: “it’ll be like Eat, Pray, Love… but we’ll only eat”.

When: 9 November 2012

Who: Full house!

Rating out of 10: 9 (one point subtracted for the pretentious no-flash policy and the truffle nonsense, but 10 on food alone)

Attending the Malaysian by May Supperclub gave me serious house envy, which I’m not nearly over almost three weeks later. But thankfully, the beautiful house wasn’t the only memorable feature of the evening: the food was excellent, the crowd mixed and friendly and best of all we got to hear all about the food and its origins from May at every course, which really added to our enjoyment.

The event began with G&Ts and little Malaysian canapés, before we settled down for the main event. We could watch our hosts preparing each dish from the table, in generous quantities.

First up was a New Year prosperity salad including finely julienned carrot, daikon (white radish), cucumber, big pieces of raw salmon and a generous pile of chopped peanuts and a sweet dressing. The tradition is for all diners to help mix this together while wishing each other good health, happiness and wealth for the coming year. It had a lovely fresh taste and everyone had seconds, despite the several courses to come.

New Year salad

Next up came little bowls of clams in a spicy, sour sauce. They looked very pretty and were the least chewy clams I’ve eaten (new to eating seafood).

Spicy clams

We then had soft, slightly chewy pau buns filled with pork – probably enough for a whole meal in normal circumstances but there’s nothing normal about the volumes you consume at supper clubs. The meat had a lovely sweetness, a little like a char siu pork buns from south China, but the buns had a very light texture unlike their dense Chinese cousins. I’d scoffed mine before I remembered to take a photo.

Next up was roast quail with Malaysian spices, which was beautifully presented, with a sauce beneath of lemongrass, galagal and chillis. The quail had crispy skin and moist succulent meat. Apparently this dish is usually made with chicken, but it worked really well with quails and looked very special.

Then out came halved boiled eggs with ikanbilis (little fishes, like anchovies) on top. These looked good but were a step too fishy for me, though they did get gobbled up by the rest of the table.

Boiled eggs with ikanbilis

Then, as though we’d just begun, out came the main course – a big bowl of beef rendang served with rice mixed with fresh herbs and peanuts. This was absolutely delicious, with all the flavours really coming through. Everyone at the table had seconds, and some thirds, despite feeling very full. By this time our table was comfortable enough to be swapping gruesome travel tales and stories of embarrassing mispronunciation as we passed around the bowls time and again. Our table was considerably enlivened by four Irish friends working in London and their tales of how their family would react to each course as it came out. This is one of the best bits of supper clubs – you never know who you’ll meet, but you can guarantee they will share an enthusiasm for good food, and often for travel.

The final savoury course was delicate fillets of sea bass with spring onion, lime, ginger and small dried plums which gave a hint of sweetness. The fish was tender and delicious and a light final dish, though by this time we were struggling with the opposing forces of greedy eyes and overfed stomachs.

Unfortunately, we had to leave before the pudding, all I can say is that it was pineapple-based, and I sense we missed out.

The evening was such a friendly, happy event, I would love to go again. And the house is well worth a visit too!

May’s blog is at www.malaysianbymay.com To get priority notification of all Grazing Asia events (a collaboration between four London-based food bloggers and cooks of Burmese, Vietnamese, Malaysian and Japanese origins) you can sign up to the mailing list www.GrazingAsia.com The evening was jointly run with Luiz who blogs as The London Foodie www.thelondonfoodie.co.uk – well worth a visit for ideas on where to eat and some brilliant vegetable art.

You’ve heard all the hype, but this is the review that Dabbous (and the culinary world) has been waiting for. When briefed about our impending visit, and after brilliant reviews from the likes of AA Gill and Faye Mascher, Ollie Dabbous said ” Still got the Lardy Ladies in though so can’t relax!”.

This was a Lardy Ladies reunion – the first time we’ve all been together since February. The evening began with delicious cocktails in the basement bar to celebrate.

All Lardies enjoyed the 8 course tasting menu, at a very reasonable £54 per head. The meal started with the signature sourdough bread in a dated brown paper bag and smoked butter, and deliciously simple olives. Lovely!

Peas with Mint

A beautifully presented dish of vibrant greens and purples. A work of art. Trisha exclaimed “I am in pea heaven!”, and then admitted that she doesn’t even like peas. This was the firm favourite for several Lardy Ladies, including myself.

Ripe Tomato in its own juice

So simple. Yet such intense, clean, fresh flavours, taking the simple tomato to new heights.

Coddled free range hen egg with woodland mushrooms & smoked butter

Delicious. Laura was so intent on finishing every last morsel that she broke the egg shell: “If only I could get my tongue in there…”.

Braised halibut with coastal herbs

This now became the firm favourite. A feast for the eyes and taste buds. Beautifully cooked halibut, amazing lemon verbena sauce, green herbs and pretty pink pickled garlic.

Barbecued Iberico pork, savoury acorn praline, turnip tops, apple vinegar

Yet again, a firm favourite, how is this possible? Exquisite! Trisha is going to “get me some acorns tomorrow” in an attempt to recreate this dish.

(At this point in the evening, there was a flutter of Lardy Lady excitement when Sacha Baron Cohen (aka Ali G) entered the restaurant. The very first Lardy Lady celeb spot! Without any fuss, he was shown to a table close to the Lardy Ladies – lucky man!)

Artisanal cheese from the British Isles, baked apple and sourdough (£9 supplement)

Very good, although we shared 3 plates of cheese between the 6 of us. The dishes were surprisingly copious.

Ripe peach in its own juice

This dish was received with mixed feelings. Laura and Eva did not like it, describing it as ‘medicinal’. Perhaps their peaches weren’t so good? All other Lardy Ladies loved it.

Fresh milk curds infused with fig leaves, fig & raw pistachio

This was unanimously brilliant, albeit weirdly brilliant. Who would have though milk curds could be so good?

The evening was drawing to a close, but not until we were given canneles to see us home. Just about managed to squeeze one in, delicious.

Overall rating 10/10.

OK, I am biased – I’ve been lucky enough to visit Dabbous a number of times.  And it has never failed to impress. The staff are lovely and the food is so original and beyond perfection. I love the intense flavours mixed with delicate, almost feminine (and I mean that in the best way, Ollie!) presentation.

Dabbous, the Lardies salute you!

Since this review was written Dabbous has been awarded a Michelin Star - amazing and well deserved.

HUGE thank you to Lardy friend, supporter and artist extraordinaire Tim Baynes for his amazing illustration for our blog

Who: Alex, Caroline, Eva, Trisha and Liz. Only a baby-bulging Laura was unable to make it.

I chose Trinity in Clapham for the Lardy Ladies’ discerning critique after reading several fabulous reviews, rather than through any recommendation by word of mouth. As soon as I had shared my choice with the Lardies I was excited to hear straight back from Alex “I love Trinity, it’s a great resto, I would say one of the best in South London!”.

The atmosphere felt warm and welcoming as soon as we walked through the door. The waiters were very friendly and efficient, menus being passed around and drinks orders taken within minutes. Having looked through the delicious menu, in true Lardy fashion we decided we wanted to try as many of the dishes as we could, so opted for the six course Tasting Menu at a very reasonable £45 per head.

Our tasting journey started with smoked cod roe, burrata (mozzarella with cream, olive oil and black pepper), radishes and freshly baked bread. The smoked cod roe was similar to taramasalata and was absolutely delicious on the bread or for dipping the radishes in - unfortunately we all enjoyed it (and the burrata) so much I forgot to take a photo before it had been polished off, only managing to catch the last radish!

We moved on to the Vichyssoise of Wild Garlic and Jersey Royals, prettily presented with just a couple of potato crisps in the bowl when it arrived, with the vichyssoise then being ceremonially poured over them at the table from a milk bottle. I love a bit of theatre at the table and the rich, warm, creamy, flavours were divine. I could happily have ordered another two bowls before moving on.

To follow was the Charred Mackerel, Oyster Mayonnaise, Cucumber and Shrimps, while Eva, Alex and Trisha chose to swap this for the alternative of Trotters, Sourdough, Gribiche and Crackling, prompting Caroline to comment to Trisha when she didn’t finish her vichyssoise “Ooh, it’s just as well…you’re going to LOVE that trotter!”.  Trisha’s slightly unsure expression suggested that that wasn’t actually the dish she was saving space for, whereas Eva was to vote it her favourite dish of them all at the end of the meal.

The next course was Seared Scallop, Mussel Emulsion, Shellfish and Monk’s Beard. The single scallop was perfectly seared on the outside and beautifully soft inside accompanied by a rich, creamy, slightly salty mussel emulsion.  Trisha and Eva opted for the gnocci alternative which looked stunning, almost meaty, and I was told tasted delicious. Unfortunately for Trisha and Eva this and the trotter dish before it had both been accompanied by a fried egg so the presentation was a little disappointing the second time.   

The final savoury dish was the Smoked Beef Fillet, Carrots and Land Cress. This was truly melt-in-the-mouth beef with a lovely smoked flavour and Caroline declared it “one of the nicest pieces of beef I’ve ever had”.

The pre-desert was Frozen Yoghurt which came with honeycomb, lemon curd and a particularly impressive and delicious light yoghurt foam, sprinkled with dried bee pollen. Sweet-toothed Trisha was won over and voted it the best part of the meal, not changing her mind even after the desert of Chocolate Delice, Coconut Sorbet, Almond Praline had arrived and been gobbled up by all.

Favourite quote of the evening:

“I’m not very hungry today so I’m just going to have a main dish. Oh, go on then, let’s have the whole tasting menu!” (Trisha)

Overall rating: 9 out of 10:

The service at Trinity was second to none, with attentive, friendly and knowledgeable waiters who were always close by if you wanted anything and were happy to answer any questions. The food was resonably priced, beautifully presented, the flavours outstanding and the portions generous for a tasting menu. We were even offered the top back to a half-full bottle of wine at the end of the meal, without any prompting. Eva certainly didn’t need to be asked twice!

City Caphe

This little cafe on Ironmonger Lane, EC2 (open Mon-Friday for lunch) is one of the few (only?) places with any charm in the Square Mile. But it doesn’t just have charm, it has amazing food.

The banh mi (Vietnamese filled baguettes), pho (classic aromatic beef noodle soup) and bun hue (spicy lemongrass soup) at City Caphe are the highlight of the working day for a not inconsiderable number of my colleagues – and the delicious aroma of Vietnamese food wafting around the office often prompts a second wave to head over there too.

Yes, there is almost always a snaking queue but it’s worth it – even in the rain. It serves generously sized banh mi (the best are chargrilled pork – with grated carrot, chillis and fresh herbs), large tubs of flavoursome beef pho, spicy lemongrass soup (with beef, chicken or tofu), summer rolls and more.  It’s a challenge to get a table as it’s so popular, but not impossible if you’re eagle eyed.

Chargrilled pork banh mi

A couple of years after its opening (literally the best thing to happen since I have worked in the Square Mile) I have finally stopped worrying about its survival: even with certain big impersonal chains opening on its doorstep and bringing out rival ‘Vietnamese’ baguettes, it’s doing roaring trade, and deservedly so.

Leluu Supper Club – or everything is delicious http://www.leluu.com/

This supper club for 30 is held on Friday nights in a flat in Hackney. Turn up with a bottle or two and prepare to eat and eat and eat!  This was my first supper club outing and I’m pleased to say that everyone was friendly and foody but in an unpretentious way.

To start we had belly pork stewed in cider and coconut caramel, served in little lettuce leaves.  It was delicious – salty and slightly spicy, with the lettuce providing a cool crunch to offset the pork.

Next came huge summer rolls, filled with prawns, pork belly, mint and noodles.  Very sweetly, Uyen (the chef-patron) had made me a special no-prawn one as I don’t like seafood. We dipped these lovely fresh summer rolls in a sauce of soy, ginger, chilli and peanut. Delicious again.

A delicious summer roll

Next came little rice flour parcels which were the shape of spring rolls – the wrapper was unfried and slightly slimy  (definitely in a good way, if that makes any sense), filled with minced up mushrooms, chicken and shrimp (again, no shrimp for me – much appreciated). On top was a sprinkling of fried garlic, and my notes say basil and chilli.  Again, delicious.

Up next: little Vietnamese chicken pies.  These would not have looked out of place in a fancy ‘modern British’ gastropub. The flaky pastry was filled with chicken, mushrooms and peas. My notes read ‘Pie! But delicious!’ I don’t like pies so she’d done especially well here.

Next up, steaming bowls of pho in mismatched bowls.  Another hit with our assorted table. It was both delicate and spicy, with a lovely citrusy tang.  I’d happily have eaten several bowls but this was course five, and didn’t seem to be the end…

Beef pho

…and it wasn’t: next up was chicken, carrot, banana blossom and hot mint salad.  I’ve never eaten hot mint or banana blossom before, but definitely would again. This was one of our table’s favourites, with a freshness from the carrots, sweetness from the banana blossom and mild heat from the hot mint.  This came with a huge plate of prawn and pepper crackers, which we all tucked in to in spite of the many courses that went before.

Carrot and chicken salad with prawn crackers

But it still wasn’t over… out came my favourite of the night, small pieces of succulent steak with betel leaf, chopped garlic and a hint of chilli.  This had a lovely deep flavour and the bite sized pieces were decidedly moreish.

Just as waistbands were beginning to groan, the savouries finally stopped. A refreshing final course of frozen yoghurt with mint and raspberry rounded things off beautifully.

Every single dish was delicious. Highly recommended.

We started with the cold meze for two of ispanaki, badrijani, citeli lobio, and salad olivie. In case your Georgian also isn’t up to it, here’s an explanation.

Ispanaki, badrijani, citeli lobio, and salad olivie

• Ispanakhi – a very tasty round of steamed spinach, onions, herbs, garlic and walnuts.
• Badrijani – a slightly odd tasting but definitely not unpleasant dish of aubergines stuffed with a paste of pureed garlic, onion, coriander and walnuts (are you sensing a theme yet?)
• Citeli lobio – red beans mixed with herbs, garlic, Georgian spices and… yes, you guessed it, walnuts, all pureed into a dip.
• Salad olivie – Russian salad. I was a little disappointed to find a dish I could have guessed from the name, but it tasted fresh and delicious.

We added to this some sacivi - a cold dish of pieces of chicken in garlic and walnut (yes again!) sauce. This was delicious too and reminded us a little of an Italian pasta sauce of pureed young walnuts.

Alongside this we devoured the national dish of khachapuri - griddle baked flat bread, filled with cheese.  It was like blending the texture and taste of soda farls with cheese with stuffed parathas, and we happily washed it down with mukuzani. Not familiar with Georgian wine either? This red wine is described on the menu as ‘plummy’, with ‘inviting aromas of bramble jam, overlaid with spice’ which sums it up well. The starters were very good, but you could have given me a plate of khachapuri and the rest of the wine and I’d still have been a very happy Lardy Lady indeed.

Our main courses didn’t let us down. I would have been content simply left to the  sauce of the chaqapuli (lamb casserole) with a basket of bread. Stewed principally in fresh herbs (tarragon, parsley, mint, coriander, dill and possibly more) it has a fresh, herby flavour which combines with the tkemali (sour plums) and white wine it is cooked in.  Chqmeruli (tabaka) was a spatchcocked chicken in a salty garlic sauce of such concentration as to strike terror to the undead for all eternity. It tasted delicious.

Chqmeruli (tabaka) – vampires beware!

Visualise giant – fist sized – dumplings, and you have the delicious surprise that is khinkali.  The delicious flavour of these dumplings reminded me, to my great surprise, of my favourite Chinese dumplings (see xiao long bao).  Khinkali are the super-size cousins of the Chinese classic, and have a much thicker wrapper, but the minced pork, beef, onions and herbs inside are similarly succulent and delicious.

Khinkali – supersize dumplings

The dessert menu was a little comical, listing “Home-made Jam” as an option; I am still unclear if you get a spoonful or the jar. A safer bet is pelamushi, a delicious slightly sour jelly of red grape juice (with the texture of a soft Spanish membrillo) which comes with… wait for it… walnuts.

Pelamushi

But really, what kind of Georgian food convert would I be if I didn’t end the meal properly, with ideali - Georgian walnut cake. Delicious.

Ideali

After a glass of champagne and being warmly welcomed by one of our many servers for the day, we were served aerated beetroot balls with horseradish which we were urged to eat “all at once” – whether this meant at the same time or eating in one bite, we weren’t quite sure but it set the scene for the many delicious courses ahead. Si and I went with the £120 wine tasting menu while Cara stuck to her water (and the odd sneaky sip of our wine).

Nitro Poached Aperifits were next, tiny egg white balls “cooked” in liquid nitrogen. Cara and I had Vodka and Lime sour (accompanied by a spray of lemon scent) while Si tried  Gin and Tonic – all agreed they were great and a novel start to the whole Heston “experience”.

Next came Red Cabbage Gazpacho with Pommery Grain Mustard Ice Cream. Delicious. Even Si, reknowned for his hatred of all things soup like enjoyed it.

The next course was where the theatre really kicked in. After being instructed to place a thin film on our tongues to “evoke the small of the forest”, dry ice poured out of the mossy centrepiece of the table while we ate Oak Moss and Truffle Toast with Jelly of Quail and Crayfish Cream. “I don’t know what the hell is going on” Si proclaimed, looking slightly alarmed. Amazing!!

Next came the famous Snail Porridge with Iberico Bellota Ham and Shaved Fennel which tasted far nicer than it sounds, but caused great hilarity when afterwards, Cara and I commented on how nice the snails were for Si to admit “I thought they were mushrooms”. One way to get your kids to try snails perhaps?

“What’s next” asks Si.

Roast Foie Gras with Rhubarb, Braised Konbu and Crab Biscuit was next on the list. Rich and delicious, we were showing no signs of slowing down and SI had to ask Cara to “Calm down dear”. During a trip to the toilets, Cara was excited to be slipped one of the waiter’s cards and promised “he’d look after her if she looked after him”, the cause of much hilarity and debating on what could be on offer – a trip into the kitchen? A free extra course? It turns out that true to his word, Cara has heard from said waiter since our return to London (brilliant)!

The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party – Mock Turtle Soup, Pocket Watch and Toast Sandwich was indeed mad. A selection of gold coins a la Alice in Wonderland was presented in a box, these we then added to our own tea pot and swirled until dissolved in the broth and poured over the quail’s egg and other ingredients.

The infamous “Sound of the Sea” was next. Seashells containing ipods playing sounds of waves and seagulls played as we ate the incredible “sand”, “foam” and raw fish serves up with seaweed. I think by this time the wine was starting to kick in as Si ducked to avoid a seagull swooping low.

This was followed Salmon Poached in a Liquorice gel with Artichokes, Vanilla Mayonnaise and Golden Trout Roe. I have to admit this was my least anticipated course but turned out to be one of my favourites. The aniseed flavour was virtually indistinguishable against the strong, oily salmon but complemented beautifully by the rich chardonnay which accompanied it. Si commented on the roe that you “can’t eat someone elses kids” and Cara felt that “It’s about time we got some mayo, though I prefer Hellmans light”.

The last of the mains was Anjou Pigeon with Blood Pudding (delicious but very rich), Risotto of Spelt and Umbles after which we decided it was nearly time for a nap.

We were brought round by Hot and Iced tea – how it can be possible to create a liquid that is both hot and iced, I don’t know but Si proclaimed it to be “my highlight so far” and “I didn’t know what the hell it was”. This from a man who is known to hate tea was a sure sign of the magic (or madness) which abounds at the Fat Duck.

Now onto the first of the desserts.  The Galette of Rhubarb with Neroli Scented Yoghurt and Rhubarb Sorbet is probably the nicest thing I have ever tasted, I would even contemplate running a marathon of there was a plate of that waiting for me at the end. Cara proclaimed it to be “a condender for the best thing that’s ever been in my mouth”. Hmmm. Delicate and stunningly presented but bursting with flavour, and accompanied by a rich and sweet muscat wine. A close contender for pud of the century followed. The “BFG”  (Black Forest Gateaux) with Kirsch Ice Cream and the smell of the Black Forest was truly delicious. Our Lardy Lady chocoholic Trisha, would probably have fainted with delight at this course. It was accompanied by a glass of unusual chilled red dessert wine.

Unable to resist, we went with the cheese as an optional extra and polished off most of an amazing selection, largely sourced from Neil’s Yard.

Next, a picture frame with Whisk(e)y Wine Gums placed carefully on the region from which the whisky is from. I’m not the hugest fan of whisky but Si and Cara polished theirs off, pronouncing a few more would have made them really pissed!

The finale was a bag of sweets served with a sweet menu proclaiming “small me” – infused with smells of liquorice and something else which whisks you back in time to visits to the sweet shop as a child.

“Like a kid in a sweet shop” is probably an accurate description of how we were feeling at this point, 5 hours into the Heston experience. After gaining another 1500 BA airmiles for two people we wearily climbed into a taxi for our return to Maidenhead where we had a last drink in a highly dubious pub opposite the station and calculated for the cost of the meal we could have afforded 440 Jagerbombs instead. Would we have? no way. Not even Si, who lives on a staple diet of Jager in the summer months.

Is the Fat Duck worth the hype? Absolutely. It’s a rollercoaster of tastes, smells and drama that will leave you a little bemused, utterly wowed and almost emotional (well definitely in my case). The service was wonderful, the wines delicious and generous and the food was simply out of this world. Rock on Heston! Thank you Si and Cara (honourable lardies for the day) for being fabulous gastro buddies and SI for treating me to this amazing experience

xxx

PS – Cara did hear back from the lovely waiter. Brilliant!

Hi Cara,

Nice to hear from you.

I wish you good luck for your marathon. When is it?

If you want to enjoy some wines another time just let me know.

As I said 

You look after me I look after you.

(Name removed)