An effortlessly luxurious getaway

I have a discussion going on with my friend Daniel on what luxury should be today, particularly in the area of hospitality. Living in London one immediately looks at 5 star properties, to eventually find out that amongst all the opulence of the marbles, fabrics and chandeliers, it's on the details that most properties are losing the message.
When I think luxury I think of effortless, meaning a pair of Hunter boots available for clients going on a walk or a freshly picked salad and home made bread. In their simplicity, these things can cost money to be found, but more importantly they require some good thinking to be developed and kept in place.
And so last week I went for a quick weekday (a luxury by definition) getaway to the New Forest. Such a lovely place, just an little over an hour away from London. I had read several reviews about The Pig Hotel and its restaurant and I was really keen to try it. Basically a chic country house with 26 rooms, where I stayed in what is considered the smallest size, absolutely adorable and featuring a great view on the garden outside.

Speaking of gardens, we are talking serious stuff over there. Not only does the Hotel feature a massive garden where to walk, play tennis or enjoy a drink in the summer, but the chef also has a walled garden where all sort of greens are grown and are - as the menu states - "literally picked in the morning" to create for example a delicious Tempura Vegetables with Lemon Verbena and Baby Caper Mayonnaise. 
The whole menu is developed around the idea of "max 25 miles away", thus featuring products such as Hampshire partridge, Dorset snails, New Forest mushrooms and cured meats, and more seafood and meat from local suppliers. The dining room is cozy, resembling a chic nursery.

I booked my stay and dinner through their website directly, but a good gallery of images to get the full picture is also available on http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/luxury-hotels/the-pig/photos
As always, when I find a place I love I am torn between sharing the news or keep it for the few good friends who I am sure would enjoy the experience. In this case I am confident the place would not appeal to the masses, nor to those looking for bling. So we can keep it as a secret address.

My favorite dishes in London- part 1
Last week Time Out magazine published a list of interesting food suggestions where instead of reviewing the establishments, food critics have come up with a shortlist of their most recent favourite dishes...
Not only did I enjoy it and I was pleased to see that some were my favorites too, but I thought of sharing a few of mine. Here is the first part....

Anchovy Toast @ Bistro Union

Selection of Charcuterie @ Terroirs

Quail's egg shooters with Bath Pig chorizo @ Mark Hix Bar

Grilled Ham, Bubble & Squeak, 2 Poched Eggs & Hollandaise @ Caravan

Classic Tortilla @ Barrafina

Buta-Bara yuzu miso (Grilled pork skewer with yuzu and miso) @ Zuma

 Turnip Cake @ Yauatcha

Hiya Hatsu (Cold noodle with hot broth) @ Koya

Crudo @ Pescheria Mattiucci

Mini Ibérico Pork and Foie Gras Burger @ Opera Tavern

The local restaurant: Bistro Union

Amongst my recent finds is this cool bistro in the heart of one of my favourite neighborhoods in London, recently launched by the same Adam Byatt of Trinity Restaurant in Clapham.
Not too much to say besides that - as I was in the area 3 times on the same week or so - I've been there twice already. It says it all.
Bistro Union is, like most of my favourite places in London and elsewhere, about simple dishes at  reasonable prices. It's the kind of place where you feel like trying a little of everything.
To start with, bread came with a butter to die for (if I remember well at Trinity they make their own butter, so that could be the reason). And then more Anchovy Toast came, or rather bread spread with a delicious Anchoiade sauce and a boiled Duck Egg on the side.
A fish finger had the size of a kid's sandwich, i.e in a couple of bites it was gone. But then again, so nice to try all the small dishes, which by the way start at £2...
We then had the simplest yet special Baked Aubergine with mint and cow's curd (which turned out to be sort of a ricotta), and a substantial Fish Pie (with salmon, white fish and peas).
Desserts all sounded intriguingly "retro" . We had the Poached Rhubarb and the Tapioca with raspberry jam. They both came with custard on the side, which as with the butter tasted of freshly made with some very special milk of some very happy cows.
The atmosphere and the crowd made me feel I wasn't in London but rather in a smaller village. And I wished I was a neighbour ...
www.bistrounion.co.uk

How to make an Italian fall in love (with London)

Last weekend the "effervescent" Monica came over to see me and Francesco and discuss our foodie project. She had not been in London for the past 9 years and we knew we had to make something special happen.

I truly enjoy putting together itineraries for friends and family coming over. The way I do it, any art & culture, walking or shopping experience is built around a stop at a bar or restaurant. And so with Francesco we decided that the foodie element would have been key to seduce Monica and to thank her for the amazing hospitality back in Bologna (see below images of the fab dinner she put together for us).

Starting with a tour of the Borough Market and walking all the way along the Thames and down to Embankment, our bespoke tour included the Tate Gallery and the Southbank Centre, not to see any particular exhibition but rather to show Monica how these venues are being used by people to meet, have a drink, enjoy the sun (if any...). 

Ending the afternoon with a glass of wine and padron peppers at Fernandez & Wells, followed by some amazing cocktails and dinner at Yauatcha completed the job. 

On Sunday morning all you can think of is coffee. Would have Monica ever thought that the best coffees in town are made by Australians? Of course not, and she loved the one we had at Allpress. 

After a relaxed tour of the Columbia Road Flower Market (always a hit on Sunday m.orning, especially before 11am), we headed to Albion for a brunch. This, I must say, is not my favourite of the moment. Fun atmosphere, nice choice of dishes, but portions are too small and too plain. Anyway, it was fun and it filled us with energies for an afternoon walk that necessarily led us to Fortnum & Mason where to get the most luxurios Jubilee themed Food.

To end the long weekend and as a farewell to Monica, Francesco and Cristiana decided to offer her a delicious dinner at their place, featuring hummus, roasted Nabulsi cheese, falafel, za'atar spice with grilled flatbreads (my favourite!), and Sindhi Biryani (prepared with rabbit on this occasion).

So once again through (non Italian) food another Italian fell in love with London. Monica, we loved having you here and we want you back very soon. xxx

A new Italian in town

Chef patron of celebrated La Rosetta in Rome, Massimo Riccioli is opening his eponymous London restaurant at the Corinthia Hotel today. I was amongst the lucky ones invited to a soft opening last week in the stunning dining room designed by David Collins Studio. The food was absolutely fantastic but more importantly  it reminded me of what Italian cuisine should be about: fresh ingredients, simple flavours, extra virgin olive oil and lots of fresh herbs. Massimo's ability to combine all of these elements in layers and textures makes him a true architect of taste. Although he once told me that his cuisine is not "Italian" but rather Sicilian (that's where he is originally from) with Mediterranean influences!

I met Massimo in early 2010 and worked together for a short time to promote his pop up restaurant inside the building site of the hotel. His culinary philosophy was very clear from the start and has now only taken "grandeur": not only he creates classic dishes from the very highest quality fish but also does he innovate by using every edible part of the fish to offer delicacies such as Tuna black pudding with fish skin crisps, Baked cod liver in balsamoka with sautéed spring onions and Porcini cookies or Monkfish tripe, in fresh tomato sauce, mint and Pecorino cheese. However I would also suggest going to Massimo's every time one fancied a great fish pasta accompanied by a glass of white wine; the "Spaghetti croccanti with red prawns"  and "Maccheroncini alle sarde" Oscar and I shared were to die for.

Massimo’s obsession with fish started as a child when his father, a former photo reporter with a natural passion for cooking, took over La Rosetta restaurant in 1965 and created the first restaurant in Rome to serve fish daily. Massimo would accompany his father to nearby fishing villages and choose the highlights from the catch of the day.  

The 150-cover restaurant will incorporate an oyster and crustacean bar, and an intimate private dining  with its own dedicated kitchen, just like the pop up but in greater style.

With this I take the opportunity of welcoming the Corinthia Hotel in London, headed by the most charming of hoteliers, General Manager Matthew Dixon.

www.massimo-restaurant.co.uk

www.corinthia.com/London/home

Deliciously queuing

Borough Market on a warm sunny Friday, lunch time...

 

www.boroughmarket.org.uk

Conversation piece

There hasn't been a time Zuma disappointed me yet. Most of my friends would argue that it is an outpost for the rich, who don't necessarily hang out there because of the fantastic contemporary japanese cusisine, but rather to sip expensive cocktails at the bar while "watching" and "connecting".

I suggest they try the experience I had on a busy (as usual) Thursday evening, treated like a very very special guest by sushi head chef Endo Kazutoshi, a true crafstman. 

This image does not give him enough justice. We asked for sushi, he bowed and smiled, bowed and smiled again, then said "leave it to me". We haven't seen a single piece of traditional sushi (although delicious), but rather received specially made creations of flavours and textures. My favourites were definitely the raw prawn and scallop with truffle oil and the squid, cut so gently it melted in the mouth. I would listen to the presentation of each single piece all over again.

Endo has come to us a few times to see if we were happy with the choice and explained it was a very busy night, with everyone asking for the chef's special. So, with the politeness that only Japanese people employ, he apologised. And told us that his master, back in Japan, has never allowed more than 20 people together in his place. Whereas at Zuma they have hundreds every single day! Well I tell you, the quality of the food does not suffer, since Endo and is sous chef have every dish under control at all times.

It is an expensive experience, and reserving a table quite discouraging. But if one is fancying some sipping, watching and connecting, a place at the sushi bar could become available within an hour or so.

www.zumarestaurant.com

Salmon do it yourself

Ole Lydersen

Last week's Observer's Food Monthly has dedicated a few pages to selected "net-savvy, small-scale producers". I have always felt inspired by people who are brave enough to sometimes entirely re-invent themselves. Food has become the area where everyone with a certain taste for good quality things would like to be, but how often there is a lack of substance.
The story of Ole Lydersen and his family of Norwegian salmon fishmongers is fascinating and even more intriguing is to read that he has built a smokehouse practically at home. I can't wait to learn more about his salmon, especially since I signed for the Fish Fight campaign earlier this month, and I am very committed to eating less of the obvious fish, and only when supported by sustainable values.
Ole's smoked salmon should be very yum and I can't wait to taste it too.
Hansen & Lydersen smoked salmon
The Observer's Food Monthly page on Britain's DIY food producers

The best afternoon break on a chilly day

I've been out since very early this morning on the film shoot of The Deep Blue Sea, starring the beautiful Rachael Weisz. So on my way home around 3pm the only thing I could think of was a hot shower, followed by a hot chocolate and a slice of soft Pandoro. Also known as the "golden bread", Pandoro is a traditional cake produced in Verona, Italy, around Christmas time. It is very soft as it's made with pure butter which has been stirred for quite some time.
My memories of when I still lived in Italy feature Pandoro for breakfast or tea time. However sometimes when not feeling like having a proper dinner, I would have a cup of milk and a slice of this delicious cake in the evening too. Ideal was it also after a day of skiing.
I tend to go for artisan made Pandoro (in Italy most bakeries-pastry shops would make it), which indeed is hard if not impossible to find in London. But the one you can find at Carluccio's is a real treat. Made by one of their preferred artisan bakeries in Italy and available in store only from end of October, it is so fresh and soft I could have it all year round. But then I wouldn't feel like Christmas, would I?