Mexican Brunch

Well, Mr. Peterman, I've got a really good idea for a hat. It combines the spirit of old Mexico with a little big city panache. I like to call it the Urban Sombrero

Elaine Benes (Seinfeld episodes “The Foundation”)

I went the other day for Mexican brunch at Mestizo. During weekends this Mexican Restaurant has an all you can eat buffet style brunch. The food is the real deal, nice flavours and tasty, and the good thing is you can mix and create your own tacos or quesadillas, also don’t forget to try their traditional pozole or birria.

Taco Time

If you like Mexican cuisine go and try it, just a warning it’s authentic and traditional Mexican cuisine so no Tex Mex. Make sure before leaving to try one of their tequilas, they have an award winning collection with more than 160 bottles.

Mestizo

T: 020 7387 4064

Mexican Cuisine

Approx Damage: £23pp

Area: Camden Town

Borough: Camden

Twitter: mestizomx

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Toastie Meltdown in London

A couple days back I finally had the chance to go to one of Young & Foodish events. This time the Toastie Meltdown, four competitors one prize The Iron Toastie Award, but the real winners were all the people that enjoyed a great event with nice beers from Camden Town Brewery, and excellent toasties from the competitors. 

Toastie Meltdown

The Participants

My first toastie of the night was Pump Street Bakery. The Tuffled Cheese Toastie, a day old sourdough with Fontina cheese, truffles, mushrooms, and hazelnuts. The winner of the night, great flavours, the cheese perfectly melted, a crunchy texture thanks to the hazelnuts, and their star the sourdough loaf. 

Pump Street Bakery Sourdough

The Winner Truffled Cheese Sandwich under bad light

Second one I had the unusual suspect and established Borough Market vendor Kappacasein. Bill Oglethorpe didn’t do any tweaks to his winning formula the Toasted Cheese Sandwich. Pollaine bread, 18 months aged Montgomery cheddar, onions, leaks, and garlic. Excellent flavour, the traditional recipe, my only complain the portion was extremely small, come on Bill you could have been a bit more generous. 

Borough Market's Kappacasein

The lovely but not so generous Toasted Cheese

Third toastie of the night was the Mishkin’s Reuben Melt. A seeded cream bun to create a nine layered toastie. It was the generous portion of the night, as the Mishkin’s team gave a whole sandwich to each punter, but still not NYC Katz's style where you get a tower of pastrami. Great flavour, definitely one of my favourites, the only downside I can think of was that the cheese wasn’t completely melted, they should kept it a couple more minutes. Sorry guys I would have voted for you if not for the cheese breakdown. 

Mishkin's not Kosher pins

The Reuben production

Reuben Melt

Final toastie of the night Fred Smith’s Patty Melt. Yes the London lord of the burgers created a toastie burger. Smashed beef patty, with melted Parmesan, and onions, al these in a caraway seeded loaf. My favourite of the night and as consequence my final vote. Great flavours, patty was perfectly cooked, juicy, the parmesan with the onions was amazing, and on top you had a chipotle sauce to dip your and double dip your toastie in it. 

Fred in Action

Patty Melt

For dessert Illy’s barista Marco Arrigo gave us a bicerin. Hot chocolate, espresso, and cream. It was beautiful, nice coffee, great chocolate, and the touch of the chestnut cream was spot on. 

Coffee Time

Faema Machine

Bicerin

Just a final note regarding the venue, The Camden Town Brewery has a nice and cozy bar basically below the overground rails. Good selection of beers I had a Hell’s Lager and then went for the Flight. Five caña size beers to choose. I went for a quite nice American style Pale Ale, a too light for me Hoppy nitro Stout called Ink, a fruity 7 Hop Lager, a nice Belgian Wit with roasted lemon and bergamot called Gentlerman’s Wit, and finally a light Kellerbier Pilsner called Unfiltered Hells. 

Beer Time

Need a Keg?

Flight

Great night, great toasties, great beers. 

The dipping with the Patty Melt reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Implant” 

Timmy: What are you doing?

George: What?

Timmy: Did you just double-dip that chip?

George: Excuse me?

Timmy: You double-dipped the chip!

George: Double-dipped? What are you talking about?

Timmy: You dipped the chip. You took a bite. And you dipped again

George: So?

Timmy: That's like putting your whole mouth right in the dip! From now on, when you take a chip, just take one dip and end it!

George: Well, I'm sorry, Timmy but I don't dip that way

Timmy: Oh, you don't, huh?

George: No. You dip the way you want to dip. I'll dip the way I want to dip

Timmy: Give me the chip! Give me the chip!

Camden Town Brewery

T: 020 7485 1671

Bar & Brewery

Area: Camden Town

Borough: Camden

Twitter: CamdenBrewery

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I don’t want to go to Rehab

Amy Winehouse was always linked to The Hawley Arms, she basically loved it, did surprise gigs, socialised with others there, basically was her local pub. Typical British pub but with a touch of the area, wood interiors, a wall garden in the ground floor, and a terrace upstairs. The pub dates from 1900 but he current owners took charge in 2004, with a two and a half months pause due to the fire in 2008, a few teaks in the layout due to regulations and back to business. 

Hawley time

The Jukebox playing Amy’s hits from time to time, live music nights, some Camden style memorabilia, polaroid wall, board games, fine ales, and classic British pub food, including fish & chips, burgers, pies, bangers & mash, that’s what you will find in the Hawley. 

Amy

Lamps

Guinness time

Ales

One of my favourite water holes in town. 

More Guinness

Probably the thing missing in Hawley is the pinball machine from the episode “The Frogger” 

Jerry: Hey, look at the high score--"G.L.C." George Louis Costanza. That's not you, is it? 

George: Yes! 860,000. I can't believe it's still standing. No one has beaten me in like 10 years. 

Jerry: I remember that night 

George: The perfect combination of Mountain Dew and mozzarella, just the right amount of grease on the joystick

The Hawley Arms

T: 020 7428 5979

Pub

Area: Camden Town

Borough: Camden

Twitter: TheHawleyArms

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Cachapas in Camden

Weather hasn't been nice with Londoners during the last weeks but I had to visit my friend Augusto's new food stand in Camden Lock Market Cachapa Kingdom. Yes the same one of Arepa & Co who prepares amazing Venezuelan arepas in London, now he has a new addition to his repertoire Venezuelan cachapas. 

Cachapa stall

A cachapa is some sort of sweet corn pancake, fresh ground corn mixed with a thick flour battered and cooked as a crepe or pancake, we usually eat cachapas for breakfast or diner, sometimes after a night out drinking. Traditionally we fill it with a special white cheese (Queso de Mano), Augusto sourced an Italian mozzarella that works perfect and it’s quite similar in texture and flavour to our cheese, the proof that it works is that he hasn't received any complaints from Venezuelans so far when they try the cheese, and I assure you we are quite picky with that. 

Possible combinations

You can have other traditional fillings including cheddar cheese, roasted vegetables (not so traditional for us but an all time seller in London), and Augusto's grandma recipe of Carne Mechada (shredded beef). I got mine with mozzarella cheese and it was excellent.

Final product

If you’re around in Camden go there and have a try of Venezuelan cuisine you won’t regret it. 

Keep calm and go to Camden

Corn reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Cadillac” 

Susan: So, was George helpful at all? 

Elaine: Yeah. Oh, yes, yes, he was very helpful. Hmm, because, you know, Art and I were getting into this whole thing about his business. You know he's an importer-exporter 

Susan: Yeah 

Elaine: George felt that I was too adamant in my stand that Art should focus on the exporting and forget about the importing 

Susan: Wait a minute. I thought that Art wanted to give up the exporting 

Elaine: What'd I say? 

Susan: The importing 

Elaine: I did. Uh... 

Susan: So, what does he uh, import? 

Elaine: Uh... chips 

Susan: Oh... What kind of chips? 

Elaine: Potato 

Susan: Ah 

Elaine: Some corn 

Susan: And what does he export? Elaine: Diapers

Cachapa Kingdom (Arepa & Co)

Venezuelan Cuisine

Aprox Damage: £5

Area: Camden

Borough: Camden

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Probably the best Sushi in London

A place I wanted to go for a long long time was Asakusa. I found excellent reviews about the food , the price was reasonable, actually quite cheap, and every time I tried to go without a reservation was impossible to get a table, add to that a couple cancelled reservations as my friends changed their mind at the last moment or got busy.

The Place

Inside

The place is quite small and intimate. Two levels and just a handful of tables in each of them. Simple decoration but nothing simple about the food and the vast menu offering Japanese classics including a Sake tasting which caught my eye and couldn’t resist. I got to the place with my lovely friend Sarah, and we went with a mission trying as much as we could. 

Decor and Menu on the white board

We went for sushi, sashimi, tempura, scallops, octopus, salmon, octopus, tofu, eel, seaweed, and of course the Sake sampler. The sampler brings three different Sakes, Akitabare (Northern Skies), Masumi (Mirror of Truth), and Dewazakura (Tenth Degree).

Agedashi Tofu (deep fried tofu with special sauce) 

Zucusu (seaweed in vinegar)

Yasai Furai (deep fried vegetables in breadcrumbs) 

Sake Sashimi (salmon)

Scallops

Umaki Tamago (eel omelette)

Sushi Time

Asakusa Sake Sampler

The food was superb, the price is cheap, and probably it is one of the best Japanese I have had. Really worth all the hassle to get a table. 

Sake reminds me the Seinfeld episode "The Checks"

Jerry: Yeah? 

George: Jerry! The Japanese guys had sake in the hot-tub! You got to get them out the drawers and get them down here, or I don't have a focus group to sell the pilot to Japanese TV! 

Jerry: Uncle Leo? 

George: JERRY! 

Jerry: Alright, alright. I'll wake them up.

Asakusa

T: 020 7388 8533

Japanese Cuisine

Area: Camden

Borough: Camden

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Camden Dim Sum

Camden is not an easy area to go dining, lots of places but quality wise is compromised. So just like in Star Wars when you find a good restaurant you think that is your last hope, hopefully as Yoda would say “No, there is another”.

Yum Cha

I read about this place Yum Cha, almost in front of the Camden Stables entrance, so decided to give it a try. I took a couple friends with me as there is nothing better than share, mix and match different dim sum dishes.

Inside

Yum Cha which actually means “Drink Tea” in Cantonese but the phrase is a little bit more is just like morning or afternoon tea while eating dim sum. They specialise in Dim Sum but they have an extensive menu, and 4 karaoke rooms. The Dim Sum are served all day, and have a good premium Chinese tea.

Menu

Dim Sum Menu

I basically don’t remember what we had, but they were all good, and many many of them, name it, pork, scallops, squid, duck, fried crispy seaweed, and in every cooking style, steamed, fried, fried cake, spring roll, dumpling, and even bun. On top of that they have 50% off in Dim Sum every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Rolls 

Seaweed

Steamed 

More Dumplings 

Steamed Festival 

Fried Cake 

Bun 

More Rolls 

More Steamed Dumplings

Chinese reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Chinese Woman”.

Elaine: That sounds Urgent.

Jerry: Let me call him back. Hello? Who is this? Donna Chang? Oh, I'm sorry, I must dialled the wrong number.

Elaine: Donna Chang?

Jerry: Should've talked to her, I love Chinese women.

Elaine: Isn't that a little racist?

Jerry: If I like their race, how can that be racist? Hellooo? Oh, is this Donna Chang again? Yes, I am calling George, oh, the lines are crossed; you're getting his calls. Well, what do you know?

Yum Cha

T: 020 7482 2228

Chinese Cuisine Dim Sum

Area: Primrose Hill

Borough: Camden
Twitter: silkandspice

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