Ottolenghi what happened?

What? What is nice? Trying to fill the void in your life with flour and sugar and egg and vanilla? I mean, we are all unhappy. Do we have to be fat too? Not you Becky, I know you have a slow metabolism. I don't want one more piece of cake in my office!

Elaine Benes (Seinfeld episode “The Frogger”)

I used to love Ottolenghi café/restaurant, the cakes were amazing, salads lovely, and other treats always up to the mark, everything in a colourful display that salivate your mouth immediately you see the array and always too many options to choose from. Therefore, most of the times I’m in Notting Hill I end there getting something, but on my last visit I’m sad to say it backfired. We got a selection of sweet tarts and cakes and coffee, not sure what happened, if it was we were at the end of the day and the staff was in a hurry or the cakes were days old but everything was not right.

Coffee & Cake

Cakes were chewy, and not exciting, and the coffee don’t get me started! It was probably one of the worst coffees I have ever had in London. What’s going on? Can’t you afford to train the staff to get a decent cup?

I hope it was a one off, and next time I experience the same quality I have during all these years.

Ottolenghi

T: 020 7727 1121

Mediterranean cuisine

Approx Damage: £15pp

Area: Notting Hill

Borough: Kensington & Chelsea

Twitter: ottolenghi

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Coffee Enquiry XXVII: Nopi - Breakfast and Coffee

Six months ago you were eating four of those for breakfast and chasing it with a ring ding, and two butter fingers on the train. Sounds familiar?

Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld episode “The Glasses”)

I have been wanting to go to NOPI for a while, Yotam Ottolenghi restaurant in Soho. A brasserie with Middle East and Asian Flavours. Open all day, bright white with bricks and tiles with brass lamps decor, downstairs a big communal table looking the open kitchen. So after months planning to go I spotted the chance to get breakfast there, lucky me the place was not so crowded on a weekday breakfast time.

The place

White & Brass

First lest talk about the food. I got the North African dish Shakshuka. Braised eggs, tomato sauce, and labne. Amazing! This is for sure one of the top breakfast dishes in London, the mix of flavours, spicy kick that kept going and going, the eggs perfectly cooked with a beautiful runny yolk, the tomato based with onions garlic and herbs, everything was amazing.

Shakshuka

Now is time to talk about the coffee. I went for a Flat white, great coffee, nice after taste, strong with a balanced bitterness, latte art top marks, this was like taken from a top independent coffee place.

Machine: La Marzocco

Beans: Climson & sons

Score: 4/5

Perfect coffee

I highly recommend you to go for food and/or coffee as both are amazing. I will come back for lunch and dinner for sure.

A close up of the braised eggs

NOPI

T: 020 7494 9584

Mediterranean Cuisine

Approx Damage: £16pp

Area: Soho

Borough: City of Westminster

Twitter: ottolenghi

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Quick stop in Ottolenghi

A couple friends recommended Ottolenghi. Mediterranean cuisine, using fresh produce, everything is made from scratch hand-crafted, the menu and creations by Yotam Ottolenghi, four locations in London, some with dinning space and all of them with take out capabilities so you can enjoy the flavours in the comfort of your home. 

Cook Book

The place

I visited the first one to open, Ottolenghi in Notting Hill. Small and colourful place, a huge counter displaying all the food including salads, sweats, and flourless cakes. In the back one ten sitter table with the usual queues due to the limited space. 

Sweet Time

We decided to get a couple things as take out, make it simple, so went for a pizza with Gorgonzola, basil, fennel, and walnuts. Simple yet great flavours, reminded me home made food elevated, great combination of flavours in a bakery style pizza dough. Then we got for some sweet treats, a cupcake and the one to mention was a white chocolate cheesecake with raspberries on top. Amazing I’m not the sweet tooth kind and it was great, creamy inside, the crust was perfect, one of the best cheesecakes I have had. 

Cheesecake Time

Great place, I’m definitely coming back for more, delicious food and not complicated. 

Gorgonzola, Basil, Fennel, and Walnuts Pizza

The Mediterranean reminds me the Seinfeld episode "The Suicide" 

Jerry: Hey, let me ask you something. How long do you have to wait for a guy to come out of a coma before you can ask his ex-girlfriend out?

Kramer: What, Gina? Why wait? Why not just call Doctor Kavorkian?

Jerry: You know I don’t get that whole suicide machine. There’s no tall buildings where these people live? They can’t wrap their lips around a revolver like a normal person?

Kramer: So what’s going on between you and Gina?

Jerry: Well, I went with her to the hospital last night

Kramer: Oh, oh

Jerry: So we’re in the room and she’s trying to get me to kiss her right in front of him

Kramer: You see that’s the great thing about Mediterranean women. All right, so what did you do?

Jerry: Nothing

Kramer: Ah, what kind of a man are you? The guy is unconscious in a coma and you don’t have the guts to kiss his girlfriend?

Jerry: I didn’t know what the coma etiquette was

Ottolenghi

T: 020 7727 1121

Mediterranean Cuisine

Approx Damage: £20pp

Area: Notting Hill

Borough: Kensington & Chelsea

Twitter: ottolenghi

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