My Year of Food 2010: Part 1

One thing that has irked me about getting this blog started so late is all the amazing food I’ve enjoyed in 2010 that I’ve missed out on writing about.  But after seeing a series of Favourite Bites of 2010 posts on the blog Eat Like A Girl, I thought “what a good idea!” and was very much inspired to do something similar.

In this post I bring to you a few of my favourite foodie moments from the last year:

• Launceston Place
• Fish Soup in Manarola, Cinque Terre
• Bompas and Parr’s Complete History of Food
• Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company
• Bodeans

Launceston Place (8th May 2010)

Fine dining is not a luxury I can often afford to indulge in but in May I was fortunate enough to be given £100 to dine at any restaurant of my choosing.  After asking the Twittersphere for suggestions, MiMi from Meemalee’s Kitchen recommended Launceston Place and kindly informed head chef, Tristan Welch that she was sending me over.  I took my pal Eatatarian along and we had a blast living it up and enjoying the wonderful food and service!

Mushroom Amuse Bouche

West coast scallops roasted with aromatic herbs from the coast line

Denham Castle lamb, Charlotte potatoes, wild garlic

Cucumber and Mint Granita Palate Cleanser

Apple parfait, toffee, walnut

Complimentary Choccies given to us by the Maitre d' as we departed

Launceston Place
1a Launceston Place
London
W8 5RL

Fish Soup in Manarola, Cinque Terre (11th July 2010)

I enjoyed a summer holiday with friends in the five beautiful coastal towns towards the north of Italy known as Cinque Terre.  While visiting Manarola I came across the most incredible fish soup!  I counted about 10 different varieties of gorgeously fresh seafood and was so impressed by how perfectly cooked everything was in spite of the variety.  Sadly I forget the name of the restaurant.

Fish Soup: containing mussels, clams, calimari, fish, langoustine, king prawn, octopus, baby octopus and a variety of lobster and a variety of prawn I'd not seen before

Bompas and Parr’s Complete History of Food (15th July 2010)

Giant “bouncy castle style” stomachs, a professor diagnosing our medieval humours and prescribing medicine, pirate bartenders, jelly that wobbles to the beat of your heart, whale vomit… this amazing event by jellymongering duo Bompas and Parr really reinstated my sense of childhood wonder!  I spent the whole evening with a huge grin on my face – it really felt like being on Heston’s Feasts.

Deconstructed champagne (flat champagne with a fizzy grape)

Bouncing inside a giant stomach

Follow the mushrooms

The Iguanadon

Josephines Tea Garden (Courvoisier Exclusif punch with green tea, apple juice, elderflower cordial, fresh mint, citrus wedges)

Duck Confit, puy lentils, beetroot, black champagne sauce

Candied Orange, Iris Jellies and Ambergris (whale vomit) Posset with Courvoisier XO

Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company (25th July 2010)

Seafood is one of my great loves and oysters are no exception.  As such the Whitstable Oyster Festival had been one of those events I’d been wanting to attend for ages but somehow managed to forget about every year.  But not this time!  We had a very enjoyable day out soaking up the sunshine and festive atmosphere during the day, and in the evening retired to a lovely dinner at the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company.  The food was good (though could have been better) but the atmosphere was gorgeous being located right by the beach.  One of my highlights simply because we had such a lovely time!

The Landing of the Oysters (during the Oyster Festival)

Grilled Razor Clams

Crab Starter

Dressed Crab

Roasted Cod with Mustard Sauce

Grilled Salmon with Salsa Verde

Royal Native Oyster Stores
Horsebridge
Whitstable
Kent
CT5 1BU

Bodeans (numerous occasions throughout 2010)

What “Foodie Highlights of 2010″ article would be complete without a mention of my Friday work lunch local and BBQ haven Bodeans?  I’ve visited on countless occasions for a full on Meat Fest!  In fact, in our office we rarely use the name of the restaurant simply referring to our visit as “going for meat”.

My lunch of choice generally is the Pulled Pork Sandwich; simple but delicious!  Tender chunks of pork sandwiched in a soft white bun, served with chips and pickles.

Pulled Pork Sandwich (I tossed the top bun away and liberally doused the meat in spicy BBQ sauce)

If I go for dinner I tend to order something a little more decadent.  Behold the wonder that are the Jacob’s Ladder Ribs, one of London’s finest examples of “man food”.

Jacob's Ladder Ribs

These beef ribs of breathtaking mass and beauty were coated in a sticky, flavoursome BBQ sauce.  The meat was moist and succulent due to the high fat content which marbled it’s way through, keeping it super tender but very rich and fatty.  Comes with chips and coleslaw but these are hardly necessary.  Despite these being a mere (albeit impressive) half rack, sadly my medium tolerance for fatty meats was pushed to the limit and I could barely finish them… instead they totally finished me for the evening!

Bodeans (various branches across London)
10 Poland Street
London
W1F 8PZ

Please stay tuned for more foodie highlights of 2010 to come!

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