Smoking Goat Soho

Mr Frivolitea and I love Thai food so decided on this visit to London to try something new. I’d heard a bit about Smoking Goat and loved the idea of Thai barbecue so we rocked up on the Sunday lunchtime to enjoy some food before getting the train home.

I have to be honest that I wasn’t sure what to expect when I went through the door. At first glance Smoking Goat is dark and dingy and a bit surreal with dried puffer fish adorning the ceiling. However what it lacks in colour in the decor it certainly makes up for in the food on offer. The great thing about this place is you can order a selection of dishes to share. However as always with Mr Frivolitea and I that leads to difficult decisions when everything on the menu sounds great.
Mr Frivilotea chose a Tamarind soda to drink.

It was so good he then had another and we finally agreed on some dishes:

Khan Phot Ping smoked corn with salted coconut and chilli

grilled hispi cabbage with peanuts, chilli and soy

bavette waterfall beef Nahm Dtok with lemongrass and chilli

and some sticky rice to mop up all the tasty juices.

This is food with a seriously good kick. Every dish we had took us to our limit chilli wise, in a good way. None of that nasty burning heat that sticks around, this is the sort of heat that hits you hard and quick and then melts away with all the other amazing flavours in the dish leaving that lovely warm tingly feeling in your mouth. I’ m still trying to work out which I liked most and am struggling. Everything was delicious. I think the smoked corn might just have had the edge but then I am a sucker for sweetcorn and coconut.

I’m looking forward to another opportunity to try their food and I’m certainly inspired to try some of the flavours at home.

Lyle’s London

Lyle’s has been on the list for some time and our latest visit to London gave us the perfect opportunity to visit as we had arranged to stay in the Brick Lane area of London for the first time.
I was rather relieved to be able to book a table as days before the bookings opened it was placed in the top 10 at the National Restaurant Awards. I now know why!
The relaxed feel, the open kitchen, witty staff and music that was a continuum of classic hip hop and R&B through disco to 80’s electro in the background all adds to what makes this place appealing.

At Lyle’s the food offering is a set menu of an amuse bouche and 4 courses.

Our amuse bouche of dashi tomato with dehydrated tomato on top and some smoked mussels was a great sign of things to come. It never ceases to amaze me how someone can pack so much flavour in to something so small.

The first course of Beefsteak and hedgehog mushrooms, Lardo and egg had a wonderful hit of tarragon with buckwheat adding a lovely texture, the little bit of sauce packed a punch and sat alongside a perfectly cooked runny egg.

The second course of Monkfish, liver and crab apple was the dish that divided me. The combination of flavours absolutely worked together, the sharpness of the apple counterbalancing the richness of the monkfish liver. However the texture and flavour of the liver on its own was a bit too intense for me.

The third course of Dexter sirloin, onion and gherkin really summed up for me why Lyle’s is the place to go. Perfectly cooked meat, a rich sauce, velvety onion purée and the light pickle of the gherkin leading to a perfectly balanced dish. Simple in presentation but nowhere to hide.

The final course of blackcurrant and lemon verbena was my kind of dessert. The addition of blackcurrant vinegar to the meringue transformed the dish. I ate every mouthful with a big grin on my face.

We ended our meal with coffee, lemon thyme brown butter cakes and cherry chocolate ganache. The dessert and the lemon thyme butter cakes were so good that I felt compelled to go over and thank the pastry chef. Her name is Anna by the way.

Lyle’s highlights the best seasonal produce and lets the food speak for itself. It’s a great place to spend an evening.

The Muddlers Club

I should probably write a very brief blog for this and just say. Perfect. You must go. In fact it took me a little longer to write this than most blogs because this lunch rendered me speechless. It’s not often I am completely blown away by a meal and struggle to articulate how much I loved it. So here are my attempts to put into words everything I loved about The Muddlers Club.

The Muddlers Club is in the up and coming Cathedral Quarter area in city centre Belfast. A fantastic mix of food, drink and street art. It’s an area that highlights how much Belfast has changed in recent years.

We walked down an alley to find it and straight away I could sense we were in for a real treat. The guy on the door welcomed us so warmly that I immediately felt at home and the design of The Muddlers Club shows real attention to detail but without pretention or stuffiness.

We were given a seat by the window and our waitress, who was an absolute delight to chat to throughout, gave us the menu. My eyes lit up when I saw what was on offer. A lunch menu with seasonality and creativity at its heart and all at incredible value. Starters and desserts at £5 and mains at £10.

For starter I had mackerel, kohlrabi, mustard and apple. It arrived with the mackerel still ‘smoking’ a fantastic touch that certainly added to the excitement. This dish was absolutely beautiful with great flavours and texture. It was a touch of light pickle or vinegar away from perfection.

Mr Frivolitea had the short rib tortellini, mushroom, kale and truffle. This was a really clever dish, it was packed full of flavour, showcasing the short rib and not skimping on quality ingredients.

For main I had hake, charred broccoli, kale, mussels and curry. The curry in the dish was wonderfully balanced alongside the hake. A real highlight for me were the vegetables, cooked perfectly and bursting with flavour.

Mr Frivolitea had chicken, baked beets, chard and Parmesan. The chicken was absolutely delicious and wonderfully moist and a highlight was the purée that tasted of the best cauliflower cheese you’ve ever had.

We also had a side of baby potatoes in dulse butter. Oh my. These were delicious. I could eat a vat of them. The kitchen discovered my joy at eating the dulse butter and sent me home with some. This gesture, clearly organised by our waitress, just summed up for me why this place is so special. Everyone who works there gives 100%

For dessert I had lime, coconut and pineapple. This was heaven in a bowl. The flavours balanced beautifully alongside the fresh pineapple with the ribbons of mint running through it and the addition of aerated white chocolate was a wonderful touch.

Mr Frivolitea had chocolate, malt and praline. He was a happy man, this is very much his kind of dessert. The praline disc in particular was a hit though he could happily have had more malt flavour in the dish.

At The Muddlers Club, dishes are all beautifully presented, well balanced and generous in portion size for the cost of lunch. Add to that the fantastic service, the knowledge and love of food shown by those who served us and surroundings and I can honestly say it was one of the best meals out we have had in a long time. You must go. We will certainly be going back again and again. This is just what Belfast needs and it is a delight.

p.s if you are having a glass of wine and you like Sauvignon Blanc get the sugarloaf mountain. It might be the most expensive by the glass but you will not be disappointed, it is a particularly good Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.