The Ninth, Charlotte Street

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After spending five months on the road it has been a joy to rediscover the food scene in London. The Ninth is one of the many new restaurants to arrive in the capital recently. I rarely visit any eatery more than once, but in the last two months I’ve been to The Ninth twice, an obvious sign of my admiration. This sophisticated but discreet venue on Charlotte Street is the first solo venture for Jun Tanaka, a chef whose previous credits include stints at The Square, Brasserie Chavot and Pearl. He has created a menu which celebrates the seasons with imagination and flare, and the dishes served have a French feel while illustrating Tanaka’s eclectic influences.

The Ninth is particularly reasonable at lunch when two plates cost £17, or three are £21. I found the menu exciting and varied with deliciously inventive dishes like Nettle and fregola risotto with grelot onions and yoghurt or the vibrantly fresh and simple Asparagus with truffle butter and crispy egg. One of my favourite dishes was the crispy duck salad with blood orange and pomegranate, the perfect combination of irresistible meat with sweet tangy fruit.

Venture off the set menu to enjoy richer recipes from the a la carte. The dishes change regularly depending on produce. When I visited I enjoyed the silkiest cut of lamb with a Mediterranean mix of wild garlic, tomato confit, courgettes and lemon.

Dessert was my favourite course. The Pain Perdu with vanilla ice cream was utterly delicious, a melt-in-the-mouth sugary delight that was both light but indulgent. Guests can also choose to order the Tarte Tatin to share with rosemary ice cream, a classic French pudding made in a rustic style with an unusual flavour of accompanying ice cream.

This little unsuspecting venue is one of my favourite new eateries to eat at. With an inspiring menu of delicious dishes and prices that won’t make you wince, The Ninth is the perfect place to dine on Charlotte Street.

More information and book a table at The Ninth here.

Lobster Hotpot at Shuang Shuang

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There is a juvenile excitement about picking your lunch of a conveyer belt. It is a formula Yo Sushi has thrived off for many years and now Shuang Shuang has successfully introduced a restaurant with the same concept, offering comforting and flavoursome hotpots to be personalised by the diner.

The eatery has a prime position on Shaftesbury Avenue, but amazingly is filled with local Londoners as well as hungry tourists. We sat at the pristine white counter, ready to sample the Lobster hotpot, a decadent option they have started offering for just £19 for two people. First a steaming fragrant broth was poured into our own boiling pot which can be heat adjusted as required. Before long a beautiful lobster arrived on ice, along with glasses of Crement (a light sparkling French wine), and a few tasters of their snack list. Scallop and Prawn Fritters with Mala Oil were the obvious winner, mouthful sized crispy seafood bites. I also liked the salty and spicy Pig’s Ears with Xinjiang Spice.

The next part was great fun, picking ingredients from the ‘carousel of flavours’ whizzing round in front of us. There is a huge variety of meat, fish, vegetables, tofu and noodles to choose from. I grabbed a selection of tasty looking plates, including pak choi, mixed root vegetables, some lovely thick noodles and slices of chicken breast. Guests must be careful they cook each ingredient for the right amount of time, it is easy to get carried away delving into the pot, forgetting about recent ingredient additions. The lobster was soft and creamy perfectly suited to the vibrant Tom Yum broth with hints of lemongrass and lime.

An assortment of tools are provided to help you cook and eat your food more easily. Despite this we still managed to make quite a mess! After such a dramatic and exciting main course I didn’t need dessert, but the Soy Milk Ice Cream with Candied Ginger was a simple and subtle pudding which cleansed our palates after the flavoursome and spicy hotpot.

Shuang Shuang offers an interactive and tasty way to experience Chinese hotpot. I thought it might be a bit of a tricky concept for kids but the neighbouring family proved me wrong, as I overheard the little girls proclaim, “this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten”. You can’t get a better compliment than that. shu

More information on Shuang Shuang here: www.shuangshuang.co.uk

Orée Boulangerie, Fulham

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There are plenty of bakeries in London claiming to offer authentic Parisian patisseries, fluffy baguettes and flaky croissants, but few deliver. The new Orée Boulangerie in Fulham, however, exceeds all expectations. Last week I joined a group of fellow foodies for a morning of sampling. Pitching to a table of unforgiving French bloggers was not an easy task, but our expressions softened as the buttery soft pastries were delivered to the table each, smelling more delicious than the last.

The Orée bakery and café stands out immediately, a creamy shade of baby blue with golden cursive writing. Inside, the décor is just as delectable with white marble surfaces, sophisticated furniture and lots of natural light. There is plenty of space for guests to sit and relax with their breakfast. Founder Laurent d’Orey brought the concept to England, after setting up bakeries elsewhere in Europe, and hoped to win over Londoners with his irresistible French pastries – he is definitely succeeding.

The boulangerie prides itself on offering a huge range of gluten-free treats in addition to the standard baked items. Highlights from our breakfast included the ‘escargot’ – a swirled pastry filled with pistachio and white chocolate – and the beautiful egg breakfast dishes, which are accompanied with the bakery’s organic sourdough bread. Those brunch-addicts hoping for something more substantial will enjoy the ‘tartines’, essentially an open sandwich topped with delicious ingredients such as avocado, smoked salmon or ratatouille.

A week later and I’m still relishing my bag of Orée almond financiers, each bite is a reminder of the beautiful baked treats at this wonderful new breakfast hang out.

More information about Orée Boulangerie here.