Tag Archives: soho

Polpetto, Soho

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Once I had flights booked and accommodation organised for my trip to Venice, I knew I needed to enlist the help of one man for food and drink suggestions. Russell Norman, is a restauranteur who knows the streets of Venice better than most. His enormously popular eateries in London showcase his knowledge and experience, and the recently reopened Polpetto is my favourite.

The Venetian culinary traditions are different to that of most Italian cities: they eat early, graze frequently on snacks, and have a tendency to avoid pizza and pasta. Norman translates these traditions perfectly in his Soho venues, and the constant queues illustrate his success with the British public.

Polpetto opened in 2010 and originally occupied the first floor of the French House pub on Dean Street. It attracted critical acclaim and gained a massive following. But the venue proved too small and the restaurant’s 24 seats were always oversubscribed. It closed in May 2012.

After a year of searching for the right location, Russell Norman and Richard Beatty have relocated the restaurant to Berwick Street. The venue boasts 60 seats, an aperitivo bar, an open kitchen and a chef’s table. In addition, Florence Knight returns to the London dining scene as executive head chef. Florence continues to show off her meticulous seasonality and creative simplicity.

It is easy to relax and unwind in the comfortable eatery. Small crooked wooden tables and chairs are humbly arranged, with paper menus and stylishly plain cutlery, plates and glasses. It is the simplest dishes that really excel here. The food tastes so fresh you could be eating in the Rialto food market in Venice. I loved the vibrant ruby red tomato salad, the gooey creamy and burrata with agretti (a small and thin succulent green shrub) and chilli, speckled with exemplary olive oil. Everything here is for sharing, a practice some foodies may find difficult particularly when it comes to the addictively good main courses, like hare pappardelle, a bowl of ultimate comfort food. The wine list focusses on young wines of the Veneto, reasonably priced and very drinkable, you can order by the glass or opt for a bottle.

After visiting Venice and partaking in their glorious traditions, I can look at my experience at Polpetto with a new appreciation. Tremendously tasty food and an inspiring concept.

More information here: polpetto.co.uk

THOROUGHLY MODERN MAN, Gelato making class at Snowflake, Soho

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“So it’s ice cream, then”, said a friend of mine, nonplussed, as I told him what my next write-up was. “I don’t know why they insist on calling it gelato, just call it ice cream”. After my latest experience at Snowflake Gelato, I know now why “they” insist on the separation of ice cream and gelato, and why from now on I shall insist on it too.

Snowflake’s proprietor Asad set out to make gelato with one guiding principle: the best of everything. When one’ product consists of milk, sugar, cream, and then one or two all natural ingredients, from strawberries to caramel to rich pistachio or spiky mint, there is nowhere to hide if they aren’t absolutely top notch quality. You won’t find any fluorescent green mint chocolate chip in Snowflake, because the mint flavour is made from freshly blitzed mint leaves; if you order the strawberry or blood orange (and I advise you to do so), strawberry and blood orange is exactly what you’re getting, and nothing else. All of this wonderful produce is lovingly crafted by energetic head chef Paolo, to deliver the stunning spectrum of flavours available from the tortuously inviting glass display case in Snowflake’s Soho store.

There is some science that goes into the taste sensation that blows “ice cream” clean out of the water. Less air in the mixture gives a much denser flavour on the palate, and the process of blast chilling the freshly made gelati and sorbetti stops the ice crystals from forming too large, preserving the impossibly silky smooth texture. There’s even less fat compared to normal ice cream, which compensates with extra cream to achieve that desired smoothness. So – and I think this is the first time I’ve ever said this, as those who know my diet will attest – the tastier option really is the healthier option. That extra scoop wasn’t that bad after all, then.

As a privileged member of the press, I was even allowed into the inner sanctum to try my hand at making my own sorbetto and gelato. Under the watchful eye of Paolo and Asad, we sliced and diced and blended and churned, and in a matter of two hours we had four flavours done, dusted, and thoroughly sampled. But fear not, you too can see behind the curtain, and chance your arm in Snowflake’s laboratory. For groups of up to ten, Paolo will whisk you around the world in a chilled culinary adventure, with the added bonus of eating what you produce. The opportunity to see the passion that goes into making truly great gelato is to be missed, so get in before the summer rush truly takes off in earnest. For you West London purists not keen on venturing into the maelstrom of summertime Soho, fear not, your friendly neighbourhood gelateria’s original location is situated in lovely Westbourne Grove, so there are no excuses for not getting yourself down to dig in to the frozen treats that await.

More information on Snowflake here.

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, James Bomford.

Koya, Soho

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I didn’t even see the restaurant sign, the queue alone told me I was in the right place. Koya is another of Soho’s uber-popular foodie destinations. The little eatery lives on Frith Street, opposite Ceviche (Peruvian delights), and a few metres from Barrafina (tapas heaven). So if you can’t be bothered with the queue there are other options nearby, though the likelihood is… they’ll be just as busy. When a friend and I turned up on a Wednesday night, the waiting didn’t take too long, and luckily we had some soap opera style entertainment from the couple behind us in the queue.

Koya opened in 2010, offering a casual and hip Japanese eating experience to Londoners. Noodles are homemade, kneaded by foot in the traditional Japanese fashion and served up hot or cold in an array of broths with a selection of toppings. The menu is pretty easy to grasp though we still struggled to choose. Udon noodles are served three ways: Atsu-Atsu (hot udon in hot broth), Hiya-Atsu (cold udon with hot broth) or Hiya-Hiya (cold noodles with cold dipping sauce).

We were both won over by the Kamo duck Atsu-Atsu, which arrived steaming minutes later… service here is speedy and efficient. The big hot bowls of goodness can be tricky to eat, splashing about as you slurp the noodles, but there is no doubt about it, this food makes for a very hearty and satisfying meal. The aromatic soup is soothing and delicious, thickened with chunky udon noodles, thin spring onions and meat – I loved the bite sized meatballs but found the slices of duck breast slightly too fatty. Looking back at the menu now I’m spotting lots of other tempting treats, Vegetable tempura and Donburi rice with beef and miso sounds wonderful too. To drink choose from traditional sake, shochu, Japanese beer or opt for a reasonably priced carafe of white wine, like we did.

Koya’s popularity shows no sign of slowing down, these simple authentic Japanese dishes continue to delight the hungry souls of Soho. I left feeling well fed, healthy but satisfied… all that for just £20.

More information here: www.koya.co.uk