The end of an era
Bad news, everyone: Fitzbillies, home of delicious Chelsea Buns (and delicious Chelsea Bun ice cream) has gone into administration. It would seem that, once again, it’s the economy, stupid, that’s forced Fitzbillies to close after 90 years of serving Cambridge. Sadly, I think the time for independent bakers and cake makers...
Smoked salmon sandwich at the Loose Box
I had occasion to visit the Loose Box the next day after the sirloin steaks. This time I was not as hungry, and settled for a smoked Loch Duart salmon sandwich, done with cream cheese and chive on dark brown bread. The wine, a Stonedale shiraz from Australia, was...
Mackerel in oatmeal
The mackerel fillets cost me £5 for two packs of four, which comes to about 63 pence per fillet. I dried two of them with kitchen paper (and froze the rest). I used the three plate system for preparing them. While olive oil was heating up in my frying...
Medium rare steak
Two of us had the same main course at the Loose Box on Horseferry Road. It was the sirloin steak, cooked medium rare. It actually came medium rare, too, along with a mini-salad that featured nice tangy plum tomatoes and a pot of béarnaise sauce. I still asked for...
Sea bream dream
This unusual looking dish was really interesting. I prepared the fish (Sea Bream) and left to season in a small amount of lemon juice, salt and pepper. In another bowl went olives, cherry tomatoes, capers, lemon and garlic which marinated for an hour. The fish went in the oven...
Oak Bistro in Cambridge
I was invited to the Oak Bistro in Lensfield Road, Cambridge. I think it’s on the site that used to feature a restaurant/wine bar called Lawyers and then Advocate. They do a rather good lunch menu at fixed prices, which was good enough for me. I ordered butternut squash...
Smoked salmon
Ever since Sainsburys changed their ‘taste the difference’ range so that it tasted of sh*t and ruined the best smoked salmon steaks in town to near dreg lowest common denominator I have been sampling all the various smoked salmon steaks available. Last week the Waitrose ones were so good...
Dependable
I never had a bad meal at Bangkok City in Cambridge’s Green Street. We began with prawn crackers, which came with a superbly hot dip. Then for me squid, and for the dining companion a Thai curry. We drank a Duc de Breux sparkling wine and thought it went...
Great dumpling discovery
Determined to try a new place, we alighted on Dumplings Legend in Soho. Wow, it was so cool. Behind a glass wall we saw them making the dumplings for dim sum – nothing to hide. We had some dumplings as a starter, and chose prawn and crabmeat ones. They...
Stone at Steak and Co
The dish to go for at Steak & Co on the edge of Leicester Square is undoubtedly the “steak stone,” which comes as a huge chunk of steak on a hot stone. You slice it up as you like, and cook it as you prefer. My two companions both...