Monday 29 May 2017

Bun House






Bun House isn't your usual restaurant. In fact I wouldn't really call it a restaurant but more of a pit stop, takeaway type tea room. There's a few chairs and tables around on the main floor with a quick service counter, stacked high with huge Chinese steamer baskets. But if you want to sip tea all day with a more laid back ambience, downstairs will offer that alternative.
Don't compare Bun House to Bao as it's totally different. For a start these buns aren't the open kind - Bun House produce the Cantonese style. Yes they have the same fluffy texture but these bad boys are closed - all steamed to order and made fresh in house.







Only popping in for a quick bite to eat to fill the hole we ordered a few buns with a bunch of sides with a variety of fillings to choose ranging from meat, fish, veg and a few sweet buns thrown in as well ( I hear the pigs blood is a must try).
The chicken bun strangely works with smooth pate coating bits of thigh marinated in miso whereas the veg bun is filled with earthy flavours from the wild mushrooms and water chestnuts.


 


However it's not just all about the buns, I highly recommend the house fries too. No, it's not the potato kind - deep fried duck tongues, crispy and moreish, they're a revelation and it all comes with crunchy, gelatinous cartilage and bone, just how I like it.
It's also worth noting that the pickled shallots and lightly salted lotus root crisps are just as good, that's if you're not into eating tongues but again trust me, they're absolutely worth ordering.
Don't expect a full on meal at Bun House. It's so cheap and it's ideal for those in a hurry as well as for theatre goers and the bonus is that its open until late. I'm going back to try the red choc bun made out of pigs blood.


Tuesday 16 May 2017

Sparrow

 
 
 
 
 


If someone said to me a few years ago Lewisham would be the place to go for food, my response would have been "really"?. But that's all changed now because Lewisham is going through a massive renaissance and redevelopment. Not only has the area got its very own Street Feast (Model Market) with the likes of Mama's Jerk and Mother Clucker keeping people happy but there's now a restaurant, Sparrow, that beckons to be the word on the streets of South East London.
 
Don't be fooled by the shabby exterior of this place - they've only just moved in. Sparrow means business and with their people coming from various respectable restaurant backgrounds - St John's, The Square, Pollen St. Social to name but a few, you can expect this joint to only get better and go places. It's casual, sleek and the vibe is cool as with an open kitchen producing the goods.
 
As for the menu, Sparrow aims to bring the best out of local and seasonal ingredients as well as to not be pigeon-holed into a particular cuisine. Moreover it's all about the sharing of plates and getting stuck in.



 
 
 
 


We went for five dishes starting immediately with the bruschettas-a duo of mushroom duxelle and courgette- perhaps a tad small but taking nothing away from it, it's delicious. We even ordered them twice.
Meat wise try the pork and anchovy relish coated in umami finished with crispy shallots. Not only is it rich and has bags of flavour, mix it with the oozing yolk from the soft boiled egg .
The grilled lamb leg is a winner. Tender pieces of sliced meat, beans underneath soaking up all of the meaty juices and parlsey leaves dressed with capers and lemon- it's a wise choice for the spring and summer months.
Unfortunatley there's not a lot of choice for vegetarians but the creamy green risotto laced with a ton of herb oil, accompanied with a soft mild goats cheese and finished with toasted hazelnuts will please the masses.
If that wasn't enough an order of the crab came along and with no regrets, was demolshed in no time. Spread it thickly on the sourdough with the parsley butter, it's yummy stuff.


With Lewisham becoming more gentrified, Sparrow will undoubtedly become a success story and it's places like this that will hopefully inspire resturanteurs and budding foodies alike in the area to follow in its footsteps. For now lets hope Lewisham holds onto this little gem.
 


Bruschettas Of Mushroom and Courgette Trifolati

Soft Boiled Eggs, Pork and Anchovy Relish, Crispy Shallots

Grilled Lamb Leg, Lemon and Parsley Salad

Green Risotto, Hazelnut Crumb, Goats Cheese

White Crab, Parsley Butter, Sourdough Toast