12 course Meal at BO restaurant

I have heard about another up market Chinese restaurant  BO, in London, Mayfair,  originated in Hong Kong by Alvin Leung and got 2 Micheline stars there. Tasting menu is a modern trend in London these days, now a few Japanese and Chinese restaurants are following this trend.

Now Hkk and Bo is taking to Chinese meal experience to the different level.
I was a guest of Harpers & Bazar review by my daughter, Catherine.
It is conveniently situated in heart of west end, Mayfair for us, the interior is smart and very simple, nice grey , not too big, quite cosy feel to it. we were ushered to the chef's table, in front of chefs who are artfully assembling  the dish. It was fun to watch, it would have been more fun to watch cooking but it was very interesting to see how assembling the dishes like an art.

We were offered Boju drinks made with weed and served in special cup, a replica of a royal court drink cup, fun to drink from this cup but drink itself was very strong for me.

1st course was White garden, served in a little wooden box, small grain measuring box in olden days in china and Korea. it was lime, avocado moose topped freeze dried morel( looks like soil) and dehydrated Enoki, ginger powder, it was very smooth moose with grainy morel was just look like garden without grass ( as oriental garden)

2nd, Bed and Breakfast, it was one of my favourite dish , bacon wrapped jasmine smoked quail egg, taro crust topped with caviar and gold leaf. how decadent !  caviar with egg who wouldn't like this?
3rd : Cloud

4th was Steak and Kidney, it was Chinese style of Steak & kidney pudding, absolutely delicious, I would loved to have had  2 rather one. it was a clever dish, flavour of English Steak& Kidney and soft beef was in the tiny dim-sum, like a Shanghai Bun, when you bite clear meat juice is coming out , flavour was just like Steak & Kidney pudding at home. ( actually I make a mean S&K pudding at home with oxtail meat Hah!!!!)

Boju drink cup

White garden

Bed & Breakfast

 

5th, three tomatoes, they are delightful to look, tastes even better. My favourite was  green tomato in the middle of  marshmallow,  How cool is it! colour contrast was clever but taste was fresh with hint of fresh tomato and soft marshmallow was melting in my mouth , If I can make this dish at home it would be a dreamy tasting starter!

3 Tomatoes

 

6th; English Mustard.

7th: Hawthorn

8th: Toad in the hole.  I love this play on very English children's favourites with Chinese twist but frog sausage !! how funny, are they make a fun with English or French, I wonder.

Steak & kidney Dim-Sum

 

9th: pigeon.

10th : Beans on Toast.

11th; Coconut. I loved this, Palm sugar crème brulee was so delicious, I loved that they made so shallow brulee.

Because I liked the size ( very small) ,I can finish, crunch top was so good, sour cherry comport was reminding me my childhood. I love sour cherry.

 

12th: Petite Dim Sum. Served 3 tiny dim sum in the bamboo steaming basket and chocolates on a bird cage, it is very Chinese ! Bird in bird cage are associates in Chinese culture for a long time, literature and specially in Poem!, what a nice thought.

However the sweets are too sweet for me, hope they do use a lot bitter chocolate in the fried sticky rice flour ball. I love in Chinese style but this is too sweet !!

 

Extra dessert: Sex and beach. this was not in the menu but suddenly arrived with a big beam from the sommelier, I knew this infamous dish. I was talking about  this with him, how this dish got a shock value, he might have mentioned to the head chef, Condom with sand and breast with breast cancer appeal red ribbon !!  How cheeky !!

 The story and humour are acceptable but everything on that plate were so so!! sweet, I LIKE TO SHOUT.  Please easy on Sugar CHEF!!

Sex & Beach

The wine were superbly selected with every dish, finally sommelier brought Ice wine from China, it was so delicate and delicious, I had no idea China makes Ice wine (?) let alone even just wine? you really learn something everyday.

B O London : 4 Mill street, Mayfair.

Petite dim sum

 



Meeting Ferran Adria, the most creative Chef in the world ever.

Ferran Adria at the press conference.

 

How often you meet your hero in your life time? I met 2 of them at once, how cool is that !!

4th of July 2013 is the day to remember in my life !

 

I was looking forward to seeing  elBulli ; Ferran Adria and the art of Food exhibition at the Somerset House as soon as I read in the paper.

For a few years I tried to book his restaurant elBulli but failed miserably, now he closed restaurant and open Culinary School . I would love to have had an experience tasting his wonder foods. 

  

I was invited by Catalan Culture institute to the preview on 4th, July. how nice!!

Left house to catch 7:30 train with excitement and expectation. 

Finally after coffee we were ushered to the Embankment Gallery, covered with Ferran Adria's photos .

Ferran arrived , looked much slimmer than  photo , before the speech I had a chance to talk to him as I was standing in front of the line. well I just said, I am a Korean food writer ( Being not a famous person, this was the only option ), his reply was oh! Korea (Corea) has good Foods ( I was shocked by this) and I am asking do you know Kimchi? he said ,I love it!  ( he can not speak English well)

I was so  delighted to hear that and shocked at same time by his quick reply as soon as I said the word, Kimchi! which means he really love it.

 I knew he loves Japanese food and he seemed implement Japanese foods( ingredients) in his recipes a lot .

I wonder how he will do with kimchi if he use in his restaurant ? It would have been very interesting to know.

Kimchi is truly recognised by the most creative chef in the world ever , how good is it?

 

elBulli had trained 1800 chefs from all over the world during he was in charge, he famously told the stuff, get rid of cook book and not copying the recipes just invent new recipes in his restaurant. 

When I read his book,  A day at elBulli, I could not believe what I was reading, just like a magic !

looking at all the photos, and creation , I could not take in , my brain is so over worked by this.

 

I found a Dessert box in the middle of exhibition , like a oriental jewellery box, , one dessert called  white chocolate air, it just looked like my favourite Korean rice sweet called yewgua(유과), it is made with sticky rice flour, hollow in the middle, light as air. how funny!

 I did wonder how his idea  of the Chocolate air come from?

Black sesame rock looks so realistic just like a small rock . It is true,  they are the Art of  Food.

White Chocolate air (top left)

Dessert Box

 with Artist, made elBulli model ( below) with egg white



elBulli, made with egg white

 

The exhibition contains all kind of information include name of chefs , who had been trained at elBulli, how create the dish, all kind of gadget used in the kitchen. video are showing step by step how can make a dish. But I could not take in , thinking I have to visit again , at least twice.

One thing is clear to me, since elBulli's creation  , world food by any chefs has changed , there are before Adria and after Adria in western restaurant food.

Adria and elBulli has made a history of how create modern cuisine .
 Looking at his exhibition, his foods are truly  the art with science, and theatre !!
Shame! I didn't have a chance to taste his food.
 

Photos of elBulli's dishes

Albert Adria ( Ferran's brother)

 

I just had a chance to talk Albert ( Ferran's brother) who create elBulli dishes with his brother, I knew he is still running his own restaurants in Barcelona. But I have not had a chance to visit yet. We were talking about kimchi again, he told me, he serve with octopus & kimch in his restaurant!! ( how wonderful and I was so proud)

 

Kimchi is  the dish at the moment for the chefs in London, as fermented foods seemed all chefs favourite subject, Kimchi fit in so well in this movement, as strong but kind of delicate flavour is became the dish for the London culinary world at the moment, some chefs are serving kimchi hollandaise with skirt beef steak.

 

I thought I have to taste Albert Adria's Kimch& Octopus soon.

Hope he makes good rightly fermented kimchi .

 

Talking about Kimchi, I am looking forward to have work shop with young chefs in London soon, I will do demonstrate kimchi making, taste and introducing  my home made seasonal kimchi, mooli,  stuffed cucumber, watery (non spicy ones)kimchi to the young chefs and kimchi lovers as well.

 

 4th of July is the day I met my food hero! truly the day to remember in my life.

 

Looking forward to revisit this exhibition and soak in this wonder creation and his ( and team) thought behind.

 

 







 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 





 

Butchery Class at Ginger Pig on 26th of May

 

I have been thinking about applying the Butchery course at the Ginger pig, London  for a long time but the cost, £150 seems very expensive.
Well, last Christmas my son, John gave me a gift voucher in Ginger Pig as a Christmas present, how nice!!
 

 Ginger Pig's Meat storage room

 

 

I choose beef butchery class ( they are offering, beef, pork, lamb, sausage making), it was warm sunny Sunday, when I arrived in Marylebone  Moxon street, Ginger pig butcher shop.

 I can see huge butcher's block and  a lots of pale brown butcher's coat.

 

Finally all of our class members were arrived ( 16 of us) only 3 ladies , it shows how modern men in UK are interesting in food. 

 

The teacher Mr B telling us how meats are cured, dry cure and wet cure ( like in supermarket), and shows us a beautiful a piece of 40 day dry cured fillet steak ( thickest part), we will be tasting this beautiful steak in a short time.

 

As I looked around Meat storage room, they are mostly beef ( expensive cuts, on the shelf , Prime rib) and half of pig were hanging or stored in shelves. they look seriously good, dry, well marvelled  beef cuts are ready for cook . Mostly expensive joint .

 

We all have to wear light brown butcher's coat, and all stood around this magnificent butcher's block, of course after washing our hands, health and safety first!!

Mr B brought half of cow's loin on the table, he showed us names of prime cuts and where to belong. I know all the names of cuts and where to place on cow.

 

Fore rib ( Rib-eye steaks part). Wing rib ( Sir loin steak), End rib ( T bone steak) , he cut Fore Rib part with a sharp knife and a big meat saw cut through the bone and French trimmed the bone part, looks so easy,  I volunteered to do last one, it was amazingly easy to cut  up to the bone, took a scary

looking saw to cut through the bone. It was not a easy job, try to make smooth side of bone , needs strong arm muscle, finally I 've done, Mr B seemed impressed by my effort!!

 

Mean time we tasted grilled fillet steak which we saw, it was tender but still milder than expected, for  40 days cured meat, has nutty flavour  so delicious.

Finally we got to learn, French trim of the bone ( cutting all the meats on the bone and expose clean two bones, as often see at the butcher's) butcher's knot, looks simple but difficult to master, it is a very useful skill to have in the kitchen, hope I remember.

 

with Mr B

 

 We were given two boned Fore Rib joint to do French trim and butcher's knot to take home. French trim was easy for me, but butcher's knot was not easy. eventually Mr B helped me.

 

My Fore Rib joint ( French trimmed and butcher's knot by me at the class)

 

 About 6:00 PM, the other butcher brought  a huge  roast of beef( prime rib) to taste. it was perfectly medium rare pink. Served with green salad, and potatoes . Meats was melt in my mouth, wonderfully tender as  I expected .

 I really enjoyed this butchery class and I am looking forward to roasting my 2 boned fore rib joint at home, even I was given 3 sheets of bones from trimmings, which are so good for the my beef  stock.

 

Roast fore rib of beef at the Ginger Pig





 





I am glad that I have done this butchery class but I do wish they showed us more cheaper cuts as well, such as short rib, my favourite slow cooking cut, oxtail, cheek , shin beef so on.

Well, expensive cust need only timing has to be right , not to cook too much but cheaper one needs not only time to cook slowly but also knowledge and cooking skill .

 Having said that, I might do pork butchery course sometime next year .

 

I roasted my fore rib on 27th, and it was perfect, we had grilled asparagus, roast potatoes ( roasted in goose fat) , gravy was one of best I 've made.  We had 2 meals of cold beef and salad after this.

Even I managed to make spicy beef & leek soup with rib bones and top cap meat ( top of joint meat).

 

Our roast of fore rib at home ( Ginger pig, beef)

 

Roast potatoes& grilled asparagus

 Yukgaejang  (spicy beef & leek Korean soup)

 

 

 

 

 

                                                             

 

    





Our Family Fish & Chips On Fridays

Fish ( cod loin) & chips, onion ring and minty mushy peas.

With Rumbusco fizzy Red

 

 

Our family's Friday dinner is usually Fish & Chips,  this a kind of tradition has been going for nearly 20 years since we settled in here in England from Athens.

If cod loin is fresh I prefer cod but haddock is good too.

 

Most important ingredients are fresh meaty fish and batter , of course a good oil.

 

Frying thick loin of fish is not an easy task, when  it has done well, crispy thin batter skin, white

steamy fish is moist because protected by the batter, it is so delicious.

A very simple dish but hard to get it right, need a few practise as any simple food it has to be right.

Fresh ingredients and a good cooking skill are the most important!

 

My method;

A good loin of cod or haddock

Cut the size as you wish, if you have a sophisticated electric  frying machine you might be able to control oil temperature better but I seldom use electric machine, because too much work for cleaning, as we eat fried food only once a week.

 

My advice is make your own the frying pan, buy not too expensive pan, deep and wide enough for the frying fish and use this only for the frying fish or any frying.

As I found much easy to clean after I fry the fish, I drain oil through the sieve and stored in the glass jar, use again,  2-3 times and get rid of it .

If you like fry vegetables after frying fish, just fry a few raw onion ( thinly sliced) , it will take away smell of fish.

 

Batter; I use plain flour mix with a pinch of salt, pepper, a pinch of Korean chilli flakes, 1tsp of turmeric powder,

Add beer ( I prefer larger beer) and lid on , keep in the fridge until you need.

Batter should not be runny, like thick pancake mixture. Do not stir too much, a few times with fork, or chop sticks.

 

When oil is hot, take out batter and put smaller bowl with 3-4 ice cube and  rest batter bowl to keep cold.

Slit fish a few times to cook easily and coat in the batter, fry in the high temperature 1 minute and reduce heat slightly  and fry  for 2-3 minutes depends on size and thickness of fish.

Shake fried fish and put on a rack for a short time, and fry onion ring.

 

Serve with potato chips and mashed peas.

 

Italian sparkling Red ( Rumbusco) and Romagna region White ( Dry)

 

 

It was perfect with Italian dry white, Compadora ( Romagna region) and even Rumbusco sparkling red was a good match.

 

Unless weather is very hot, our ritual Fish & Chips dinner on Fridays stays on.

Cutting thin crispy batter and seeing meaty white fish, pour vinegar or soy and vinegar sauce ( for me) is a mouth watering sight.

 



 

  



London Wine Fair 2013. May 22nd

Italian Emilia Romagna stall

Italian wine stall

 

Since I 've been to Italian Wine fair in Verona, I have started have a small wine bug , try to match Korean food ( mainly) for my book and my Korean cookery class.

London Wine fair seemed fit this bill, as a food writer they allow me have a pass, how nice!!

 

I am not going to visit well known wine stall, French, South America , Australia or Spain , I am looking for something new to me, revisiting Italian stall was a good idea, Romagna region had a dry white was so fresh, I had an excellent guide, Chiara, she did give me a good education for a half an hour.  I was very pleasantly surprised to find so many sparkling red and white in Italy in Verona, Rumbusco  is well known for this, sparkling Red is a new discovery for me but it is refreshing , I would like to try at my BBQ lunch with my Korean Cookery.

 

Conde Wine ( Italy)

 

Conde Italian was my new discovery, quality wine, mainly served in restaurants in U K I was told, shame! not in the wine shops, I liked a lot. Deep flavoured Red, it would be so nice with beef or best end of spring lamb

.

Alexakis White from Crete, Greece

 

Oenologist, Lazaros Alexakis

 

I found Crete, Alexakis wine stall , stopped to taste,  we used to live in Greece, Ekali ( near Athens) from 1984-1989, those days,  Greece was not known for the fine wines . I liked to find out how much improved these days. It was surprisingly good very drinkable indeed.

 

Dry white wine, Vidiano from Alexakis is light, dry, and soothing, If I drink this wine I'd know The Summer has arrived. 

I was told it won't be so expensive when this wine is available ( a good news ! under £10) in U K soon.

This wine is perfect for the Summer dinner in the garden with grilled fish, chicken or bulgogi and salad ( even with kimchi) .

 

I had a chance meet owner, Lazaros and talked about Greece and he pour me their sweet wine. Well! it was almost as good as Traminer which I fell in love in Verona. hint of lemon , not too sweet,  since Verona, I became a sweet wine lover, almost.

 

 He said, pieces of Granny Smith apple soaked in this sweet wine and eat after the meal will be nice to end a meal if you do not like to eat cake as a dessert.

This idea sounds like music to my ears,  I have to try as soon as I can get hold of Alexakis sweet wine in U k,  it would be perfect to end a Korean Meal.  

 As  Korean meal set has not dessert concept , just serve seasonal fruits. How cool it would be serving this wine soaked apple !!!!!!!

 

I passed through French ,Spain, South America , well famous country, and saw Russian Stall, do they have wine in Russia (?), surely too cold for it, I stopped , they grew in southern part of Russia, tastes OK not too memorable,

 As I leaving a men and women( from Slovenia wine blogger) and I talked about food, and they suddenly adopted me as a long lost old aunt, they seemed very interested  in Korean food and keen to show me 40 years old port to taste.

 

Like their elderly aunt, I slowly followed Portugal Port section, pack with port lovers it seemed.

The nice guy showed us, 10years old, 20 years old and finally , brought a tiny bottle of 40 years old.

 Wow !  It was amazingly smooth, even non port drinker will fall in love with this gold liquor instantly. It will be perfect to serve after a very good meal if you can afford!

 

40 years old Port

 

So smooth , melt in my mouth . I dare not to think about the price !! (£250)  

   



 

 



Korean Cookery in June.

Well, all my readers in UK are looking forward to have warm and reasonably hot Summer, I have decided my June Korean cookery will be Korean BBQ ( beef & chicken) with kind of a western twist . Like adding kimchi hollandaise sauce with beef steak but not expensive cut, such as Sir Loin or Fillet , it will be Skirt beef  or Hanger's Steak meat with chilli butter.
Also asparagus, quick boiled and grilled with poached egg and hollandaise, like expensive restaurant!!
 

I  have discovered skirt beef steak meat and hanger's steak  a while ( 5 years) ago by reading an article by famous butcher and now  widely available.
 As economy is not good, a few restaurants are serving along with hanger's steak. Skirt beef has fantastic flavour than others, rich and kind of sweet meat but cheap.
Hanger's steak has deep flavour, this is well known as the butcher's cut.

Skirt beef is traditionally put in the Cornish pie, but both these steaks are serve  as medium rare or rare , if you cook longer it will be chewy and stringy.

Our family love these beef steak , of course we all still love prime cut such as prime rib of beef. ( not eat often, 3 time a year ?)

I strongly recommend these two cuts of beef steak, they are not only economic but very delicious!!!

 

 

Skirt beef steak

 

 

As for chicken, alternative Sunday roast , marinated with spicy sauce, and roast in the oven , or chicken thigh marinated and half baked in the oven and BBQ on the fire.

 

Spicy Korean chicken roast

Oven baked Salmon with pesto, bean paste and chilli

 

 

 

Dates in June Korean cookery:

8th . 15th and 29th of June.

 

Email: kiejosarsfield@hotmail.co.uk

 

15th of June class menu: English asparagus with poached quail egg and kimchi hollandaise sauce

                                         BBQed skirt beef steak with chilli butter

                                          Mooli kimchi/ kakdugi



Korean Food Event at Robinson College of Cambrige University

Chef, Sam and Stuart are cooking vegetables for the Korean food event

Chef, Stuart and me, preparing Bulgogi

 

In  March I had e-mail from Dr Michael Shin, a Korea Study lecturer at the Robinson College of  Cambridge university about Korean Food Event , he is planning  to organise  in a couple of month.

He was asking me whether I am interested in teaching college chef and cooking with them for 60 invited guests at Korean Food Event.

 

Well, well, I was delighted and very surprised same time, how did he find out my name? as I do not have a web site and not advertising in any form. Does he read my blog?

Any way one thing I have to tell him first. I e mailed him that I am not a qualified chef , I am teaching Korean home cooking not restaurant food, did he know about this?

He said still like to work with me even he did not taste my food or even met me.

I decided to have a go with a brave smile and a kind of encouragement by his a huge risk taking decision.

 I and head chef, college catering team met on 11th of April , and discussed on Menu. Dr Shin and I had prior talk through e mail and I made menu based on this discussion. we agreed to put 2 iconic Korean food, Bulgogi and Kimchi ( I offered that I will bring my own home made kimchi as a my contribution)

 

1st of May is the day!!

 

Head chef, Gary has been looking into the recipes of bulgogi on Internet but he said he could not understand some aspect of recipes, luckily I had prepared my own recipes, and we made a decision 3 cooked dishes and 2 salad, my own home made baechu  kimchi. 

 

 Of course I have to consider for the vegetarian menu as well.

 

College kitchen is huge, around 20 kitchen staffs are working , I had given a corner to work on, and a dedicated chef , Stewart with me all the time. He will learn from me and add  Korean dishes in their menu for the students and conference meal. 

The plan was I arrive 11:00 Am at the kitchen and cook with chef Stewart as a trial and taste with Dr Shin and prepare for the evening meal.

 

 

Korean Food Event 1st May 2013, Menu:

 

1. Bulgogi  with lettuce and ssamjang  /  slow cooked tofu and bean paste stew ( vegetarian) 

2. Spicy Squid with vegetables / Various vegetables, fried tofu with spicy sauce

3.Seafood pancake with dipping sauce/ spring onion and shitake mushroom pancake.

 

Salad: 1, My own home made kimchi. 2. Cucumber salad ( Korean style)

3. Red cabbage, pear, apple, mooli carrot salad ( lemon, sesame oil dressing) 4. Namul

Steamed Korean rice .

Dessert; fruits salad, cinnamon punch and sikhye( rice punch)

 

By 12:00 noon, we made all trial dish and Dr Shin seemed satisfied at the tasting , it was not easy to marinade 14kg of beef, I had to spread beef on a huge roasting tin and  pour over marinating sauce, I truly lost sense of quantity. I just hoped for the best. Chefs were shouting all the time to me, is it OK chef??? what to do next chef? Shall I add this and that chef?

I had to get use to this, call me CHEF! and answer quickly. Now I understand why they shout chef , chef! in the professional kitchen.   Really, I felt I am commanding a ship.

 

I must say that all college staffs and chefs were so welcoming me in their kitchen and all very appreciative  and willing to help. Chefs were so eager to learn new recipes.  It was such a joy work with them.  Most of all they loved the flavour of Korean food.

 

 Spicy squid with vegetables

Tofu Stew

Korean food buffet

 

Finally all hungry students and with professors arrived, I had to give 3 minutes speech about food I and chefs made, it was a scary moment.

 

All day I carried with my nervous energy and excitement , but could not eat or drink.

 

Korean professors and students loved my kimchi and bulgogi specially, I made new kimchi and slightly fermented one, which is my favourite. when a good kimchi is fermented you have sparkling taste ( like fizzy drink)to it.

True Korean fashion, I made a few box of food ( kimchi, and bulgogi( uncooked) to take home for the professor and students. 



It was a successful event, I was hugely relived I have done this and so satisfying to hear all chefs are impressed by Korean flavour and how different than other.  Most of all they loved the food!! 

 

I suppose to spend night at the college but came home, took late train to London and home for unwind, put feet up with a long drink in hand.

 

Dr Shin and I talked about Globalisation of Korean food, which Korean government's movement , but they seemed promoting so called Lee dynasty Royal court recipes, we agreed,  this is a wrong decision, first of all nobody make this kind of showy food at home or at restaurant, so how ordinary foreign country people would appreciate this old fashioned stuffy food in this modern fast moving world?  We failed comprehend the decision, Who knows???????

 

Dr Shin thinks for the effective Korean Globalisation movement, it has to start at the university, I totally agree with this, because the students are the our future.

 

Thinking back I could have done better,  I now know how could be able to do better next time ( if there is next time) .  I was very emotional , but learnt a lot , certainly it was one of the greatest experience I ever had in my cooking career. (if I can call it as career, than hobby)

 

I do feel so proud that knowing, Dr Shin & I made a small history , the very first time I made Korean food ( my own recipe! nothing can be better than this) at Cambridge and they will put in the menu, feel so good !!

 

 I came truly a long way from Masan ( my home town, south east Korea) to

Cambridge !!