I have totally got the Pop Up Restaurant bug and my latest foray was to Chef Chris Bailey’s Pop up at Lucky Beach down in the Arches on the Brighton seafront. His website promises:

“an obsession with great produce and seasonality. Food with interest, humour, texture, clarity but firstly flavour.”

The menu that follows packed a lot of punch on all accounts:

Chef Chris Bailey Menu 15.8.13

On arrival we were presented with Iced tomato gazpacho essence seasoned with vodka and sherry. This was delightfully fresh and tasted of the Mediterranean, and kept us happy while we perused the wine list.

This was shortly followed by a smorgasbord of a delectable treats to be shared with / fought over by our fellow diners:

Tasting highlights included the pork candy floss topping the whipped cod sitting on potato skins. The chicken wings were perfectly served on individual spoons with an unusual charcoal mayonnaise which also lent itself to the pickled cockles presented in a suitably retro dish.

The sour dough bread and freshly churned butter presented on a black pebble (thoroughly embracing the seaside theme) was a nice touch too:

The courgette flower that came next epitomised the taste of summer with a deliciously lemony goats curd filling:

The smoked mackerel brought some drama to the proceedings with the smoker placed right next to the tables, and provided a deliciously subtle smoky flavour to this twist on the more traditional battered fish and chips. The plum ketchup was a highlight and cut through the oiliness of the fish and the ‘batter bits’ perfectly:

The boudin blanc (aka white sausage) with trout caviar (a new experience for me) was accompanied by a deliciously umami, cognac sauce. The seaweed added further savoury notes.

My personal favourite then followed with a dramatic lobster claw served on purple potatoes and with a very fresh lettuce gazpacho. Wild pea flowers added further flavours and textures, as well as a feast for the eyes:

We were then onto the puddings, which started with a small but perfectly formed flourish of a single cherry stuffed with chocolate. This was a huge hit with the girls, and appropriate enthusiasm resulted in some left overs surreptitiously being left on the table! The meadow sweet air provided a wonderfully floral accompaniment.

Further drama ensued with the appearance of a pair of scissors being laid on each table inviting intrigue, followed by straws filled with sherbet powder. The duck egg custard with Pimms jelly then appeared, piled high with lots of goodies and was topped off with elderflower and gin foam at the table:

The invitation was to experiment with either sprinkling the sherbet over the pud or just to down it as a oner as per school days.

The final flourish before the evening’s entertainment ended (we were eating until 11.30pm) was a tray of freshly cooked doughnuts with a dipping sauce of lemon curd:

The evening was a total pleasure and given all the courses, at £50 per head it felt like good value, especially combined with a seaside location and the sound of the sea as a background drop (later drowned out by A-Level result celebrations – but this is Brighton!). Nice touches included Chris personally greeting people as they arrived and also being available to talk about the food over the course of the night. Here is definitely a man who is passionate about food…

Details of future Pop Up events at Lucky Beach can be found here: http://luckybeach.co.uk/events.html.

On Tuesday night (the night of the week which typically feels quieter than other nights for some reason) I treated my dad and step mum to a slap up Paleo-inspired meal at the Pure Taste Pop Up restaurant near Haywards Heath in Sussex. It was hosted at Jeremy’s, a notable restaurant in its own right, set in gorgeous grounds (not adequately captured in my photos):

Jeremy’s Restaurant near Haywards Heath

The Pure Taste pop up restaurant website describes the experience as:

“a monthly pop-up restaurant in Sussex that specialises in gourmet gluten-free and paleo-friendly food (that’s dishes that are free from gluten, dairy, grains, legumes and refined sugar!).

Serving up a smorgasbord of devilishly delicious dishes, Pure Taste’s food is designed to make you feel as good as it tastes, creating a unique dining experience that can be enjoyed by everyone”

I had been told about the pop up at a raw food workshop and had found the website and been in touch with Holly to book a table. The menu was sent 3 weeks in advance and we emailed over our choices with a £10 deposit per head. Here are the delectable treats that we had to choose from. It is notable that everything was gluten-free, with many options also diary free:

3 weeks later, having forgotten what we had all ordered previously, we got off to a great start on arriving, being meet by a very friendly and professional waiter, and were given the option to sit outside in the stunning garden.

To settle rumbling tums, we were offered a choice of focaccia or paleo-herb breadsticks when the wine arrived. My expectations were low with regards the breadsticks but I was very pleasantly surprised as they were soft and packed full of flavour. This was followed by a surprise canapé of chicory filled with roasted peppers, walnuts and smokey chorizo.

For their starters my companions had opted for the salmon nori rolls, commenting on how they would never have noticed that the ‘rice’ was actually cauliflower. I had chosen the almond and garlic soup, given that it was pretty much raw. With a nasturtium flower in the centre surrounded by grape halves and dotted with oil, it truly was a work of art. It also tasted good – rich, creamy and satisfying, although perhaps not to everyone’s taste if you aren’t a fan of cold soups (fortunately I am!).

Starters

For mains, my step mum had gone for the pork medallions with honey and mustard sauce, which she pronounced delicious. My dad and I had opted for the sardines stuffed with preserved lemon and basil. These had a very Mediterranean feel and were tasty and filling. The cherry tomatoes were perfect and my only comment would have been that I would have liked more greens (but perhaps I would say that given my largely plant based disposition).

Mains

Desserts then followed, having ordered one of each. The blackcurrant sorbet that accompanied the cheesecake was a notable hit and we left with the recipe (which Holly kindly shared with us at the end of the evening). Again, the presentation was flamboyant and summery, perfect for the setting and time of year. I choose the chocolate and avocado mousse and throughly enjoyed its creamy texture and floral garnishes.

Puddings

This was followed by a choice of tea or coffee (including a range of milks if required, and herbal teas well represented) and a pretty plate of petit fours.

Petit Fours

This was a beautiful evening, that far exceeded my expectations and I would thoroughly recommend Pure Taste to anyone who is drawn to something a little unusual or who has specific allergies but still wants an interesting menu. Book well ahead of time though, it is rightfully getting very popular…

It is surprising that there aren’t any raw food restaurants in Brighton at the moment (after the sad departure of Aloka). So when Foodilic opened up a new branch at 163 Western Road in Brighton a few weeks ago I was excited to see that they had a range of raw food on offer. The window into the restaurant gives a nice taster of what to expect inside with a beautiful range of cakes by the door.

Foodilic @ 163 Western Road, Brighton, BN1 2BB

The great thing is that the menu meets the needs of everyone from carnivores to rawtarians and everyone in between, meaning that groups of friends can meet without anyone having to compromise. The menu today had a good range of raw salads and other (cooked) delectable treats including beef casserole and coq au vin for those who are into that kind of thing:

Foodilic menu on 28.6.13

The rainbow of fresh juices on the counter are also arranged in a tempting way:

Foodilic Fresh Juices

The very friendly staff are delighted to serve you your selection, and it is all beautifully presented in big bowls behind glass.

Selection of Foodilic raw food salads

Further selection

I went for mango and dill salad, carrot and apple, and the mixed salad with berries (strawberries and blueberries) and an almond dressing which was heaven.

Mixed salad with berries

As well as the caesar salad with celeriac:

Raw caesar salad

The food was extremely fresh and the portions suitably healthy. The mango and mixed berry salad were (perhaps unsurprisingly!) very fruity but in my humble opinion delicious.

The seating is comfortable around chunky wooden tables with bright white walls and quirky details such as this wall art:

Foodilic Wall Art

On the way out my eye was drawn to the raw puddings, pizza and wraps that had been freshly prepared and I was sad to have missed these when I first came in.

Foodilic raw desserts

To remedy this, I think I may be making Foodilic a regular haunt for this lady who lunches. All in all, it is great to have such a modern and fun purveyor of the raw stuff on my door step, combined with great service. I will be back 🙂

During a recent stay just outside of Glastonbury I came across heaven: The Chocolate Love Temple – a chocolate shop dedicated to raw pleasure.

We had come down from the famous Glastonbury Tor:

And in need of a pick when we came across the quirky shop front at the top of the High Street:

with colourful signage ensuring that you couldn’t miss it…

On entering we were met with enthusiasm and were invited to sample a range of dark and light chocolate (made with Lucuma) as well as the raw cocoa nibs themselves. There was a wonderful range of shapes and flavours:

More traditional raw chocolate bars

Orange blossom raw chocolates

White delight with mulberries

Rose chocolates with petals as well as infamous Durian

Raw chocolate Om

Despite the choice I narrowed it down to a cherry chocolate heart which was divine and made me smile as I munched outside the shop:

A nice touch outside the shop

Suitably fuelled, it was then time for a trip to the Glastonbury Abbey ruins:

Minimalist table setting at Ametsa with Arzak Instruction restaurant

I had the extremely good fortune to be invited for a 70th Birthday celebration at Ametsa with Arzak Instruction at the Halkin in London in April.

Pop up restaurants from chefs around the world seems to be a big trend at the moment and who was I to decline? So for one evening I totally set aside all dietary preferences or choices and indulged in the full tasting menu. I share these photos in the interest of sharing creative inspiration and the role of fine dinning as theatre:

1. Aperitivos

Ametsa Chorizo con Mango

Ametsa Arroz con ‘Arraitxikis’

Kataifi con Pastel de Cabracho

2. Scallops with Betacarotene

Vieira con Betacaroteno

3. King Prawns with Sweet Corn

Atillo de Langostinos y Maiz Dulce

4. From Egg to Chicken

Del Huevo a La Gallina (when it arrived)

Del Huevo a La Gallina (with chicken stock poured over)

5. Monkfish with Red Onion

Rape con Cebolla Roja

6. Pigeon with shot

Pichon con Perdigones

7. Ametsa Moonrocks

Ametsa moonrocks setting the mood for the arrival of the dessert courses

8. Strawberry bubbles

Pompas de Fresa

Pompas de Fresa bubbling away

9. French Toast with Mango and Coconut

Torrija de Mango y Coco

10. Ametsa Petit Fours

Petit four with exquisite macaroons

This was probably the most expensive meal I have ever eaten and delighted my visual senses as much as my taste and smell. It has inspired me to make sure that as well as being healthy, I want my cooking to look amazing too. The bar has been set high!