POLLEN STREET SOCIAL 

With one Michelin Star, Pollen Street Social is the brainchild of Jason Atherton, a Gordon Ramsay veteran and quite interestingly the first Brit to cook at the former El Buli. Since its inception in 2011, Pollen Street Social has steadily been one of the hottest and trendiest spots in London, if not Europe, attracting food connoisseurs through its glass doors located off the cosy and charming Pollen Street in the heart of Mayfair. I visited Pollen Street Social on a Thursday evening, and when I stepped into the restaurant I was instantly greeted by the very friendly maître-d who quickly showed me to the bar as I waited for the rest of my party to arrive. The drinks menu is extensive, varied and mouthwatering; the Fizzy Pink Lemonade is what caught my attention. Presented on the menu as a non-alcoholic cocktail, the waiter jazzed it up with three types of rum. The drink was delicious although a bit too heavy on the rum that disguised the pink grapefruit, and grape flavours of the lemonade. Once my party arrived, we were promptly escorted to our table in the adjacent dining room. The layout and interior of the restaurant is in fact quite simple, where the restaurant is split into two separate rooms. The main dining room features the iconic dessert bar, which allows diners to watch the pastry chefs prepare the desserts; it’s quite the spectacle! Once seated, we rushed to look at the menu, as we were very hangry. To start with, I ordered the Orkney Sea Scallop Carpaccio served with frozen pink grapefruit, lemon skin puree and black olives. My friends ordered the Irish deer tartare which comes served smoked beetroot. Both options were delicious; the sea scallop carpaccio was sheer perfection with a unique flavour and texture, and the deer tartare was rich and decadent. 

For my main I ordered the rack of lamb with a tomato chutney and artichokes. My friend ordered the sea bass with parsley mousseline (essentially a foamed texture of parsley) that is served with cockles and winkles; which sound disgusting but they are actually really delicious little clams and snails. The lamb was delectable. It was perfectly cooked to medium and it melted in my mouth. My only complaint would be that there was not enough of it, in fact for the price tag of £40 a plate, the portion was extremely small and left me quite disappointed; unnecessarily pretentious if you ask me. The sea bass on the other hand was generously portioned and was divine, the parsley mousseline in particular was nothing like what I’ve tasted before, the texture and the taste ignited fireworks in my mouth; this is gastronomy at its finest. 

 

As a conclusion to our delicious meal we ordered the PBJ: A Peanut Parfait with a cherry yuzu sorbet and nitro peanut (liquid nitrogen frozen peanut butter ice cream). It was nothing short of heavenly. We also ordered the chocolate ganache with banana ice cream, which was not as good as the PBJ but was nevertheless yummy. Pollen Street Social is definitely a destination for any true foodie. My visit left me very happy and satisfied and it comes as no surprise that it’s one of the most sought after dining destinations in London.

8 - 10 Pollen Street, London W1S 1NQ

BLEECKER STREET BURGER

London has recently been drowning in an overflow of new burger places. They are popping up on a weekly basis, and each one seems to be the ‘newest’ and ‘hottest’ burger in town. This week we introduce you to Bleecker Street Burger, which isn’t a newcomer as it established itself right around the 2012 Olympics, but it has now developed a new cult following amongst many Londoners in the know. Not a restaurant but a burger van, Bleecker Street Burger moves around London during the week spreading its deliciousness across the capital. Bleecker Street Burger is a black van serving simple American ‘New York’ style greasy burgers. You have the options of the cheeseburger, the double cheeseburger and the blue cheeseburger, which is naturally served with blue cheese. On my latest lunchtime visit to Bleecker Street Burger, where it was parked on the ‘Kerb’ by Kings Cross St Pancras, I opted for the double cheeseburger with French fries. The double cheese burger is cooked medium rare and comes served in a glazed sesame bun with American cheese and nothing else; no disguises. The burger was delicious, the meat was phenomenal and the overall experience was nothing short of explosive. The meat literally melted in my mouth, and the bun was flawlessly toasted and crispy; it was an amazing burger, and an incredibly generous portion. The hand cut fries were also good but did not live up to the quality of the main dish. My only complaint about the burger is that I would have preferred it to be slightly more cooked, although it did not bother me so much. Bleecker Street Burger is highly recommended and I urge you all to log onto their website and try to catch them at a London location near you; it’s definitely worth travelling to and will not leave you disappointed.

All Over London

IN-N-OUT

The first stop I made after landing at LAX was at the nearest In-N-Out Burgers. This West Coast staple serves fast food burgers that seem to be appreciated by all sorts of different people. Even chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Julia Child have showed their love for it. The recognisable red parasols draw you in, but the interior itself is not great. The harsh lighting gave me a clinical feel. Nevertheless I was very excited to be there, and ran to the counter to place my order. I had a Cheeseburger and French Fries, and tried some of the free pickled chilies. The burger was a timeless classic; just what I have in mind when I picture a proper American burger.  The texture of the cheese is just right, the meat tastes fresh and the amount of vegetables is ideal. Their burger is a lot more aesthetically pleasing than that of Five Guys, although not as pristine as Shake Shack. The top of the bun kind of breaks apart though, so it doesn’t look as great after a few bites. The bread does its job well, in that it does not get soaked. The fries were not great, and could be crispier. The cheeseburger at In-N-Out is close to being the perfect fast food burger. As I am writing this I'm getting a serious craving for it, so I hope they will open a branch in London soon. 

Westchester, 9149 South Sepulveda Boulevard, Los Angeles 

LUCKY SEVEN

London, UK

Lucky 7 is an American style diner in Notting Hill. I went there after having spent a few hours at the nearby Westbourne Pub. We were starting to get hungry and initially tried to get a table at The Oak. It was full, so we went to Lucky Seven, which only had a couple of customers. My first impression was a good one; I loved the nostalgic McDonald’s characters mounted on the walls, and the small leather booths. The service was really bad though. The waiter did nothing to help us choose between their various burgers and hot dogs, and he walked into my friend with so much force that his watch actually got knocked off, without apologising. As I didn’t get any recommendations from the waiter, I decided to go for the safe choice of a Cheeseburger. I liked the classic and simple garnish of onions, pickles, tomatoes and lettuce. The meat patty was not memorable, and there was a bit too much bread. The fries and coleslaw was of a good standard, and I liked the light and fluffy texture of the milkshake. Overall it was nothing more than an ok meal, so I am glad I didn’t make a trip especially to go there. It's the kind of place that is surviving only because of the lack of competition in its area. If it was located in Soho or East London, they would need to step up their game.  

127 Westbourne Park Road, London W2 5QL

THE APPLE PAN

Los Angeles, USA

The Apple Pan in Culver City, LA is an old-school diner established in 1947 with most of its original fittings intact. It’s a small, pitched roof house with counter seating only, arranged around the food preparation area. When we arrived there were about 10 people waiting to be seated, but it only took 5 min to get a spot. We came straight from a taco food truck, so I was already quite full. Therefore we shared a bit of everything, starting with the steak burger and fries. The burger is quite small, which I think is a plus, as there is more room for sides and desserts. The meat and vegetables were very tasty, but I thought the sauce was a bit distracting, and took away from the simple flavours of the rest of the burger. Coke was served in a little paper cone placed in a metal stand. Authentic details like these really make the Apple Pan a truly American experience. Disappointingly, they were out of their famous Apple Pie when I was there, so we opted for a slice of Pecan Pie and Banana Pie with cream. Both of these were an amazing ending to our meal, with rich and classic flavours. Even though I didn’t love the burger (due to the aforementioned sauce) I would certainly return to the Apple Pan because of its amazing and genuine diner feel. 

West Los Angeles, 10801 W Pico Boulevard, LA, CA 90064 

BROOKLYN THE BURGER JOINT

After having spent a decent amount of time in Seoul, it became clear that meat; beef in particular is a fixture of Korean cuisine; hence the super popular and famous Korean BBQ. In a land of meat lovers and as an avid burger enthusiast I took it upon myself to find the best burger in Seoul, and after some extensive online research and asking around, it seemed that all fingers were pointing towards the Burger Joint. Located in a remote suburban neighbourhood (Seorae Village), the burger joint is a charming restaurant nestled on a quiet street and can easily go unnoticed. The restaurant is small in size and only seats about 20 people. The dining room exudes warmth through its colourful décor and tones, and boasts an incredibly stocked condiments bar, with virtually every sauce one can imagine! My friends and I arrived at 4pm on a Thursday afternoon, so the restaurant was quite empty to our delight, as we were warned about the infamous queues it has. We each ordered soft drinks and milkshakes to start followed by burgers. The milkshake menu is quite extensive with all the classics, as well as creative options to choose from. Two of us opted for a classic Vanilla Milkshake (you can never go wrong with a vanilla milkshake) while our friend ventured onto trying the Nutella Milkshake with roasted marshmallows. The vanilla milkshakes were delicious, thick and perfect; the Nutella Milkshake however was explosive, although I would have preferred it as a dessert as it was too heavy to be eaten with a burger. With the milkshakes so good, we all got really excited about our burgers to come! We all ordered the Brooklyn Works, which comes served with American cheese, bacon, lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles and a special house sauce; I ordered my burger without the bacon. The burgers were all cooked medium and were fantastic in every measure of the word. The meat was perfectly cooked and tasted incredible. One thing you’ve got to love about South Korea is the high quality of the meat, and this burger was a true testament to that; it was honestly one of the best beef burgers I have had. The burger came served in a sesame bun which was also toasted to perfection, as well as French fries which were my least favourite item as they were not as thin as I would have liked them to be, but nevertheless were still good. The Brooklyn Burger Joint has been recognised as serving the best burgers in Seoul and I can truly attest to that, as not only is it the best burger in Seoul but it is also one of the best burgers I have had anywhere.

Seocho-gu, Banpo-dong 551-32 (서초구 반포동 551-32)

BEDUA

Bedua is a restaurant located in Zumaia, in the northern Basque countryside of Spain just 20 minutes away from the seaside town of San Sebastian. Over time the restaurant has established itself as a culinary hotspot among locals and more increasingly tourists, as it continues to serve excellent quality and authentic food in a picturesque and serene setting. Bedua is nicely perched between hills overlooking vast expanses of farmland, much of which belong to restaurant, which locally grows all its ingredients on site. The restaurant itself is housed within a medieval ancient house dating back to the 15^th century, where its rustic interiors compliment the traditional offerings on their very simple and straightforward menu. Primarily specializing in steak, Bedua also offers a choice of delicious appetisers as well as seafood as an alternative to the meat. Accompanied by our Spanish friend, who has become a regular at Bedua, he naturally ordered for us, and his choices did not disappoint. We started with the Tortilla de Patata (potato omelette), the Pimientos Verde (grilled baby green peppers), the Panache de Verduras (a salad of mixed vegetables) as well as a Nicoise style salad, which came served with white asparagus. Even the simplest vegetables, such as the locally grown iceberg lettuce, had so much flavour and crunch. Collectively, all the appetisers were delicious and settled easily into our very hungry stomachs, and just opened up our appetites for our main dish. For the main we were served with the house special, the Chuleton a la Parrilla (the grilled steak), which we got to pick and approve prior to the chef grilling it. The steak was cooked medium rare and goes down as being one of the best steaks I have ever enjoyed. Only sprinkled with salt and without any sauces to distract from the quality of the steak, the taste of the meat was explosive; it could convert a vegan into a carnivorous diner. There is not much more to say about the food except: wow! What I love about Bedua is the simplicity of the recipes of what is being cooked, where the focus is on the quality of the ingredients. This is a true barometer of excellent food.

GI-3760  20750 Zumaia, Gipuzkoa, Spain

TWO PLUS

When in Korea, do as the Koreans do. So it’s fair to say that on my latest trip to Seoul I overdosed on Korean BBQ, it is just common sense to do so! Korean BBQ in Seoul is very popular and quite standard, where most joints offer the usual Bulgogi, which are strips of marinated beef, as well as Galbi that are either pork or beef ribs. Such a set up along with the usual trimmings of Kimchi (fermented vegetables), Japchae (stir fried potato noodles) and Gyeran Jim (steamed egg casserole) are what one usually expects along with a lot of Soju and Beer. Two Plus on the other hand provided a completely different experience, which was quite a relief, as after 10 days in Seoul I wanted to shake things up a little. Located in the posh Sinsa-dong province in Gangnam, Two Plus is a modern take on a traditional Korean BBQ restaurant with a very cosmopolitan vibe, and a rather westernized ambience. What’s special about Two Plus is that instead of only offering the typical meat selection one will find at any BBQ place, the have their specialty Aged Striploin. The Striploin at Two Plus happens to be 1++ Hanwoo grade beef (the highest for beef), thus the name Two Plus. Top-grade hanwoo is Korea’s counterpart to Japan’s wagyu. It was therefore obvious what we ordered. The meat, which arrived raw, was thick, juicy and generous in its portions. We were a party of 6 and hence ordered 6 steaks at 150 grams a piece. Once on the grill we each cooked our own steak to our liking. I cooked parts of mine to rare, and some to medium rare. The taste was merely that of quality, it undoubtedly rivals wagyu beef, which makes me think: Why is wagyu so much more popular? The meat melted in my mouth and was un-spoilt with any sauces or condiments, pure decadence. Words cannot do this beef justice. Along with many bottles of Soju and Beer this was by far the best Korean BBQ I have had in Seoul.      

Yeyoung Bldg. 532-9 Sinsadong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul