Bob Bob Ricard Restaurant

Score: 8/10 

Are you looking for somewhere a bit different? Old fashioned American glamour meets Russian extravagance. This is the kind of restaurant you go to where you feel you've gone back in time to a different era and a different location. Even the staff are suited and booted in 1920's style outfits adding to the ambience and standing out from your average restaurant. Unfortunately, when I visited this place the bar was being re-done so I didn't get the pleasure of experiencing it but the restaurant itself is a must visit for its uniqueness and atmosphere. You feel scheduled and intimate with your guests and there are added touches such as the"press for champagne" button to add interest to the meal and really impress during a date. 

The menu is a mix of Russian classics and European influences. You can have traditional "Zukuski"(Russian canapés) with cold Vodka shots, or  opt as we did for Oysters. There is also a list with a variety of both fish and meat starters, we also chose the Seabass Ceviche to start.  If you are really pushing the boat out and looking for the Russian experience, they offer the choice of Caviar, "Petrossian" which is only available in the UK at Bob Bob Ricard helping explain the rather heavy price tag for this delicacy. 

Overall the food was good - however the beef mains were not to the quality of a high class steak restaurant. The seared Fois Gras was delicious but I feel with the meat and Fois Gras Crouton is was a bit too heavy/fatty as a meal. Fois Gras in my opinion is better eaten separately, spread on toasts for example, rather than eaten with red meat. 

 Seabass Cerviche with Avocado: made with cucumber, tomato, coriander, jalapeño pepper and lime.

 6 Oysters Mitterland - grilled with parsley and garlic

 Beef Onglet: 28 Day aged Scotch Beef, with caramelised onions and green peppercorn sauce 

Fillet Medallions Rossini: 28 Day Aged Scotch Beef with seared Fois Gras, Fois Gras crouton & Truffle Gravy.

Overall, this restaurant is a little gem in the centre of London which can be easily missed if you aren't searching for it. The atmosphere, decor and added extravagance all make it an experience not to be missed. If you are a fan of Russian cuisine or enjoy good fish and meat dish you will definitely find something you like on the menu. It is a great place to come on a date, to impress or to bring those interested in trying an opulent Russian dining experience.

http://bobbobricard.com/food.html

The Famous 8 Plaited Bread

Finally I've attempted Paul Hollywoods 8 breaded plait and yes I now feel the pain that the contestants on Great British Bake off felt with the whole "8 under 5, then under 1".

I have to be fully honest now and say, I fell at the first hurdle of plaiting so decided to bend the rules. (Sorry Paul) I ended up just plaiting it without following the correct method.... rules are for breaking right.  

However, I will write them in below in case any one wants to give them a try. Please let me know if you actually managed to do it.

Ingredients:

• 500g - Strong White Bread Flour
• 10g - Salt
• 2 x 7g Fast Acting Yeast
• 20ml - Olive Oil
• 340ml - Water (at room temp)
• 1- Beaten Egg, mixed with a pinch of salt for glazing

Method:

• Put the Flour into a mixing bowl then add the Yeast to one side and Salt to the other (as the salt can kill the yeast)
• Add the Oil and mix
• Add 3/4 of the Water and bring together with your hands.

• Work in the rest of the water, then knead the dough 10 for minutes until silky and very stretchy.
• Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl - cover lightly with cling film and leave to rise for an hour until doubled in size.
• Punch down the risen dough- empty onto a floured worktop and mould into a ball

• Divide into 8 equal pieces, using your hands roll each piece into a thin sausage shape           (about 40cm long)
• Lay strands onto a floured worktop - like an octopus and tack the ends together onto the worktop with your thumb.
• Number them 1 > 8 and plait following the sequence below:
• (please note every time you move a strand, the order of the numbers with revert to the original 1>8 sequence) - think this is where I went wrong.

Step 1: Place strand 8 under strand 7 then over strand 1.

Step 2: Strand 8 over strand 5

Step 3: Strand 2 under strand 3 then over strand 8

Step 4: Strand 1 over stand 4

Step 5: Strand 7 under stand 6, then over strand 1

Repeat from step 2 until all strands are plaited.

Then tuck the ends under the loaf to neaten.

• Set the loaf on a floured baking sheet and leave to rise at room temperature for an hour till doubled in size.
• Brush with egg and sprinkle with salt, then bake in the oven at 200'C for 20-25minutes, until golden brown.

 Make slices and top with Banana or Cinnamon and Sugar, then put under the grill until caramelised. 

Vanilla & Strawberry Present Cake

                             

 Forget Heston's weird and wonderful creations, here is something you can easily make yourself, and the best thing is liquid nitrogen is not required.

This impressive and beautifully wrapped vanilla sponge cake is a sure fired winner, so go on give the gift of cake at Christmas.

The marzipan decoration adds that taste of Christmas, but alternatively you can use melted white chocolate mixed with gelatine to create the present ribbon, if desired.

Ingredients:

• 250g Butter
• 250g Caster Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 250g Plain Flour
• 4 tsp Baking Powder
• 3-4 tsp Milk

Method:

Use the creaming method for this cake.

1) Cream the butter and sugar

2) Slowly add the beaten eggs

3) Add the vanilla extract 

4) Fold in the flour and baking powder

5) Mix in the milk

6) Add to a greased square cake tin

7) Bake for 40minutes at gas mark 190c

Decoration:

• Strawberry Jam
• Strawberries
• Marzipan 

Wrapping the present:

• Roll out the Marzipan and cut out the following shapes:
• Two long strips, long enough to go across and down either side of the cake
• Two short strips, folded to create an oval loop (each side of the bow)
• Roll out a short strip to fold over the bow loops
• Two half sized strips, cutting the ends into a fork (ribbon end)
• Before wrapping the cake with the marzipan bow, cover the now cooled cake in strawberry jam.
• Next, wrap the cake with the marzipan ... two long strips to form a cross over the cake, add a loop to either side of the centre, cover the middle of the bow with the short strip.
• Cut the strawberries into halves and lay over the strawberry jam, to cover the area between the ribbon 
• Cut the remaining strawberries into slices to cover the sides of the cake.
• Finally, add the ends of the ribbon. Tucking each end under the bow and softly creating folds whilst laying the ribbon ends over the strawberries.

There you go, the one present you can share.....

Setting the perfect Christmas scene, to be enjoyed with your friends and family!

Asadal Korean Restaurant

Overall 4/5

 Great atmosphere, great for sharing and taking part in a new dining experience. 

Asadal Menu

Now, I live and have lived in Holborn previously for over a year but managed to brush past this gem of a restaurant. Located right next the to the tube, it is easily missed until you smell the aroma of intensely appetising food, tempting you inside. It is also a great sign when the customers are coming out telling you, you need to go in and I assure you they are not wrong. Expect to queue to get a table unless you have booked in advance, but again this is just another sign of the restaurants popularity and the restaurant is worth the wait.

This place is great for an entertaining and interactive meal, the tables have there own gas heated cookers in the middle, which are used for their popular BQQ meat meals.

Appetisers sampled included the  "Man Du soup" handmade dumpling soup- which had three handmade dumplings and pieces of egg in a steamy broth. The star however was "Pa Jeon", pancake made of egg, wheat and rice flour, pan fried with spring onions, oysters, muscles, prawn and squid. I find the English often overlook the different uses of pancakes and its ability to create a variety of dishes and be mixed with a large array of ingredients. These we both soft and crispy with different textures from the seafood.

The main dishes were the shows stoppers, although I feel the "Sam Gae Tang", Whole baby chicken stuffed with sticky rice, dates, ginseng, chestnuts, garlic slowed cooked and served in a broth, was a little disappointing in flavour, as it lacked much oomph and can only be described as boiled chicken.

However, I throughly reccommend the "Yu Khei Bibimbab" one of Koreas most popular dishes, consisting of rice topped with fresh and cooked vegetables, red chilli paste and raw beef. This is then mixed together by a very attentive server, which allows the meat and vegetables to cook together in the hot stone bowl and create a "harmony" of flavours.

The idea of Korean food is to bring diners together, to use food to socialise, as they believe sharing food with others is a way to experience love and togetherness. I throughly agree with this and believe the restaurant and atmosphere helps accentuate this message. The BQQ section is focused on sharing an inmate meal using your fingers and getting stuck in with the atmosphere of the place. The "Joo Moo Luk Kui"slices of sirloin seasoned with sesame oil and garlic, was full of flavour.

The waiter prepared the meat to medium rare as requested and then demonstrated how to eat the meal. You begin with a lettuce leaf and using the back of a spoon, dip it in bean paste then spread on the lettuce. Then dip the meat in sesame oil and wrap together. Now the waiter told me I had to shallow it in one go as that is how it is eaten in Korea. Though I had my doubts and decided to chew my food. It was very good all the same.

This restaurant ticks the right boxes for me and my first real experience of Korean food, was definitely a successful and enjoyable one. 

Dark chocolate, Raspberry and Hazelnut Tarts

Planning a dinner party or romantic meal.... Skip the hassle of spending hours slaving in the kitchen and spend more time getting yourself ready, with this easy 15-20 minute tart recipe. This may well be one of the easiest desserts you could make, yet looks quite impressive.

This recipe can be substituted with making pastry instead of a biscuit base and using other fruits for example blueberries or strawberries, incase you have any picky eaters. 

The benefit of using mini-tartlet tins is that it produces a perfect sized portion for one and also with a removable bottom, means there is no stress trying to get an unbroken slice out of the tart tin ( I know you will all have been there at one point). 

Recipe:                                                               Makes 4

Dark Chocolate Ganche: 

• 200 ml Double Cream
• 150g Dark Chocolate
• Handful of Raspberrys

Biscuit base:

• 6 Hobnobs (or a biscuit of your choice, i.e digestives
• 2 Handfuls of Hazelnuts, i.e. about 15
• 30g Butter

Method:

1) Make the ganche: heat the cream either on the stove or in the microwave to just before boiling 

2) Add the broken up chocolate and stir 

3) To make the biscuit base: put the biscuits and hazelnuts in a sealed bag and vent your frustration on them with a spatula or weapon of choice, until they resemble breadcrumbs.

4) Melt the butter and add to the biscuit and hazelnut mixture.

5) Press into your tartlet tins (or one large tin)

6) Add the ganche on top and finish with raspberries.

7) Set in the fridge for 1 hour