Lamberts: Balhams best kept secret

Seared Venison, Crispy Shoulder and Hazelnut and Shallot dressing

The Sunday Times cheap[ish] eats came out not so long ago and Lamberts was listed under the South London section. I'd completely forgotten about this little gem on our doorstep. I last ate there about 3 or 4 years ago on a date and although I don't remember what I ate then,  I do remember coming away thinking I must go back with everyone I have ever known and loved. Then I promptly forgot about it and moved on. What a mistake to have made! This place should be on my 'go-to list when visitors come over from outside the UK or when friends ask where they should go to eat in South London. This place should be on my blog as it has the very best of British seasonal produce and the kind of food that everyone should be eating right now.

The restaurant is unassuming and low key - you may walk straight past it. It's just a few doors away from the station and the Balham traffic mayhem at the cross roads make this an unlikely location for a restaurant with such high standards of good looking food. The website is nice and simple and booking online was dead easy. The menu also reads like a dream and best of all it offers 3 courses for £30!! Bargain!

The decor inside is unfussy and the staff are knowledgable and friendly. They glided around us like a well choreographed chorus of dancers attending to everyones needs in a constant flow. And then they left us alone to enjoy and converse without interuptions. What more could you ask for? Well the food, of course!

Chargrilled Mackerel, Beetroot and Horseradish
 

I had the seared Venison for my starter. I wasn't sure what the crispy shoulder would entail and I was pleasently surprised to get a hot ball of venison, crunchy on the outside and soft and succulent pulled meat on the inside, bursting with flavour. The hazelnuts gave the necessary crunch and I was one happy bunny. Across the table, hubby dined on Mackerel, beetroot and horseradish - 3 strong flavour contenders but they make for the perfect menage a trois. They were all in perfect harmony - none overpowering the other.

Whole roasted Plaice, Spinach, Tenderstem Broccoli, Caper and Parsley Butter Sauce

My main was the most elegantly presented whole fish I have ever seen and someone went to a lot of bother to make sure the veg and the sauce served with this perfectly cooked fish was spot on. No complaints from me - I would eat it all over again this morning!

28 day aged Longhorn rump. braised oxtail, potato fondant and shallots

The hubbys main of rump and braised oxtail was tender and mouthwatering. I think the crispy onion rings on top was genius for a bit of crunch. I did have a pang of food envy when this plate arrived but then I got so absorbed by my fish that I didn't care. I have to try it next time!

Baby gem, fennel and black pudding
 

I also had to try a side dish of baby gem lettuce, fennel and black pudding as I had never seen this combination before. Hubby who actually doesn't like the individual components of this dish on their own, proclaimed that together, the dish worked and he would eat it again. I must make this at home - a side dish that was as good a treat as the mains!

I said no to pudding as usual but asked for just a slice of Chedder from their Cheese course [without the chutney or oatcakes] as I was too full for anything else. Hubby had the Thyme roasted plums - and wasn't pleased when I kept stealing his honey comb crumble [most delicious - especially delicious when stolen]. Now that master chef has taught us all how to make honeycomb in the technical test for professionals, this is something I may also try making at home for hubby.... then steal it from him again.

Thyme roasted plums, Honey Ice cream and honeycomb crumble

 

This satisfying 3 course dinner was accompanied by a very reasonably priced Spanish Verdejo [£18] which is a rare entity in most wine lists. I doff my greedy food hat to these guys at Lamberts. I shall return - with my nearest and dearest, as soon as possible. There are more things on the menu that I must sample!

 

Good eats in Zurich

Creamy Veal and Mushrooms with Rosti

I have just come back from a weekend in Zurich and I'd like to share my foodie experience and give my recommendations for those who may venture out there at some point.

I did not know what to expect, as Zurich has never been on my radar for a culinary experience. I thought it was all Swiss cheese or chocolate fondues. A friend [Thank you Natascha!] recommended some restaurants and emphasised that I should try her favourite Swiss dish called Zuercher-geschnetzeltes-mit-roesti [sorry I can't pronounce it either!]  -  a classic Swiss dish of Veal and Mushroom in a cream sauce with a very large potato rosti.

We decided that we had to try the food at Zeughaus Keller – a large rustic restaurant serving typical Swiss fare[ http://www.zeughauskeller.ch/] . Locals and tourists love it and it seems to always have a queue out the door – which I think is a good sign in any country! It’s huge inside with large wooden tables shared with other diners, crazy decor [a machine gun above the entrance door, lots of ski helmets on the walls and portraits of Bavarian warriors] and it has the delicious aroma of sizzling sausages. Sausages vary in every country. Nothing beats a British banger in my opinion but it all reflects on where you grew up. I find that sausages outside of the UK are all a bit too processed and plastic for my taste – like Hot Dogs/Savaloys or Frankfurters. Tasty but too rubbery and not meaty enough!

I tried the classic veal dish at Zeughause Keller and it was very good indeed. It may have been a tad too salty for even my savoury taste buds and there was a lot of cream with it but the veal was succulent and tender. I was also impressed that we got some fresh veggies like steamed spinach and green beans with onions to go with it. 

All the trolleys of food exiting the kitchen were basically large lumps of sizzling meat and potatoes of some form! The menu was a carnivores’ delight. The desserts coming out looked hefty and stodgy and I had no desire to sample any after the main as I was stuffed!

For dinner,  we tried a special occasion restaurant,  also recommended by the same friend, and this was a real treat. Veltliner Keller [http://www.veltlinerkeller.ch/ ] was shut during the day and the website says it’s closed all weekend but we got the hotel to ring for an evening slot and turned out they were open – perhaps they do that to keep the tourists out! It was an intimate dinner experience in a romantic old fashioned room with all local people. The menu was impressive as was the Swiss white wine we sampled. 

After the very filling lunch I decided to go for lighter options at dinner. So I had the tuna carpaccio for my starter followed by a whole grilled Sole with veggies. I was very happy to have been served one fillet then the other on another plate – it felt like I had 2 main courses! Hubby had Veal this time with what they call noodles but it looked exactly like pasta to me! He followed his main with lime sorbet with champagne. I would have happily gone here again to try more seasonal dishes. The couple next to us were having Venison and it looked spectacular. The service was sleek and the whole experience was very stylish.

Unfortunately for tourists of a foodie nature rather than the museum going type, the city is completely dead on a Sunday. Nothing is open – apart from a couple of places in Sihlcity. This area houses the Arena cinema and every one and their grandma was at the movies on this very wet and dreary sunday. Next door to the cinema is a great Pizza/Pasta joint which had rather an odd concept of dining. Its called Vapian [http://www.vapiano.de/frame.php?lang=de&section=home] and you get a card like a credit card when you go in. Then you go up to a different food stations to order and swipe your card at each one. There was a salad bar, a pizza bar, a pasta bar and a risotto bar. Despite the confusing system, the pizza we had was great – thin crust, no soggy bottoms and an array of lovely toppings. I must say pizza features heavily in this town and they are not bad at all. 

Atrio

There seems to be lots of sexy pizza houses here including one at the railway station – Atrio [ http://www.pizzeria-atrio.ch/e/pizzeria-atrio/pizzeria-atrio/seite540.html]: it's a pizzaria in a room that was for 1^st class passengers in the olden days. It’s a very impressive room with high ceilings and a feeling of 1940’s glamour and the pizzas are also 1^st class.

Another typical dish here seems to be steak tartare – I had a really spicy one at the hotel bar and was really delighted to get red hot chilli sauce with it. The meat was so fresh and well combined with flavours that it was a very smooth contender with lots of capers, pickles and onions for extra texture. Overall I had a good food experience in Zurich. It’s a nice city with a pretty lake and a lovely cobbled old town with interesting bars. If I had more time and any room in my belly I would have tried the raclette/fondue options although I would have to find someone else to go with as hubby hates cheese with a passion and won’t step foot in any of those places.

Zurich is easy to get to – it was 1.5hr on easyjet from Gatwick. There is a train that takes only 10min into the city centre and from there you can get trams everywhere. The tram pass also doubles up as a train pass and is valid for 24hrs. It’s nice to walk around – the lake is gorgeous as is the old town with the river, the churches and the drinking fountains. People are smart & well dressed and they speak a million languages. Everyone speaks English so there is no communication issues but they are a shy bunch so be prepared to put in some effort to get them chatting to you and to get them to stay out! Here's to the lovely randoms I met in Zurich and here's to the good grub I had this weekend. Natascha - I owe you a meal. Fancy coming round for some Veal?