The Haberdashery

The Haberdashery is not a shop full of craft materials, although of course I can forgive that assumption. Instead it is a café, found on Crouch End’s Middle Lane.

As a long standing resident of Crouch End, I had been about when The Hab (as it is sometimes known) opened, and had always wanted to go in. However, it wasn’t until I moved further out that I got the chance.

Crouch End, as any inhabitant or casual passer-through will agree, is positively buzzing with cafés and eateries – a fair few of which are worthy of mention and will probably get their turn to be reviewed by this YFD. So why have I chosen The Haberdashery, the establishment I tried last, to be the one I write about first?

Well, I’d imagine for the same reason that it was named the best coffee shop in London for the 2012 London Lifestyle Awards.

When entering the café, you are immediately made to feel at home. This is partly to do with the mismatched wooden tables and chairs and the selection of their (again, charmingly mismatched) cups hanging on the back wall, and partly to do with the fact that, although the café is small, you are immediately met by a member of staff – often, in my experience, one of the proprietors – who will lead you to a table and provide you with their menu.

The menu is ever changing, but it is always delicious. The food is fresh, and neither too simple nor too complicated – wholesome, you could say. And if you just want a cup of coffee and a slice of homemade cake, then that is more than fine – although you might have difficulty sticking to just one of anything!

I will take a moment to especially recommend their hot spiced apple and their hot chocolate, from the drinks menu. They are both very sweet and simply perfect for cold weather, or a spot of light indulgence. (Well, the hot chocolate is thick and comes served in a bowl. Maybe a little more than ‘light’ indulgence…)
Their teas are served by the pot, and as is the theme, the tea cup you are given will not match the pot. The effect is at once delicate and homely.

And there’s more!
The Haberdashery are very involved in Crouch End’s close community, and hold events after hours on most Fridays. The regular cast of events are: The Crouch End Barboot (once a month), themed supper clubs (twice monthly) and a music night for local musicians (once a month).

So what are you waiting for? If you live in our around Crouch End or if – like me – you are willing to travel a bit further afield for a coffee experience, then The Haberdashery is definitely one to try!

- Lilian

Mews of Mayfair

Recently your two YFDs found themselves at a loose end in Mayfair. We had made a reservation at The Mayfair for ourselves and two friends, but for some reason the reservation had not been put on their books. Well, the night was about as young as us, and we were hungry, so we set about searching for a nearby restaurant with a table for four on that busy Friday night.

Using the miracles of technology, we managed to find the Mews of Mayfair, an aptly named restaurant set in a small back-alley off New Bond Street. The mews were tightly packed, and there was an unmistakable ‘summer’ feeling, which made a very nice change. We were found, somehow, before we cam to the restaurant entrance, and led to our destination by a friendly and laid-back member of staff. The downstairs had a chilled bar-like atmosphere, so I was a bit surprised when we were led into a room that looked like it would be the venue of a wedding reception.

The upstairs was surprisingly empty for a Friday evening, which made me slightly apprehensive. We were shown to our seats by waiters who were perhaps a little over-attentive – I felt a bit uneasy to have them permanently so close by.

The Meal
In our group of four, I was ‘the mould-breaker’, ordering the Wild Rabbit Stew with Polenta, Olives Sage and Wild Garlic while the rest of my group went with the far more moderately-priced Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Butter and Sage. I was very excited, having never had rabbit before.

I didn’t have to wait long for my food, which is always a plus in my books. My plate was fairly well presented, but still a little too slapdash for the image of the restaurant. However, I was distinctly not blown away by the food. This isn’t to say that it was disgusting, because it wasn’t. However, I felt that I could have prepared something just as good for myself if I had stayed at home, and it would be at a fraction of the price.

I didn’t go for desert, as I don’t really enjoy sweet things after a meal. However, I ordered a cocktail with my meal. Cocktails are £12 each, unless marked differently. I chose the Lychee & Ginger, which was lovely. Sadly, it was my favourite part of the meal there.

The Service
The slight overbearing nature of the service aside, I found the staff friendly and personable.  It truly was ‘service with a smile’, and those smiles didn’t feel forced either. It seemed, though, that their timing was a little bit off: the attention seemed to come in bursts rather than being evenly spaced.

I enjoyed my evening, and while I didn’t think much of my meal, my companions all thoroughly enjoyed theirs, so I may be back again. I think, however, I’m more likely to return for the bar.

- Lilian

Garden House Cafe

My dad’s side of the family have this tradition of meeting up once every month for breakfast. We’re a noisy bunch, who want a lot of food for not very much money. We’ve found that the perfect venue for our monthly meet-ups is the Garden House Cafe in Tottenham, N17. From the road this may just seem like any other greasy spoon, but when you go through the front door you are met by a woman making pastry for a delicious dish of spinach and cheese. The back entrance is a treat: the area is bright and open, with vines crawling all over the place. Stepping in feels like entering some secret Eden.

The cafe itself continues the theme: the walls are a cheerful, sunny colour, and one wall is home to a large collection of Turkish books – which serves as a pretty decoration for those who can’t actually read them.

The Meal
The fare, for the most part, is what you’d expect from a cafe. I always seem to go for the Garden House Special breakfast of: olives, jam, creme fresh, boiled eggs, bacon, soudjouk (Turkish sausage) and hash browns, all for a very modest £7.50. The menu is enriched by the Turkish dishes included on it, putting it a cut above other cafes.

The Service
As I have said, my family is very noisy and very large. To be honest, I’m surprised the staff haven’t banned us yet! But the service is always good- the staff are cheerful and polite and completely forgiving in the case of unfortunate spillages born of us horsing around. In addition to this, they are very accommodating of the size of our group. We didn’t inform the m when our last breakfast was taking place (myself and my parents were the first to arrive and I can assure you there was a look of horror on our waitresses face when she realised we were all going to be coming.) But space was quickly and easily made for our party of twelve.

Finally, I feel it important to restate how well priced everything is. The bill, for all twelve of us, was only £68.30. Really, I rest my case.

So if you find yourself peckish in Tottenham, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Garden House Cafe.

Dabbous

After two months of waiting, your two admin finally got to eat at the much-reviewed, much lauded Dabbous.

I went with:

• English asparagus, virgin rapeseed oil mayonnaise, meadowsweet and hazelnuts (starter)
• Beef tartar with cigar oil, whiskey and rye (starter)
• Charred salmon with elderflower, spring onions and almonds (main)
• Fresh milk curds, black sugar, rose petals (dessert)

 Starter
As has been said, the asparagus was perfect. The homemade mayonnaise was creamy and delicious, and the roasted hazelnuts were an unexpected delight.

The beef tartar was melt in the mouth, but I found it lacking something. This was the dish I least enjoyed but, that being said, I wouldn’t mind getting it again!

Main
Well. I almost cried. The salmon was perfectly done- not overcooked, simply melt-in-the-mouth. The sauce was creamy and sweet, but not overpoweringly so and, with the addition of the elderflower, a bite of that dish was like heaven in the mouth.

Dessert
Now, I am not a dessert person. I hadn’t been planning on getting dessert for that reason, but after the wonder of a meal that I had – well, I couldn’t resist. I was quite sure what I was getting myself into. The first thing I think of when I see the words ‘milk curds’ is the little girl in the nursery rhyme. But rose petals? Yes, sir!
Well, the dessert came, and it was beautiful. The milk curds were rich and creamy, and the delicate taste of rose petals is always a pleasure- it’s powerful, but not too much. Unfortunately by then, I was stuffed full, and couldn’t give the dish the love and attention it deserved.

The Service
As said, was fantastic. Our waiter was friendly, and attentive. Each dish came at the same time, but there was never a huge delay between courses or dishes. I enjoyed this, I am the type who doesn’t like waiting. Each dish was explained as it was set down, showing a sort of care and attention to detail that I have never come across before. Bar service was also good: once again, friendly and attentive without being overbearing.

Finally, a note on portion sizes. Both Angeline and I are more used to authentic Asian restaurants, where the food is good and the portions are huge. We were worried, in the run up to our visit, that Dabbous’ portion sizes simply wouldn’t be able to sate us. This fear was proved groundless. The portions were much smaller than what we are used to, but each dish is so well crafted that the combination of ingredients and flavours is filling on it’s own. So never fear, my fellow big eaters, you will not be disappointed by anything Dabbous has to offer!

- Lilian

Dabbous.

I think it’s about time we made a post! And there is no better way to start than with the incredible Dabbous. Going to admit something here: Dabbous was one of the main factors that motivated us to start this blog - instantly, that’s saying something.

Lilian had made a 6:30pm dinner reservation for the restaurant for Tuesday 10th April. We hadn’t really read much about it beforehand, as many foodie blogs would admit to doing before going to dinner. In fact… I don’t even know why we chose that restaurant when we were making our booking… two months ago was it? Perhaps Lily will be able to enlighten us on this! Anyway, save the odd google search, we pretty much went with open minds; all we knew was that there was, and indeed still exists, a hype surrounding Dabbous – a big one.

Upon arriving, the exterior already stood out as something out of the ordinary – a huge steel door guarded the entrance to the restaurant. I didn’t really know what I was supposed to do when I got there to be honest… Was the door automatic? Is it meant to be ajar? Maybe the restaurant is still closed?!!! I pulled the door open and was greeted by the house team. They were polite and welcoming; I instantly felt at ease. As a student, it’s not often that I go to high-end restaurants (though this is certainly changing!), so I, admittedly, was a little bit apprehensive beforehand. They cured that irrational fear!

So having settled down, Lily and I observed the restaurant’s interior. It was industrial… different. Forgive us for the phrase, but we somewhat felt that it was like “Allsaints (the clothing brand) in restaurant form”. Excusing the stigma attached to Allsaints, we had made the comparison intending to emphasise the restaurant’s ‘alternativism’ and ‘coolness’.

We initially went intending to get the tasting menu, a 7 course offer for £49. However, we decided it’d be better to go a la carte and share – giving us a wider taste of the food on offer. Whilst we were deciding what food to order, we got a bottle of Rose wine and were also given a cute brown paper bag of freshly cooked rye bread with hand-whipped butter.

I went with:

• English asparagus, virgin rapeseed oil mayonnaise, meadowsweet and hazelnuts (starter)
• Coddled free range hen egg with woodland mushrooms and smoked butter (starter)
• Jersey royal new potatoes in warm buttermilk (starter)
•  Barbecued Iberico pork, savoury acorn praline, turnip tops, homemade apple vinegar (main)
• Chocolate and virgin hazelnut oil ganache, basil moss, shepps’ milk ice-cream (dessert)

and Lilian went with:

• English asparagus, virgin rapeseed oil mayonnaise, meadowsweet and hazelnuts (starter)
• Beef tartar with cigar oil, whiskey and rye (starter)
• Charred salmon with elderflower, spring onions and almonds (main)
• Fresh milk curds, black sugar, rose petals (dessert)

The bill came to £56.35 each, including the bottle of wine.
I’ll leave it to Lily’s post to give a comprehensive review of her dishes.

Starters
First, we had the asparagus. It was a dish you ate with your hands, our waiter informed us. At first, we were a bit surprised – but in a good way, perhaps intrigued is the better word. Who knew you’d be eating with your hands at a fine-dining restaurant! Nevertheless, we were practically (literally) drooling at this point, so we just went ahead and used our damn hands. The asparagus was absolutely delicious. You eat it by dipping it first into the mayonnaise and then into the hazelnuts… for what it was, you would not expect that much flavour to come from such a simple dish. The flavours from every ingredient could be tasted, but it wasn’t overwhelming in the slightest.

Next, the coddled hen egg. This was a revelation. It was presented in an egg shell which was in a nest. To the eye, extremely appealing. The taste certainly lived up to it. It was creamy with a hint of smokiness. You could taste the mushrooms and they were cooked just perfectly – soft but with a bite to it, flavoursome but not undercooked or overdone to the point of lost flavour. I tell you, I was already 95% content at this point – compliments to the chef, 15 minutes in. Let me add here that the food came in good time. Not so quick that you felt like you were being rushed, but not so long that you lost your hunger by the time it came. More points for the restaurant here.

The royal potatoes didn’t disappoint either. I must admit though, by the time I got to them I was already feeling like my need for a starter had been fulfilled – so I didn’t savour them as much as I would’ve, had I ordered less. The buttermilk was rich and the flavour was piercing to the tongue – again, sensational cooking that brought out the flavours of the ingredients.

Main
Now, to the main. Oh my goodness. I don’t even know where to begin. The texture of the meat was simply perfect; soft, chewy, but not jaw-achingly so, and smooth on the palette. That savory acorn praline? It honest to God pains me to write this and not have any to nibble on right now. It complimented the pork perfectly and added a soft crunch to the bite. The turnip tops toned down the richness of the dish and again added another dimension to the bite. What a perfect main dish. I couldn’t have asked for, or expected, anything more.

Dessert
The ganache was lovely. Like all the other dishes, it was a fine-tuned balance between richness of flavour and a touch of palette-cleansing with the ice cream.

The service
As I’ve said before, I’m not one that has been to many high-end restaurants, so I admittedly was expecting the service to be very formal and a little bit intimidating. Dabbous was nothing like that! The service was casual in a welcoming, ‘make yourself as comfortable as possible’ sort of way, but it wasn’t sloppy or unprofessional. Our waiter was absolutely lovely, and made us laugh and jolly throughout the whole dinner. Gosh, this is a bit embarrassing, but he must have realised how excited we were to eat there as soon as we got that ‘cute brown paper bag’ of rye bread… get this: he gave us another bag. Seriously. After we had finished the first bag he said “I see you girls liked the bread! Have some more!” All this with a wide-smile. And then guess what. When we requested the bill he said “hey! I know for a fact you love the rye bread so… I’m going to give you some to take home!” Which he did upon handing us the receipt. Oh my god I don’t know whether to feel mortified and embarrassed at our eagerness or delighted to the point of happy tears with how nice the waiter was. Maybe… Both.

At this point we were quite… let’s say, ‘merry’ from the bottle of wine so we went downstairs to the bar to have some cocktails – this we’ll post about another time… positive words all round, and you can never have too many positive words so it’s best to leave it to separate post before I go exceedingly over the word limit with this one.

Dabbous is a shining example of what the food industry has to offer. The food and general dining experience is art, and Lily and I couldn’t agree enough on just how much dedication and thought the chef must have gone into when creating the dishes. For the few fine-dining restaurants I have been to, Dabbous has outshone them all and has set a very high barrier which I honestly don’t see any other restaurant defeating any time soon. A week on and I am definitely still reeling with delight from dining there. The hype surrounding Dabbous is a well-deserved one, and I can only wait in eager anticipation and excitement to visit it again soon. Applause applause applause and infinite compliments to the chef.

- Angeline.

hello.

The student diet is a very funny thing.

Initial thoughts about it may consist of:

bread and butter?

baked beans?

… PASTA!

While these are all undoubtedly very representative of it, I, along with a few friends, am here to bring you a new perspective. Our aim isn’t to brag about the fine food we eat, but rather offer our view points, as young (sometimes broke) students just trying to maintain the love of food that is so often lost in the fast food filled, binge drinking, party-orientated, ahem, too-busy-studying-to-cook lifestyle of the undergrad.