We start off in Balthazar, which we stumble across purely by accident, having headed into Covent Garden looking for a post ice skating watering hole. We prop ourselves up at the bar and hit the wine list. Very good, they have Bourgogne Aligote by the glass - a rare treat and the perfect white wine for a kir. So of course, I have that. More friends arrive, I discover the oyster menu and I want oysters, but only if they have Carlingford - I'm demanding - and they do, hurrah! The friends order more drinks, the lovely head barman asks if the oldest friend wants one, I say "no, she's American, she can't handle her drink." Turns out he's from Boston. Ah well. We still get his card and the offer to help us out with a table when we want to dine. What a sweetie. And the oysters are, of course, perfect.
Always wanted oysters to come by the eight, so when I'm in France I can order 'huit huitres'. Not sure the French would find this as funny as I do.
We then head to Flesh and Buns. I've been dying to eat here for a while, ever since Grace Dent wrote about it back when it opened and the cool kids were hanging out there. I love Grace Dent. She writes a great bad review, when called for. I can't do this. I'm so greedy that I'd probably fall face down into a Happy Meal and declare it one of the best things I've ever eaten. Although I've never actually eaten a Happy Meal. I am, however, partial to a quarter pounder with cheese as THE BEST HANGOVER CURE EVER. Shouty capitals intended.
We are late, we can't find it (mainly because I can't read a map), we need a pee. Hurrah, it's over there. And the staff are lovely and the ambience is great and there are toilets. And cocktails. We are saved.
Lurid pink and green cocktails. After oysters. What could possibly go wrong?
We fall on the food menu like it hasn't just been Christmas and we've stuffed ourselves every day. We order soft shell crab, beef skewers and edamame beans to start, and then go in for duck and crispy piglet belly as the flesh to go in our buns.
No pictures of the crab, because it was so divinely wonderful that we skull it down, with it barely touching the jalapeno mayonnaise, in ten seconds flat. Remember to take a snap of the deliciously spicy, cooked pink (don't tell Westminster Council) beef skewers before they too go down the hatch. Not sure there was any yogurt with them, as per the menu. Pretty sure I don't care.
Then the star of the show, the flesh and buns arrive. We have definitely ordered the two fattiest meats on the menu, and we are in heaven. The duck has crispy skin, chewy fat, that gorgeous contrast of really dark, almost offaly meat, along with the lighter, still intensely flavoured meat that falls off the bone. Its served with sour plum sauce (fabulous) and beetroot pickle (proceed with caution). And the piglet belly? My god, it's out of this world, crispy skin, wobbly fat and juicy meat. Its served with miso mustard (great) and pickled apples (which don't get a look in) We pile the flesh into the buns, which are like a cross between char Sui buns and bao. This makes me sound like I know what I'm talking about. I don't. I just find that char Sui buns have way too much dough and bao are great, and while these buns have a little more to them than bao, they're equally as good. Thus we are winning.
Duck, halfway through being devoured.
Piglet belly, as yet untouched. We ate it all.
Check out those buns
It doesn't look all that pretty assembled, but it tastes damn fine.
Once we've begged the lovely waitresses to take away the mere scraps we've left, they bring us the desert menu. The couple at the end of the table have had their own fire pit brought to them and are happily toasting marshmallows in it. We toy with the idea, and then decide we're good, we've had enough. And thus endeth another day this week where we've eaten so much we need to lie down. The January detox starts tomorrow. Yeah, right.
www.balthazarlondon.com
www.fleshandbuns.com
Location:Balthazar and Flesh and Buns
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