Tag: japan

Posts, Venues

French meets Japan supper club at Mirey’s Restaurant

My friends Gerry and Ko have set up a popup restaurant in south London, showcasing their creative talent and delicious food. The event took place in the London Cooking Project, a community-run culinary initiative in Battersea aimed at fostering budding catering talent in the area. We signed up and were provided with this tantalising menu. During a fairly manic pre-Christmas week it was lovely to … Continue reading French meets Japan supper club at Mirey’s Restaurant

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Martini Food, Posts

Even more Izakaya food

If you’re wondering about what snacks to serve with a martini, you will find endless inspiration in the world of Izakaya. Izakaya can be roughly described as relaxed and usually low-cost Japanese gastro-pubs. I have written about them quite a bit before, mainly because of their warm atmosphere and inspiring array of tasty menu items that go very well with a martini. Quite a lot … Continue reading Even more Izakaya food

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Martini Food, Posts

Chilled scallop canapés with smoked paprika, seaweed-butter and lime

These sound fancy but they were quite easy to put together and can be made in advance, so they’re easy to serve if you’re having a party. Get about one scallop per guest (or two if you want to make it a more substantial dish than just a canapé). I love scallops. My dad was a scallop diver so they’ve never been far away from … Continue reading Chilled scallop canapés with smoked paprika, seaweed-butter and lime

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Martini Food, Posts

More martini snacks and canapes

I’m just going to leave this here…    What could be easier than olives and cheese-stuffed peppers that you picked up at the shops on the way home? I particularly like the colour contrast of these two. Oh and the taste. You can’t go wrong with the lemony-buttery taste of Nocellara olive flesh, while the soft creamy cheese paired very indulgently with the sweet piccante … Continue reading More martini snacks and canapes

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Martini Food, Posts

More Izakaya dishes

As I’ve previously mentioned, I love Izakaya culture.    So here are some more izakaya-inspired dishes to accompany a martini.    This is very simple: grill sweet potato in oil with a sprinkling of salt until ready. I was drinking a martini when I made this so I can’t remember how long it was in the oven for. 20 minutes? Who knows. There’s a reason … Continue reading More Izakaya dishes

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Martini Food, Posts

A Martini with Homemade Roasted Seaweed

I’ve previously mentioned my liking for seaweed so I thought I would make my own to go with a martini. After a fairly long walk on the Isle of Mull, I was looking around the beach for something edible to forage. The tide was fairly high but there were several rockpools containing thick gutweed, as above. This dark-green, grass-like seaweed lives in upper tidal areas, … Continue reading A Martini with Homemade Roasted Seaweed

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Posts, Venues

A Martini at Yumi, Soho, 4/5

I don’t want to recommend this restaurant. It’s lovely, tasty, friendly and authentic: the perfect Izakaya in a London setting. But when I visited, it was rather quiet. And I loved it. Located in the heart of London’s theatre district, I expected it to be mobbed on a Saturday evening, but there were no other diners when we arrived. We had the undivided attention of … Continue reading A Martini at Yumi, Soho, 4/5

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Posts

A Martini with Nori Seaweed

   Our family is probably not alone in this matter: we adore crisps but recognise that they are evil.    To my American readers – I’m referring to what you call ‘chips’ or ‘potato chips’.  I could make some cliche comment about how you have abused our language but your people did invent the martini so I have to pay at least some deference to … Continue reading A Martini with Nori Seaweed

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Martini Food, Posts

Martini Izakaya Dishes

An Izakaya is essentially a type of Japanese pub that specialises in food to accompany drinks. It’s basically my favourite type of drinks setting. I love the post-work, instantly friendly and relaxed atmosphere, completely free of pretension. Comparable to Spanish tapas or Turkish meze, the Izakaya-way is healthier than simply guzzling down a bucket of booze before staggering off for some fish and chips or … Continue reading Martini Izakaya Dishes

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