NOPI: Alice in Wonderland mirror spins and unexpected outcomes

Quick entry this week.

After a quick drink at Hix bar with Twiglet sustenance added on to our bill as a non-optional but much enjoyed extra, I was lucky to be invited to Nopi - apparently stands for North of Piccadilly (which I checked and it is)

Nopi is Yotam Ottolenghi's new venture. I've never eaten an Ottolenghi meal before so my previous image of his cuisine was 'very attractive male chef concocts dishes with an eastern mediterranean influence that look and taste delicious and cost an arm and a leg'.

First Impressions
We walked in to a fairly sterile environment with few soft furnishings but some lovely light fittings and the quintessential bowl of chillies at the welcome desk. They found our reservation and the table was ready which was a good start to the evening. Our waitress was brilliant. Friendly but not too much, informative but not dictatorial, available but not overbearing. In short, faultless

The Food
The menu is split into vegetable dishes, fish dishes and meat dishes. There are no starters or mains here as it's all about the small sharing plate trend. A trend that has been welcomed by London foodies and puts an end to those miserable people who don't like sharing and those naughty women who steal chips off their boyfriends/lovers/husbands' plates.

We chose five dishes: two veg, two fish and one meat. They were all delicious and seemed to get better and better as different ones arrived. Flavour combinations such as blood orange with burrata and coriander seeds were spectacular. Seared prawns, fennel, white oregano and feta proved that fish and cheese can go together beautifully and braised lamb belly, mixed mushrooms and sumac was just stunning. The plates aren't huge but there are so many flavours going on that you relish every mouthful and your palate will be exhausted by all the excitement by the end.

The Surprise
Now, here comes the interesting bit. Our food took a little while to arrive. Not hours but probably a little longer than expected. I had time to pop down to the AMAZING toilets and do a couple of mirror spins without missing anything and still had time to chat some more so it wasn't a problem. But when the dessert menu arrived, the faultless waitress announced that because said food had taken a little while, they would offer a pudding or sweet dessert wine on the house - even though we hadn't said anything! Now that doesn't often happen.

And so two glasses of dessert wine came our way.
Go to Nopi. It's great!

And just to finish off, I revisited my previous view of Ottolenghi as follows: 'attractive ISRAELI chef concocts dishes with a MIDDLE EAST & ASIAN (geography was never my strength) influence that look and taste delicious (SPECTACULAR) and cost an arm and a leg...BUT IT'S WORTH IT!'

Election Fever and a lot of Rhubarb

It just so happens that our General Election hits at the same time as this very British plant comes into season.

Rhubarb, rhubarb, rhubarb. Am I referring to the fruit or to the quality of the debates between our three potential leaders?

Would a stick of rhubarb be better at running the country than any of the three key candidates?

Would a stick of rhubarb keep its mouth shut when the microphone is still on?

Answers on a polling card.

So this week's Food of the Week is rhubarb!

There seems to be very few interesting facts about rhubarb. It doesn't make your pee smell in the same way as asparagus, it's very bitter and its leaves are poisonous. It has been used in Chinese medicine for thousands of years and used to command prices several times those of opium or saffron in medieval times as it was so expensive to transport. It also grows wild along the banks of the river Volga in Russia.

In the UK the first rhubarb of the year is harvested by candlelight in dark sheds dotted around the noted "Rhubarb Triangle" of Wakefield, Leeds and Morley
All a bit dull really when rhubarb has a really distinctive flavour that deserves a much more interesting heritage. I love the fact it's as seasonal as daffodils and creme eggs and that we can't air freight it from Kenya. I also love the fact that it's very adaptable and goes with so many other flavours so well, from almonds to ginger to oily fish.

Where can I find good British rhubarb?

Like most fruit and veg, you can get British rhubarb everywhere. For really good stuff, (as ever) the biodynamic stall at Borough is a good bet and you'll get weird and wonderful shapes too

What can I do with rhubarb?

My favourite recipe for rhubarb is Giorgio Locatelli's rhubarb and amaretto tart - a great mix of flavours although most people wouldn't appreciate having to prepare the rhubarb a day in advance.

Otherwise, stew the rhubarb with a fair amount of sugar and concentrate it so it's not too liquid. Once it's cooled down you can stir it into natural yogurt (with some amaretti crumbled on top) or even use the strained liquid to make your own rhubarb cordial. The mushed rhubarb can be used to stuff oily fish like mackerel or even as a sauce for cod.
Restaurant of the Week

One to splash out in this week... (or just go for a drink at the bar!)

Hix, Soho, London

Mark Hix is a quasi celebrity chef who continues to champion British produce. Go to his restaurant in Soho and you'll find everything from the cocktail list in the bar right through to the menu in the slightly noisy but celebrity studded restaurant based on seasonal British food.

Lovely bar and great food although a little bit pricey - if you don't find rhubarb somewhere on the menu I'll eat my polling card!
Nearest tube is Piccadilly - expect to pay £60 per head