Taste London Round Up - Regents Park, NW1

We popped down to Taste at the weekend and it seemed like most of London joined us as well. Apart from the rain and mud it was a pretty good way to spend an afternoon and here’s a quick round up of my food and drink highlights:

The Shrimp and Scallop Burger from Scott’s – Sweet Scallop and Shrimps were formed together into an amazing burger served with a very “special” sauce. Just delicious! Great portion size as well compared to some of the offerings.

The Popcorn Duck from Club Gascon – This had to be one of the best dishes of the day. The duck just fell apart and was so deeply flavoured. The sauces were fantastic and the even the popcorn was brilliant and I hate popcorn!

The Balls from Bocca Di Lupo – Veal and Pork, Mozzarella and Tomato Arancini these really give our humble Scotch Egg something to aspire to. I’m definitely going to be working on my own versions of these soon.

Michel Roux’s Charentais Melon and Beef Jelly – Paired with some subtle Parma Ham this was a great take on a classic dish. The Melon was fantastically sweet but the Jelly could have been that bit more savoury for my liking.

The Fennel Crusted Lamb Cutlets from Benares – Like no other Lamb Cutlet I’d had before in an Indian restaurant they had an amazing depth of flavour and smokiness that left me wanting more. It looked pretty ropey I have to say but it was well worth a try in the end.

The Tapas from the Estrella Damm Tent and Omar Allibhoy – Foie Gras Lollipops with a Sherry Glaze and Pistachio Crust, Morcilla de Burgos, Endive with Valdeon, Anchovy and Red Pepper and best of all Estrella Damm on tap!

We got a chance to talk to Omar Allibhoy as well who talked us through the food and the pairing with Estrella. The beer was a great match to the Tapas and has long been a personal favourite of mine anyway so it was great fun to try them together.

Other than the Estrella we valiantly worked our way through the various spirits and beers on offer from the smaller exhibitors. We trooped through all the Rekorderlig Ciders, which went down lethally well in the brief spell of sunlight.

It was great to chill out in the San Miguel tent; prop ourselves up against the Young’s bar as well and snack on Oysters while drinking Champagne as well. We stumbled home when we’d had our fill to snooze in front of the television sated; slightly drunk and definitely a couple of pounds heavier.