Chelsea brunch culture

I spoke to the people of Chelsea about the special breakfast culture that has developed there. I went to the area’s most popular breakfast haunts – from greasy spoons, The Mona Lisa, to the most exclusive, Bluebird – to find out why they go out for brunch.

…Mother’s day destinations

PAUL, Wimbledon Village

Mon deiu – the French can be picky about their food. And thank God for that. It means that we, in the land of fry-ups and porridge, benefit from our neighbour’s finer culinary exports. Paul, is one such treat.

The French family patisserie was feeding chic Parisian’s their morning croissant since 1889. That’s 120 years of honing the recipe for perfect pastry. As you bite into the buttery goodness – crisp on the outside soft in the middle – it shows.

It’s a sunny day in Wimbledon village, which means I’m more likely to turn into a bread roll than get served one. The outdoor seating is packed and I take a deep breath, preempting the inevitable queue that waits. But as I enter, my steps become lighter. It’s all so exquisite, so dainty, so French! The decor is simple-sophisticated. It has to be, to avoid competing with the presentation of sweet and savory treats, that sucks-in all who pass the threshold. “Cake display” seems like insulting. It’s more like a cabinet of jewels. The raspberry macaroons are rubies, the pistachio are emeralds and the chocolate torte exudes velvety richness.

This is designed to distract you, of course, from the fact that a croissant costs £2.00. By the time I sit down (inside) with my espresso and macaroon (large), I am grateful for the high prices. Any cheaper and I would of grabbed an extra’ chouquette’ (baby choux pastry balls coated with sugar), popped my jeans button and ruined the fantasy. My waitress Veronique, tells me that Paul sells 13 types of bread and 14 kinds of pastry, all are hand-made. Paul has 22 shops in London and the Wimbledon is the most recent edition. If you are lucky enough to stumble across one, I suggest you go in, just make sure you’re carrying enough change.

---

Paul’s special Easter range:
Oeufs Chocolat en Lait, a jar of speckled chocolate eggs
Oeuf de Pâques, a decorative egg shell full of chocolate mini eggs
Lapins au Caramel, bunnies filled with caramel covered with marble chocolate
Assortiment d’Oeufs au Chocolat, an assortment of chocolate eggs
Chocolate & Jelly Lollies, assorted novelty chocolate or jelly lollies

Credit Brunch

Why City workers have lost their appetite for lunch

Lavish corporate lunches are being axed to cut costs. In their place are less formal ‘credit-brunches’ -when businessmen meet their clients earlier and for less time,

Alex Moussaieff 25 year-old analyst a top investment bank, revealed in an interview that top executives are exempt from the the down-size. He said: “At the top level, expensive lunches have continued, now that is a right that you must earn”

As staff cuts increase and employees are left to shoulder the extra work, time allowed away from the desk has decreased. Alex estimates that in the junior department, such as his own, 90 percent of lunches are hosted in-house.

This allows clients to get a feel for how how company operates. But the long boozy lunches that typify the business meeting are not dead. Instead, they have been confined to the higher echelons of the corporate structure. However, as news of Jacqui Smith’s dubious expense account drags the issue of illegitimate claims into the spotlight. Perhaps this is the perfect time to reform the practice, beyond politics?

The rise of breakfast was formally recognised by the TV chef, John Torode. He publicy announced that the first-meal-of-the-day is having a resurgence on his BBC 2′s show, Master Chef. The new market has been further recognised has restaurants introducing new breakfast items. The prestigious hotel, The Wolseley in Piccadilly, resurrected its breakfast menu last month, while cutting down it’s lunch time a-la-carte option. We may be set to the see growth in pack lunch services.

 

Lunch at the desk has increased

 
Listen to my podcast featuring Alex Moussaieff, analyst at a top City investment bank

Duke of York Square food market, Chelsea

Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus ( c. 1482–1486)

Oysters, the breakfast choice of Essex fisherman for generations. Could you take the challenge..and enjoy it?

When Aphrodite sprang forth from the sea on an oyster shell and gave birth to Eros, the word “Aphrodisiac” was born. Oysters have been arousing passion ever since. But as I walk past the Maldon Oyster Bar, on Chelsea’s Duke of York Market, early on a Saturday morning all I muster is wan repulsion.

Ahead, a stall is covered in chocolate-coated edibles that are better suited for dunking in coffee. I walk towards but its no use, the Maldon owner has made eye contact. He starts beckoning me over with his index finger. He is an attractive fifty year-old with a healthy flush, and I wonder if the high zinc content of oysters are as good for the skin as for the libido. As I approach, it occurs to me that he wants to feed me a specimen. I panic. My track record is poor with salesman. I am drawn to the pushy ones in the same way curious insects are drawn to fly-traps, innocent yet knowing. I give the chocolates a wistful look, before moving towards the oysters and my fate.

“Would miss care to try an oyster, one for a £1?” The question is rhetorical. Before I have the chance to ask whether eating oysters before noon, on an empty stomach is a good idea, I am biting down on a the salty goo – half gritsle, half slime . “One chew and then swallow!” I follow his instructions buy kept help feeling violated.

I would hate to give the Oysters a bad reputation -they do taste wonderful with shallot and vineger. I only suggest you check you watch before having one, despite what the Maldon man says.

---

Recipe for hearty egg and oyster breakfast omlets, from www.cooks.com
9 eggs, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
8 med. size oysters
Bread crumbs
Butter
4 link sausages
4 lamb kidneys
4 slices bacon
Parsley

 

“Beat 1 egg in shallow bowl with a little salt and pepper. Dip oysters in beaten egg, then in bread crumbs; saute in butter until plump and golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Put link sausages in a small heavy pan and add a few drops of water. Cover and cook slowly until browned. Set aside. Split lamb kidneys in half, remove membranes, then place on a rack with bacon and broil, turning once until bacon is crisp and kidneys are done to your liking. Set aside.

Beat remaining 8 eggs with salt and pepper to taste. Melt some butter in a medium pan and pour one fourth of egg mixture into it when it’s hot. Arrange 2 oysters, 1 sausage, 2 kidney halves and 1 slice of bacon in the egg in pan. Cook as you would any omelet, but don’t roll it; then finish the last – minute cooking under the broiler. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley or keep warm in a low oven while you cook the other three omelets. Makes 4″

Dudley’s, Finsbury Park

light sabers hang from the wall

across between a nightclub and a sunbed

pizza or pancake?

Dudley’s – the strangest pancakes restaurant in North London?

Dudley’s, opened six months ago. It’s the strangest place I’ve ever paid to eat food. Twice the size of the greasy spoons and kebab shops that straddle it. From the outside there are no clues that this place sells pancakes. Unlike My Old Dutch, there is no attempt to anchor the menu to a theme or cuisine.

As you walk in, the confusion grows. The set is a thrown-back to eighties’ tack – neon tube lights and naff finishes. It cuts an unlikley figure on Finsbury Park’s main strip that hosts wigs shops, tapas bars, small world-food stores and pound shops. Neon lights buzz over the counter. They reflect a row of shiney bottles of syrup which intensify the bar effect. I feel like an extra on Wham’s Club Tropicana video

Infamous among locals for its pancake-pizza mutant signature dish (see the Facebook group), the four cheeses crepe (see picture) the menu is at best…experimental. Dudley’s has around 40 different pancakes. From the ultra-sickly crunchies and ice-cream (extra cream is optional), to the savory. The place is busy but the food arrives in good time. The pacakes are the size of bike wheels and I understand why the family of four next to me have shared one-between-two. A toddler is sticking its finger into a Chantilly tower, as if checking it is real. I leave inspired… to go home and learn to flip my own.