Smokey Tails - Hackney

Hackney Wick is not a bad choice for going out. You can fall out of Hackney Wick overground station straight into a bar. There aren't a huge amount of places to choose from, but definitely enough for a good night out. Especially if you want your fun outside, preferably along a canal. While the views are not quite Venetian, the crowd is fun and the vibe is right.

The latest addition to the scene is pop-up barbecue and cocktails joint Smokey Tails. A wooden structure built up against the canal with a large, partially covered terrace, it's around until October. The Crate Brewery, however, is permanent and has great craft brews and pizzas with a large canal-side area.

The cocktails at Smokey Tails are your standard fare from Summer Cups to Sours but the barbecue is worth the trip. 

Ribs have been slow-smoked before being thrown on the barbie and doused in sauce. The sauces are well balanced and allegedly made from old family recipies - one of the founders is from southern USA.

There is also the ubiquitous Pulled Pork in a bun, which I didn't try but looked good - glistening with the right amount of fat and juiciness.

The Wings here are exceptional - moist and falling off the bone and anointed in either barbecue or buffalo sauce, the latter of which was the perfect balance between hot and sour. 

As long as the weather holds up, there's meat on the grill and the decks are spinning, this is a good choice for a raucous Saturday night or a chilled Sunday afternoon.

Grain Store - Loubet does casual fusion in Kings Cross

Last year I lived in a lovely Georgian building between two great London restaurants - Bistrot Bruno Loubet and The Modern Pantry. I loved them both and often spent hours and hard earned cash swooning over their food. While very different in style, provenance and flavours, both restaurants served up the kind of food you want to eat - exciting, refreshing, comforting and delicious.

And now, I wonder if their close proximity facilitated some sort of molecular exchange, a fusion of foodie DNA. Or, did Bruno Loubet stand at the large windows of his restaurant gazing across the square at The Modern Pantry and, somehow, subliminal messages about fusion cooking and exotic ingredients wafted on the breeze into his subconscious? Whatever may have happened, there is no denying that Loubet's new enterprise, Grain Store, has similarities to the cooking of Anna Hansen at The Modern Pantry. And, from the vantage point of my Clerkenwell home, my theory seems feasible. Of course, Loubet has spent time working wonders down under. And Grain Store is yet another collaboration with the founders of Moro, whose commitment to North African flavours may have rubbed off. Whatever the reason, Grain Store is one of the most interesting restaurants to have opened lately, among a huge list of hasbeens and wannabes that have made up a large portion of this year's many openings.

Grain Store has two USPs; the humble vegetable will play a starring role, with meat as the co-star. And that there is still much more innovation and creative development left in the world of cocktail making. Tony Conigliaro is in charge of drinks, continuing this successful collaboration from my other neighbour that nearly caused my financial ruin - the Zetter Townhouse. The cocktails and other libations at Grain Store are rather special, even by today's standards where it has become commonplace for bars to make their own bitters and cocktails come aged in oak casks. The Granary Martini is an astonishing distillation of mustard seeds in vodka mixed with dry vermouth (presumably house-made) which would make the ideal accompaniment to roast beef. Other savoury cocktails include Cedar Wood Lemonade combining Fino sherry aged in cedar with lemon juice - refreshing, long and satisfyingly woody - and Pumpkin & Maple Syrup Bellini made with home-made pumpkin puree and 'de-sugared' maple syrup. 

And then there are the Greco/Roman wines. Smoked or infused with herbs, this picks up an ancient practise of flavouring wine - not unlike mulled wine but more subtle and served at room temperature. Even the non-alcoholic drinks on the menu have been given a molecular twist, such as Hay & Grass Water or even Silver Water which combines silver tip tea with cassis and water. 

After drinks on the sunny terrace overlooking the transformed Kings Cross goods yards, we moved to a table inside to eat. It is an interesting space, with tall, uncovered ceilings and shards of sunlight cutting across the open-plan kitchen. There are tables of different heights to break up the sound and kitchen annexes posted around the dining room - the pastry counter was next to the bar, looking more like a DJ's de-constructed decks. It is informal by Loubet's standards; again it has an antipodean insouciance which contrasts starkly with the starchy white of Loubet's bistrot down the road.

To start I had the Potato & Rye Bread, Seaweed Butter, Oyster and Borage leaves. The seaweed butter was a salty, umami treat but overpowered the oyster leaves, drowning out their subtle oystery flavour.

Chilled clear Lobster 'Bloody Mary' was a salad of plump lobster and heritage tomatoes over which was poured a reduction of vodka infused tomato liquor - very, very good but very small, although there was a generous amount of lobster.

The mains may challenge hardened carnivores. Chilli con Veggies with Brown Rice sounded a bit too like my mother's attempts at healthy food back in the '80s, while Vegetable Paella, Garlic & Tomato Snails seemed almost pointless, although I don't know this as I was not tempted to try it. I did, however, try the Buttermilk & Caraway Braised Cauliflower, Wood Baked Onions, Devilled Duck Heart - the meat components of any dish always appear at the end. This was really a dish of two parts; the duck hearts devilled and coated in a wine-based jus while the cauliflower nestled in its own pot in a thin, yoghurty sauce with too much caraway for my liking. I couldn't help wishing the duck hearts had come atop a creamy mound of mash instead.

The mash was present in Spiced Mash, Mint Pickled Cucumber, Raw Pinktop Turnips, Broad Beans, Confit Lamb Belly. Here again, the spicing of the mash fought against the soft, meaty flavour of the lamb and won. The lamb belly was beautifully cooked and tasted lovely once I had scraped off the mash. The crisp turnips and young broad beans were more successfully paired with the mashed potato and so I enjoyed them separately.

Reading this now, my review does not sound all that complimentary, but that is not the intention. I would definitely go back to Grain Store and try more of the dishes on offer. There is more to this restaurant than one visit can unveil and I am pretty sure it is worth the perseverance. And, as prices are surprisingly keen for cooking of this standard, an impromptu pit-stop when next in the area (may need to plan ahead at weekends) is definitely on the cards.

Starters from £3 to £6 although the Lobster Bloody Mary is £10
Mains from £10 to £14

Grain Store: Granary Square, 1-3 Stable Street, King's Cross, N1C 4AB
http://www.grainstore.com

Michelin starred innovation in South Tyrol

Where: Restaurant Sissi by Andrea Fenoglio, Via G, Galilei 44 - I-39012 Merano  http://www.sissi.andreafenoglio.com

I don't know why South Tyrol, in the far north of Italy, has disproportionately high number of Michelin stars - both for its geographic area and for its population. There must be something about the place that incites such dedication to creating and serving superlative food. I like to think this is because South Tyrol engenders the perfect combination - a passion and commitment to food that is truly Italian, blended with a more Germanic desire for precision and perfectionism. Whatever the reason, it is a great region made notable for its superb restaurants and its excellent produce. 

Merano is small city in South Tyrol (or Alto Adige, as it is known to the Italian speaking inhabitants and Sud Tirol to its German speakers) traversed by the Adige river and made famous in the 19th century as a thermal resort. Empress Sissi of Austria led the fashionable elite to Merano to take the waters and indulge in some fine wining and dining. Nowadays, one of the best spots for the latter is the Michelin starred Restaurant Sissi, owned by chef proprietor Andrea Fenoglio. Chef Andrea has been practising his craft in Merano for over twenty years and is something of a celebrity in the area.

On the evening of our visit on a balmy July evening, the sky was beginning to close in and we could hear distant rumblings of a storm. Inside the restaurant, the windows were thrown open and the tables were generously spaced, allowing for convivial conversation, rather than the hushed constraint and thinly veiled eavesdropping common in many starry establishments (a recent meal at the Villa Cipriani in Asolo would have been just that had it not been for the loud American who was in a mood to share and whose voice carried all the way across the valley to nearby Monte Grappa)

Anyway, to the food. We had a tasting menu of five courses, the price of which I do not know because, rather prosaically, the 'ladies' menu' did not contain any prices. Slightly worrying when it comes time to hand over the credit card at the end of the meal. But, before then, there was much to savour and enjoy. The parade of amuses bouche began with a very clever Liquid Pizza, which was a truly memorable tomato reduction with an olive oil and basil float. Perched on the edge of the glass sat a cube of mozzarella dusted with oregano.

Next was an egg yolk, delivered on a Chinese soup spoon. It turned out to be a spherified Bagna Cauda, an intense blend of sweet peppers, anchovies and capers. The perfect appetite awakener.

For my starter I went for the quartet of Antipasti, which turned out to be a sizeable tray loaded with four large starter portions. There was the Tonno di Gallina, which is the most brilliant invention in ages. For years I have been trying to justify my undying passion for tuna tinned in olive oil, in spite of everything I know about the sea's rapidly dwindling tuna stocks. And here was the answer, guilt-free. Chef Andrea had taken the choicest chunks of chicken and marinated them for three days in olive oil before canning the meat. The result was as near as dammit to the real thing. Sandwich shops around the world should do this immediately and the tuna crisis could be over in a flash.

This quartet of starters was very difficult to photograph so I hope my written descriptions will do them proper justice.

 The Tris di Bacala was salt cod done three ways with a brandade, cartillage of cod in a parsley pesto and the swim bladder (commonly referred to as tripe) which was cooked beautifully and resembled thick, chewy noodles - rich, salty and nutty.Tataki of Wild Boar came with wild mushrooms and a zippy vinaigrette and the final dish was a generous serving of slices of raw salmon wrapped around salad leaves and topped with salmon roe and bottarga.

My partner in gluttony had Chanterelles with Egg, Zucchini and Black Truffle which was a remarkable dish of earthy mushrooms topped with an 'egg yolk' which turned out to be an egg yolk, covered with a layer of hollandaise and cooked sous vide which burst open and cascaded over the mushrooms in the most satisfying manner.

The primi again used the finest ingredients to created bold flavours. A Cauliflower Cream Soup was grounded with saffron and made luxurious with thick slices of succulent scallop and a squid ink croquant.

Spaghetti with Sicilian Prawns was surprisingly served chilled, the pasta clinging to an intense tomato sauce. Sicilian prawns are always a delight, both for their crimson veining and their crisp, fresh burst of flavour. Personally, I would have preferred this dish warm as the flavours would have been more marked and less claggy. The deep fried prawn shell cut through the richness and provided texture.

Main courses included local game from the surrounding hillsides, chock full of wild boar and deer from nearby forests and free ranging cattle. South Tyrol is renowned for the quality of its dairy products and a glance around the lush pastures, interlaced with vineyards, explains why. Veal Sweetbreads were perfectly cooked so they were yielding but still retained a bite, anointed with a rich Marsala sauce and topped with local white asparagus.

Shoulder of Salt Marsh Lamb with Pistachio Crumb (possibly the only dish not locally sourced) was slow-cooked at low temperature to retain the earthy, herby flavours of the meat and was a joy to eat. The pistachio coating gave an interesting crunch while the timbale of vegetables was unremarkable.

South Tyrol is a slightly disorienting but overall successful fusion of Italian and Germanic cultures. Gnocchi is comfortably served alongside Spaetzle and Gelato with Apple Strudel. For a Michelin-starred pre-dessert in this region, chefs need look no further than the ubiquitous Apple Strudel as it is crying out to be deconstructed, re-imagined and reincarnated. At Restaurant Sissi, Chef Andrea took the essence of the flavours and captured them in a sphere, serving a stick of sugar-coated pastry alongside with a dusting of cinnamon. This was possibly the best strudel I have ever had as it got around the issue of soggy warm pastry which has lost its bite through close mingling with the cooked apple.

We closed with a bright and zesty dessert which was the perfect end to a rich meal - Lemon, Vanilla and Ricotta Ice cream with Kumquat and Preserved Lemons. The sharp flavours of the kumquat and lemons worked magic with the fresh, delicate and slightly salty ricotta ice cream. A drizzle of grassy olive oil brought the dish together. I loved it.

What we drank: After a chilled glass of Prosecco with our amuses bouche, we settled for the 2009 Campill from Pranzegg, made by a young artisan winemaker from nearby Bolzano. The blend was 95% Santa Maddelena (also known as Schiava or Vernatsch) with another local variety called Lagrein and Barbera making up the remainder. Santa Maddalena is a delicate grape, not unlike Pinot Noir, and there are increasing numbers of winemakers in the region creating extremely good wines with it. Another development in the highly regarded wine regions of South Tyrol is how winemakers are trying to breathe new life into the much maligned Lagrein, a robust but fruity red that was traditionally used as a blending wine.

The Campill was a fine wine with balance and great finesse and its slight spiciness came through very well served lightly chilled, as Santa Maddalenas often are. So, of course, we had two of them.

Over coffee and petits fours we watched as the heavens opened and blinding flashes of lightening criss-crossed the sky. As we waited out the storm, Chef Andrea proudly presented us with a dram of Italy's first single malt. Made by Puni in the foothills of the nearby Alps, this whisky has only just been released. It has not been aged in casks and so remains in its clear, unaltered form. I am no whisky aficionado but it seemed to go down well. A matured whisky, aged in Sicilian Marsala casks will be released in 2015.

Restaurant Sissi by Andrea Fenoglio takes the finest ingredients of the region and creates dishes that satisfy and excite, blending the two indigenous cuisines artfully with some clever and well-judged borrowing from around the world. The service was efficient and friendly and the atmosphere relaxed. 

Merano and the surrounding region of South Tyrol are simply stunning and surprisingly lacking in British tourists. This was my second visit in a year and it won't be long before I am back in the area again.

For more information on South Tyrol check out the tourism website 

http://www.suedtirol.info/en/

Courtesan - Brixton's new den of iniquity?

Where: Courtesan, 69 Atlantic Road, Brixton SW9 8PU http://thecourtesan.co.uk/

What: Courtesan is a new(ish) bar and restaurant in Brixton where the walls drip with the tears of a courtesan undone and the dim lighting adds to the louche allure. 'Who is free and who captivates?' asks the menu as, indeed, I was captivated by the dimsum and cocktails and found it difficult to prise myself away.

While the decor evokes opium dens of a romanticised Orient, the real attraction here is the dimsum. The cocktails aren't too shabby, either. Owner Hammant Patel Villa has brought together a crack team of dimsum ninjas, alumni of Hakkasan and Royal China, to deliver a dimsum menu that reassures with beautifully executed classics and excites with creative cultural fusions.

What we drank: There is a large selection of exquisite teas but the cocktails are not to be missed. Treacherous Heart was a heady blend of plum wine, Martell, red bean and chili - not for the faint hearted. More delicate but still packing a punch are the cocktails named after the legendary courtesans considered the four great beauties of China - at once sweet and seductive. Xi Shi, named for a woman once considered so beautiful that 'fish forgot to swim', blended Havana 7 year old with Prosecco, Dry Ancienne Curacao and Chrysanthemum honey while the less ethereal Courtier brought together Lapsang Souchong, aged Glenlivet and Laphroig whiskies with Fig liqueur and chili.

What we ate: The menu here is dimsum ranging from the classics to more innovative and creative flourishes such as the Jerk Chicken Parcel in Rice - a genius blend of flavours and a well-judged nod to the restaurant's environs. 

Szechuan Style Ribs were slow-cooked and yielding with a crunchy and fiery coating - these are now officially my favourite ribs.

The classics were created with an assured hand and were as good as some of the best in London - Char Siu Buns were filled with an unctuous honey barbecued pork, Soft and chewy Cheung Fun was given an extra dimension with the addition of a crispy layer of beancurd. King Prawn Dumplings were plumply filled with fine, translucent casings but had the added zing of wasabi which worked very well.

Baked dimsum included a Duck Puff which is unusual as most baked puffs contain pork. This one was a buttery and light puff pastry around dense and peppery slow-roasted duck.

Crocodile Bites were commendably cooked but lacked the umami punch or the intoxicating spice of the other dimsum.

Likes: The dimsum is excellent and the cocktails will make you stay longer than you planned. The late licence is another reason to stick around.

Dislikes: Alas, Brixton is a bit of a schlep for me so, sadly, I won't be going as often as I would like.

Verdict: A great addition to the burgeoning Brixton scene and a dimly lit den of seduction - a good alternative to the bright lights of the excellent eateries in nearby Brixton Village.

Hi Tech liqueur launched by son of the creator of Baileys

Baileys Irish Cream was an innovation of its time - the first time that whiskey was successfully combined with cream. That was back in the '70s. Now the son of the Bailey's creator, Anthony Wilson, has come up with another world's first, blending whiskey with real chocolate. 

Baileys Chocolat Luxe has been three years in the making and blends Irish whiskey with the finest Belgian milk chocolate. With 30 grams of chocolate in a 500ml bottle, the drink feels rich and silky and delivers a really chocolate hit. Unlike other chocolate flavoured liqueurs, Chocolat Luxe actually tastes like a very sumptious drinking chocolate, balanced with a hint of Madagascan vanilla and the earthy notes of Irish whiskey.

For a decadent chocolate hit try it over ice with fresh raspberries.

Baileys Chocolat Luxe is currently only available at Harvey Nichols at £16.99 for a 500ml bottle. A nationwide roll-out is planned for October this year.