Fu Manchu, Clapham North

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant, Late Night, Chinese
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Food, Party, Small Groups, Large Groups

Seconds away from the tube, Arch 635 has been revamped to become a ‘restaurant/bar/nightclub’, with an Edwardian/Opium Den twist, named after the controversial character of Dr. Fu Manchu.

The Flowering Lily & Jasmine Cha

I have pointed out problematic themes in the past, such as the issues faced at the Powder Keg Diplomacy, Wandsworth (Click HERE for Review) – and will do so here as well.

Those who know the inspiration of author Sax Rohmer’s infamous villain know that the Doctor isn’t just an antagonist, but introduced in the book ‘The Mystery of Fu Manchu’ as the “Dr. Fu Manchu, the Yellow Peril incarnate in one man” – a character that did not help the widespread Sinophobia present in the UK in the early 1900s. The portraits of actors in yellow-face in the corridors might supposedly be ironic, I don’t quite see the point. If it is one designer’s glorification of a character they like, it’s pretty dated.

Outside the embarrassing yellowface, Fu Manchu also happily invited Dapper Laughs to perform at their venue. Make if it what you will.

Anyway, décor-wise, the arch is kept primarily empty to allow space for partying and socialising, while the banquettes circling the room provide raised seating for diners, guarded by decorative wooden Chinese panelling. Expect much calmer music in the afternoons, and in the late evenings, some soulful or deep house, and nu disco for your dim sum by candlelight in the purple-hued room.

The Mai Chai

Cocktail-wise, the drinks are a large variety, and themed as well – though not many on the short and neat side.

What you want to order is the Blood of Fu Manchu – at first glance it might *just* seem like a twist on the Bloody Mary, which it essentially is – but will surprise upon first sip. Eristoff vodka, Chinese 5 Spice, 10 yr old Port, ginger puree, oyster sauce and chilli powder, topped up with tomato juice. Much like the Asian Bloody Mary by The Manhattans Project (Click HERE for Review!), it takes inspiration for East Asian ingredients to make an absolutely fantastic cocktail. The salt of the oyster sauce really does the trick to balance out the Port and ginger puree’s sweetness, and the result is a well-balanced, spicy funfest that the Hoodooist highly recommends out of the Fu Manchu menu.

Another high on the list would be the Mai Chai – Ron Zacapa 23 rum, with Kraken Black Spiced, Orange Curacao, lime and Chai Tea syrup – beginning with the smooth Ron Zacapa and hints of orange, building into the spicier flavours of Kraken, finally coming to rest on the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom of the chai syrup. Sweet/sour, smooth, a kind of simplicity some of the drinks on the menu could learn from.

The Dragon Fruit Paloma

The Dragon Fruit Paloma, an amped up take of the Mexican classic, Sauza Hacienda tequila, Cocchi Americano vermouth, lime juice are mixed in with muddled Dragon Fruit provide a laid back, bright and refreshing. Sauza is either a strange, or very intentional choice of tequila – a very mild, almost characterless tequila on its own (got a few fruit notes, with a white pepper finish), it vanishes in this cocktail. Perhaps making it sneakier?

The cocktail is primarily lime and Dragon Fruit, the vermouth makes and appearance with and orange undertone, and ending on a quinine bite.

L-R: Lady Jasmin, Blood of Fu Manchu, Chai Tea-Ni

The Lady Jasmin twists the classic White Lady by using Jasmine syrup with the Bombay Sapphire gin, Cointreau, lemon juice, eggwhite and Angostura bitters. Pale, frothy and textured, garnished with a purple orchid, the drink is similarly demure, and gentle. Sweet, but almost imperceptibly so with the laid-back nature of jasmine. If you’re cautious around powerful drinks, this would be right up your street, though it left the Hoodooist neither here nor there. The Lady Jasmin does what it sets out to do, and serves you exactly what it told you it would.

Slightly less reserved than the Lady Jasmin, her feistier sister, the Yuzu-Tsu, brings Japanese yuzu tea paste to Cariel Vanilla vodka, Cointreau, lemon juice, egg white and Angostura bitters. Fragrant in two separate ways, the nose is powerfully vanilla, but the taste brings the yuzu’s fragrance out strongly. Tart, yet still somewhat in line with the Lady Jasmin’s gentleness. The same look and texture as the Lady, but garnished with a dried slice of citrus. One should probably use an aromatised yuzu spray to lessen the powerful vanilla nose a bit, but if one doesn’t mind it, it shouldn’t pose any issue.

The Kwang Su Boulevardier

The Kwang Su Boulevardier, now that sounds right up the Hoodooist’s street: Nikka From the Barrel Japanese whisky, with Antica Formula vermouth, Campari, and Dr. Adam Elmegirab’s Aphrodite Bitters. Loving the first three, the Hoodooist has somewhat of a love/hate relationship with the Aphrodite bitters, which bring powerful cocoa, Arabica coffee, ginseng, ginger and chilli to the fore. In this cocktail though, there are hints of cocoa and a very distant (if you’re looking for it) spice from the bitters.

Otherwise, it begins on a light note – from the Nikka – then moving onto the Campari taking centre stage, and then settling on the warm winter flavours of the Antica Formula’s spices and bitter orange.

Now, it depends on the bartender you have – a colleague received a bland, tasteless drink, whereas the Hoodooist’s turned out surprisingly layered – so I’d imagine you want bartender Wayne to make this for you! A decent aperitif.

The two, very different, Kwang Su Boulevardiers.

Finally, because there must be one, avoid the Green Tea-ni. Do not be enamoured by its promises of earthy Matcha. Because what you will get is painfully sour and confused appletini of sorts, with Bombay Sapphire gin, apple, an overwhelming amount of lime juice, and sugar syrup. One sip from the table was all that was stomached before being set aside.

The dim sum is slightly modernised and moves away from ‘traditional’ dim sum in some ways. Whether one reads this as a step forward or back is up to the reader.

One to recommend would be the Tai Chi Bo Coy Gow scallop and spinach green dumpling. Similarly, the otherwise simple Lor Pak Gou turnip cake is turned up to eleven with Chinese sausage and prawn.

One that you must absolutely order is the Monkfish and lime phoenix-eye dumpling, this Fung Yan Gow starts off with the powerful flavours of the monkfish, and slowly build up to a lime crescendo – loved this. One of the less traditional offerings would be the Chi Si Hoi Sin Kou cheese-stuffed cuttlefish and prawn balls – which, though a more Italian, works spectacularly.

The lobster, prawn and bamboo shoots Lung Har Gau, though, one shouldn’t spend their hard-earned £9.50 for.

Do not forget the great selection of teas! The flowering Lily and Jasmine work a treat.

Must haves: Monkfish Fung Yan Gow

The more quiet times of day, 5-8 PM means quick and attentive dinner service, however once the crowd pours in for the club nights, ordering a drink can be bit of a task – but servers do their best to help, but might need a slightly thicker skin to move through the crowd.

As one can expect from a club night, drinks are made quickly, and the wait can be long, so as seen with the Kwang Su Boulevardier above, unpredictability is a factor to be taken into account.

Custard dumplings!

London needs more venues that can provide a clubbing experience with cocktails – and a longer food menu certainly doesn’t hurt. One hopes Fu Manchu is a precedent to further venues of the sort to grow in the city, if only to satisfy each friend on a night out.

Drinks: ***
Atmosphere: Casual racism and misogyny, fun for the whole family!
Service: ****

Fu Manchu

15-16 Lendal Terrace,
London SW4 7UX.

http://fumanchu.co.uk/

Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings, Clerkenwell

May27

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant, Victorian, Vintage
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, Large Groups, Lounging

You want a summer bar? We have a summer bar.

Bank Holiday Friday was the best afternoon to be at the third installment from the B&H Group, who’ve brought us classics like the Bourne & Hollingsworth Bar (Click HERE for Review!), and the Reverend JW Simpson (Review HERE!), but thankfully, this one isn’t in a basement.

Sun danced off the greenery outside and shone through the vast windows of the venue, illuminating the climbing wall-gardens and glorious mosaic bar that snakes along the beautifully bright venue. The summer heat wafted away by canopy fans, dear Powder Keg Diplomacy, this is how you do colonial-Victoriana right (and not be a douche about it).

The Hoodooist is in love with the venue, and whiled away a good few hours propped up on that gorgeous bar with his books, as a smattering of others laid back on couches and banquettes in conversation over prosecco. The bar isn’t the easiest to get to, which might be a good thing – the late evenings can bring crowds, so it being a bit hidden away keeps the afternoons wonderfully quiet to lounge.

Cocktails have a signature B&H feel to them, fruits, berries, and distinct sweetness are a running theme.

Beginning with the New Willy Bourne – Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt stirred with Laphroaig, Campari and Cinzano Rosso sweet vermouth, finished with house bitters and lemon oils. Confident, the cocktail strides in with the initial Monkey Shoulder notes of creamy butterscotch, sweet and buttery, followed by the powerful oak and smoke of the Laphroaig, hints of iodine tracing behind alongside the Campari. A finish of the sweeter fruit notes of the Cinzano and lemon oils.

Easily the best of the night, and a must order on the menu.

The Baci is a surprisingly strong and punchy drink – Grappa shaken with strawberry vermouth, homemade Seville orange liqueur and a hint of citrus, finished with aromatic maraschino liqueur and a twist of grapefruit. The first millisecond of the sip seems blank, but then all of a sudden the orange and maraschino assault the drinker as the grappa develops – finishing on the strawberry vermouth. A fun cocktail, playful and summery. One will have to be prepared for the powerful citrus and sweet fruit flavours of this drink.

bourne and hollingsworth buildings cocktails

The New Willy Bourne

The Fig and Thyme Scofflaw is a powerfully flavoured cocktail – fig and thyme-infused cognac, lemon, vermouth and grenadine. The vanilla is strong on the nose, and the sweeter notes in the cognac come forward first, with the apple from the vermouth and grenadine, before giving way to the figs.
The West Indies Gimlet is exactly what it sounds like – Navy Strength Gin, Steve’s Falernum #7, fresh lime juice and house bitters. The lime is a tad overwhelming here, and distracts from the complexity of the Falernum, it’s the one thing I’d change about this otherwise bright, citrusy drink.

L-R: The Rum & Plum, the West Indies Gimlet

The Cydonian Smash brings quince and thyme jam smashed together with fresh ginger, lemon wedges and mead, rolled with rye whisky and frozen with crushed ice. Other than the quince and bits of ginger and thyme, little can be tasted in this cocktail, maybe because of the quickly melting crushed ice. There is a bit of rye that comes through, but struggling.

Finally, the Rum & Plum stands out with the biggest price tag at 12 pounds (versus the others at around 8.50), Santa Teresa 1796 rum stirred with prune vermouth and bitters. Unfortunately, the raised priced tag does little for the actual drink, which is overpowering and rather sickly sweet.

L-R: The Cydonian Smash, the Fig & Thyme Scofflaw

At the bar, service is excellent. Even when crowds roll in (around 7PM), drinks come in swift, with close attention paid to customers. Bartenders are keen to discuss drinks and provide recommendations, always a plus.

The Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings are a beautiful and atmospheric addition to the B&H collection, and can teach many a thing or two about running a summer bar. Spotless surrounds and impeccable service make it a must-see. The cocktails suit the venues style, and still have a certain B&H tendency to sweetness. It might be a bit out of the way, but still garners quite a bit of attention, and recommend it for an early escape to finish that book you’ve had lying on the coffee table for the past month. It’s a walk, but worth the trek.

Drinks: ***
Atmosphere: *****
Service: ****

Bourne and Hollingsworth Buildings

42 Northampton Road,
London EC1R 0HU

http://bandhbuildings.com/

Kansas Smitty’s, Broadway Market

May22

Type of Bar: Speakeasy, Basement, Tiny, Jazz
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Live Music, Small Groups, Juleps

Kansas Smitty’s ‘puts the danger back in jazz’ with their new Jazz n Julep bar at Broadway Market!

Taking the place of PortSide Parlour’s first residence (Click HERE for Review!), Kansas Smitty’s takes a minimalist and powder blue revamp to the basement of Off Broadway. Much space saved for standing guests, banquettes line the walls for table seats that sit about 4 persons, a dark, intimate, candle-lit venue that suits the music fantastically. Namesake of the eight-piece resident house band for whom the clubhouse is both a performance and rehearsal spot.

Throughout the week, the venue will be used by the house band and guest musicians to rehearse, perform and create music, a unique setting for live jazz in London. On Wednesdays the bar will host the ‘Basement Tapes’, a weekly concert featuring new projects, guest performers, secret shows and new pieces written and rehearsed that week in the bar. With limited space and high calibre performances these will be hot tickets to get hold of. At other times, band members will play their favourite records for guests, providing a soundtrack of quality music.

I was curious to see how KS was about to pull off the all-Julep menu, and boy, did they – a massive collection of spices and botanicals changes the Julep game entirely. Everything from Cassia to Chamomile, these juleps are doing their best to stand out from the crowd and change the way you see the cocktail entirely. Four of the 8 Juleps use sweeter Four Roses Bourbon, and the mint is used just right, and not abused the way it is in many bars.

The bar signature, the Smitty’s Julep, is probably the best to start with, and the most balanced and layered of the menu. Bourbon, Amaro bitters, raisin, peach, cassia bar and mint. Beginning with the honeyed winter spice bite of the Four Roses, the raisins make a short entrance, followed by a powerful punch of cassia bark, finally ending on notes of the Amaro’s bitter orange and mint haze. Light, refreshing, and deserving of the title of the bar’s signature Julep.

The signature Smitty’s Julep

The next three Juleps could really be called ‘specialty’ cocktails, that focus on a specific flavour and jump in headlong:

The Allotment Julep takes a twist with gin! Nettle, elderflower, carrot, coriander seed, apple, pear and mint seem like an enormous combination, but the result is a wonderfully light, breezy concoction. Predominantly fruity with the apple and pear, the occasional carrot kick, the fruitiness is broken by the coriander seed and nettle. A great light twist with the heavier drinks on the menu.

One such heavy drink being the Jesuit’s Bark – Mt. Gay rum, clove, pimento, lime, grapefruit peel, quinine cordial and mint. Wow. Packing a serious punch, you want to dedicate a good half hour to this drink. The rum and clove don’t mess around, and you get whacked round the face with it – so make sure you enjoy these flavours (luckily, the Hoodooist does). A slight lightening of flavours by the grapefruit peel and mint to the end, with a longer quinine finish, with lingering spice and smokiness of the Mt. Gay.

Another one of these ‘flavour specialty’ Juleps is the Scarborough: Bourbon, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, toasted almond, salted heather honey and mint. It’s a bit difficult to tell each of the ingredients apart in this one, but you get a good idea with the green herbiness of it, the parsley is notable, as you’d imagine. The toasted almond lingers in the background as the salted heather honey actually is rather powerful, and necessary to balance the green.

Then, two themed Juleps: the Morning Joe-lep and the Sleepytime.

The Morning Joe-lep goes for bourbon, coffee bean, stem ginger, cardamom, cocoa nibs and bitter orange marmalade. I had my heart set on this one, but a lot of powerful flavours come at you at once, and it all feels a bit muddled and confused.

The Sleepytime, though, gets more points. Scotch whisky, chamomile, pink peppercorn, raspberry, lemon peel and mint – you the first slightly sweet, but still smoky bite of scotch, immediately moving on to the raspberry and lemon, finally ending on a smooth length of chamomile. All served with a delicate ice-crater filled with raspberries. Best in terms of presentation, and of the sweeter drinks on the menu, the most balanced.

The one cocktail that wasn’t received well at the table would’ve been the Ous Est Le Menthe. Cognac, sherry, tonka bean, cascara, star anise, walnut and nutmeg. The cognac, sherry and walnut stand out prominently, but the drink overall, comes off a bit sticky and sickly, and sadly wasn’t finished.

Not that this should end on a bad note, with the otherwise excellent drinks available on the menu.

Drinks are to be ordered at the bar, and there will be queues, and massive respect to the bartenders juggling as many drinks as they did! Major props. So there might be bit of a wait for the drinks, but it is totally understandable in the space constraint and number of orders. Excellent work and service on part of the ‘tenders.

Summary? London was long due a bar like Kansas Smitty’s – revolutionising Juleps with a deft hand, and masterfully thought out recipes, bringing back a more relaxed atmosphere to cocktail bars, and finding that great mid-space between gig-venue and cocktails. Definitely worth a visit.

Drinks: ****
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ****

Kansas Smitty’s
Underneath ‘Off Broadway’

63 Broadway Market,
London E8 4PH.

http://www.kansassmittys.com/

Yelp! presents: Dr. Alexander’s Mad Scientist Soirée!

May18

If you were lucky enough to win Highball Hoodoo’s contest for 2 VIP tickets to Yelp’s Mad Scientist Soirée, you certainly won big! 12 food stalls! 7 bars! 9 dessert spots! And a MINI ICE-CREAM FESTIVAL of 7 different icecreamers!

Yelp has an edge over competitors with it giving back to users in the form of its occasional parties, open to press and the most proficient Yelp users, called the Elite, for loyal participation. The Mad Scientist Soirée opened its doors 2 hours earlier to Elite for a VIP session where they could explore the incredible collection of stalls in the own time – This year’s Mad Scientist themed event took place in the open air of the Shoreditch Strongroom – with it’s own ICE CREAM FESTIVAL.
Okay I’m getting ahead of myself. I just really, really like ice cream.

Lab coats donned, the Elite manoeuvre past the immersive theatre company Rumpus, the Party – being the absolutely most delightful dieselpunk engineering maniacs – to stuff themselves on scotch bonnet glazed pork ribs by HotBox London, just falling off the bone – washed down with a shot of vodka from the IceBar London’s ice-sculpture syringe (careful getting that in your beard *cough*).

Kent Crispts know their ways around hazard signs

If you’d rather go for something savoury, crisp companies from all over brought their own unique crisp styles to the table, from the Soffles Pitta chips, to the popped crisps by popchips, or the inimitable flavours of Kent Crisps – from roast beef and spitfire ale, to oyster and vinegar and ooh, the smoked chipotle chilli!

La Polenteria’s chocolate cake!

L’Atelier des Chefs showing you round the sushi mat

Yelp Science Soiree Duke of Delhi Chocolate

The Duke of Delhi has mastered the art of spice and chocolates. Final word.

After a bite of chocolate polenta cake by La Polenteria, grab a sushi rolling lesson from L’Atelier des Chefs before hitting the desserts hard. Harry Brompton’s vodka ice tea in hand, *definitely* grab a bar of the incredible cocoa-wizards of Duke of Delhi, and do NOT miss that dark chocolate and lime (the Hoodooist has always been wary of how chocolatiers handle lime in their chocolate, but the Duke seems to have found a way!). Get over devouring their spiced selection before moving on to something more traditional in the London Marshmallow Company’s S’mores, with their huge collection of varied flavoured mallows to go in! (Can’t turn me away with rosewater on the menu).

Primrose Bakery’s sciency cupcakes!

Yelp Science Soiree Harry Brompton Ice Tea

Harry Brompton’s Ice Tea with picnic season comin’ up

*The reaction when the glass is sweating*

A rival on the dessert front, Primrose Bakery’s ever-popular signature Mars bar Crispies, followed by a spoon of the Fairytale Gourmet’s Envious Queen Himalayan salted caramel, or Tinkerbell popping pixie dust (literally devoured the salted caramel, and the illustrations!). Take a break from the sweet with Smith and Sinclair’s cocktail confectionary! Chewy pastilles with kick, a variety ranging from Spiced Rum (literally like solid Captain Morgan), or the Gin & Tonic (an Aviation you can chew!). Love that Whiskey Sour.

Smitch & Sinclair’s Cocktail Confectionery

Fairy Tale Gourmet’s magical confectionery/

Fairy Tale Gourmet’s Himalayan Salted Caramel.

Callestick Farm’s Clotted Cream Vanilla to die for.

Bubble Tea by Bubbleology while admiring the FRANKENSTEIN’S CAKE by Adam’s Cakes before hitting the ice cream festival? Hit Rumblin’ for a regularly changing naughty rum-n-icecream combo, this time Kraken and Salted Caramel, followed by the Clotted Cream Vanilla icecream by the wonderful Callestick Farm – I mean, that flavour is spot on!

The winner, though? Udderlicious and their Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt – one of the more adventurous ice creams at the party comes with the occasional bite of salt to contrast with the semi-sweet dark chocolate, washed down by a milkshake by Shaken Udder. Nom.

Literally cannot move now.

Udderlicious’s Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt just wins.

Last year’s Elite Summer Garden Party (Click HERE for Review!) was loads of fun, but this was downright debauched! Perpetually with a cocktail in one hand and a dessert in the other, Yelp! London outdid themselves at the Mad Scientist Soirée. A spectacular way to discover more of the foodie world, and look forward to more!
Want in? Either become a Yelp! Elite, or Follow Highball Hoodoo for a chance to win in the future!

For information on becoming a Yelp Elite, see http://www.yelp.co.uk/elite

VIP TICKET GIVEAWAY: THE MAD SCIENTIST SOIRÉE!

May5

Update: Congratulations to winner @Chiyo_Kyoto, and thank you to everyone who participated!

———————————————————————————————————————————————-

Wanna win big?

Highball Hoodoo has got TWO VIP TICKETS for you to win to the biggest foodie event of the summer!

Yelp! presents: Dr. Alexander’s Mad Scientist Soirée!

12 food stalls! 7 bars! 9 dessert spots! And a MINI ICE-CREAM FESTIVAL of 7 different icecreamers!

AND IT’S ALL FREE!

EXPLODING COCKTAILS! Live Street Art! Casino Games! A GIF photobooth! Magic! And much, much more!

With 15 different entertainers while you nosh on the biggest collections of food and drink names in London this summer on 12th May!

To WIN, all you have to do is follow Highball Hoodoo on Twitter at @HighballHoodoo and retweet this post:

https://twitter.com/HighballHoodoo/status/595542210105516032

And the winner will be announced on the 9th of May!

And that’s all you have to do for a chance to win VIP tickets to Dr. Alexander’s Mad Scientist Soirée!

You must attend the party in your finest science attire. And be ready for anything. Things may go a little… mad.

** FEATURING **

The Wonderful World of Digital Shoreditch, happening that entire week. (digitalshoreditch.com)

MaD sCiEnCe LaBoRaTOrY cReAtEd By:
Full Circle Productions (wearefullcircle.co.uk)
Shoreditch-AV (Shoreditch-av.co.uk.)

FOOD FROM:
Bobo Social (yelp.co.uk/biz/bobo-soci…)
Friends of Ours (yelp.co.uk/biz/friends-o…)
Gourmet-Culture (wine-culture-shop.com)
HotBox London (yelp.co.uk/biz/hotbox-lo…)
Kankun Sauce (kankunsauce.com)
Kent Crisps (kentcrisps.co.uk)
L’atelier des Chefs (yelp.co.uk/biz/l-atelier…)
popchips (popchips.co.uk)
PROPERCORN (propercorn.com)
Sagitter One (sagitterone.co.uk)
Soffles Pitta Chips (soffles.com)
World of Zing (yelp.co.uk/biz/the-world…)

DRINKS FROM:
Bubbleology (yelp.co.uk/biz/bubbleolo…)
Cawston Press (cawstonpress.com)
Harry Bromptons Iced Tea (harrybromptons.com)
Hawkes Cider (wearehawkes.com)
Icebar London (yelp.co.uk/biz/icebar-lo…)
Monster Energy (monsterenergy.com)
Yes! Juice (yelp.co.uk/biz/yes-juice…)

SWEETS FROM:
Adams Cakes (yelp.co.uk/biz/adams-cak…)
Duke of Delhi (dukeofdelhi.com)
Emily Fruit Crisps (emilyfruitcrisps.co.uk)
Fairy Tale Gourmet (fairytalegourmet.com)
Primrose Bakery (yelp.co.uk/biz/primrose-…)
Smith & Sinclair (smithandsinclair.co.uk)
The London Marshmallow Company (londonmarshmallows.co.uk)
The South East Cakery (yelp.co.uk/biz/the-south…)
Urban Fruit (urbanfruit.co.uk)

*PLUS!*
DOCTOR XANDER ALEXANDER’S WORLD FAMOUS OLD TIMEY ICE CREAM FESTIVAL:
Callestick Farm Ice Cream (yelp.co.uk/biz/callestic…)
Lick (yelp.co.uk/biz/lick-lond…)
LICKALIX (lickalix.com)
Rumblin (rumblin.co)
Shaken Udder (shakenudder.com)
Udderlicious (yelp.co.uk/biz/udderlici…)
WhipSmiths (whipsmiths.com)

FINALLY ENTERTAINMENT GALORE FROM:
Boothnation (yelp.co.uk/biz/boothnati…)
The Cake App (thecakeapp.com)
Christy’s (christys-hats.com)
Chrome & Black (yelp.co.uk/biz/chrome-an…)
Deano Spagnetti (twitter.com/@deanospagne…)
Gizmo’s Lab (gizmos-sciencelab.co.uk)
Grosvenor Casinos (yelp.co.uk/biz/the-victo…)
iCracked (icracked.com)
Mothers & Shakers (mothersandshakers.net)
Mr Bubble (mrbubble.co.uk)
Paul & George (Decade Jockeys/Known Pleasures)
ThinkWall (thinkwall.com)
Truffle Social (trufflepr.com/Truffle_PR…)
Vodka Luge London (yelp.co.uk/biz/vodka-lug…)
Zap Magic (zapmagic.com)

Remember, all you got to do to WIN, all you have to do is follow Highball Hoodoo on Twitter at @HighballHoodoo and retweet this post:

https://twitter.com/HighballHoodoo/status/595542210105516032

Best of luck, tweeters!

Joe’s Southern Kitchen & JAILBIRD, Kentish Town

May4

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant, American
Damage: £ – ££
Ideal for: Small Groups, Food, Hangover, Comfort Food

The 2014 trend of the American South goes strong the Joe’s Southern Kitchen opens in Kentish Town, with the cocktail bar JAILBIRD downstairs (with booths in the once-jail-cells!) Whereas its Covent Garden cousin goes for a more anju style menu, with more small plates, the Kentish Town branch is more for a proper face-stuffing.

The cuisine certainly isn’t meant to be taken apart and analysed, but a hearty, cheese-soaked, indulgent comfort-feast for a hangover (great. Now I want it after a hangover.)

Expect clotted cream and Red Leicester in your gooey corn spoon bread, and more Red Leicester with 3 other cheeses in the ooziest of mac n cheeses (one of the more addictive MnC’s I’ve had). Poached egg, dijonnaise and red onion jam sits on the short rib that will change your opinion of meatloaf, and for many, the question of why on god’s green earth you’d serve waffles with chicken will be answered.

I didn’t quite get the answer, but it didn’t really matter because BOURBON MAPLE SYRUP.

…..

BOURBON MAPLE SYRUP.

Sorry, I just get very excited about it.

….
Oh yes, cocktails!

The list in the restaurant upstairs is the same as downstairs, and are heavily reliant on Jim Beam and Stolichnaya. The Hoodooist couldn’t help but feel the ingredients seemed a bit muddled.

One that stood out from the messier drinks was a confident Bullish Negroni: Bulleit Rye, Campari, Antica Formula vermouth. Which was…surprising. Smooth, pleasant, self-assured. The smokiness of the Bulleit Rye is very much present, but the spicy tobacco flavour is tame in comparison to the other ingredients. It’s light sweetness of fruits and orange zest plays a part alongside the Campari – which is immediately followed by the winter spices of the Antica Formula that continue into the length of bitter oranges and cherries. The first sip might seem foreign, but instantly becomes very familiar and welcoming.

The Bullish Negroni

Two Old Fashioneds next, a Knob Creek, and a Woodford Reserve. The Knob Creek is up for anything, dry, fiery flavours come through – firewood and the sound of a straight razor dragged across a leather-strop. Followed by a nutty spice and oak. On the other hand, the Woodford Reserve is mellowed too far (at least in the Hoodooist’s opinion), removing all the pleasurable rye, ginger or coffee notes, leaving only a wintery sweetness.

Pause for obligatory Jim Beam White Label Pickleback. A 5GBP Margarita does the job (if you’re being charged more than a max of 6 pounds for a Margarita, someone’s cheating you). A sip of a friend’s Lucky Stag, though (Jim Beam Red Stag, Maraschino, egg white, lemon, sugar) was cringey.

Knob Creek, and Woodford Reserve Old Fashioneds

Killer desserts roll in – Peanut Butter Pie with Chantilly cream, Pecan Pie with Jim Beam Honey cream, and Iced Honeycomb and Chocolate Parfait Sandwich help you find your dessert stomach as your dessert cocktails arrive.

The Espresso Martini: Stoli vodka, Kahlua, sugar syrup and espresso use the spirits I would normally avoid for the cocktail (there are far more impressive coffee spirits out there) – though is still moderately successful. Unfortunately, the Devil’s Frappe doesn’t work particularly well, and went unfinished – coffee infused Jim Beam, chocolate cookie syrup, espresso, double cream and milk – coming off powdery and awkward.

Picklebacks!

This all makes Joe’s Southern Kitchen’s drinks difficult to rate. Comfort food makes the experience a lot of fun, and one pays less attention to the drinks, absolutely – but as a cocktail blog, unfortunately a decision has to be made. I found the menu to be a bit all over the place, and the classics most tempting to order. The Old Fashioneds and Margarita turned out rather well (as long as you know your whisky, and very few can ruin a Margarita). And I wish I saw more drinks in the style of the Bullish Negroni.

The other cocktails still leave much to be desired.

I’d return to stuff my face with a whisky in my hand, or take on classic cocktails. Which isn’t necessarily undesirable!

Service is attentive, explanatory, conversational – and somewhat formal, considering the surroundings – no complaints here!

….

BOURBON MAPLE SYRUP.

Drinks: **-***
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ****

Joe’s Southern Kitchen

300 Kentish Town Road,
London NW5 2TG.

http://joessouthernkitchen.co.uk/

Bourne & Hollingsworth Bar, Fitzrovia

Apr20

Type of Bar: Basement, Speakeasy, Quirky, Vintage, Tiny
Damage: ££
Ideal for: After Work, Nightcap, Small Groups, Date

When the B&H Bar opened a few years ago, a marked a then-change in cocktail culture and turned the tide toward a fascination with speakeasies, gin, and vintage-England. It was a tastemaker, and has developed into a brand name with its sister bars (Reverend JW Simpson: Click HERE for Review!, and the B&H Buildings, Review HERE!) and its vintage and chap themed events from the Blitz Party to Belle Epoque.

And for those years, this tiny, one-square-granny’s-living-room (complete with a distinct odour of damp) was a spot the Hoodooist would pop by for a last drink before heading home when in the area.

However, the new menu has taken a Spring turn in not *quite* the best direction. Said direction has been the elimination of many of the drinks that stood out, and resulting homogenisation of flavours and ingredients – the new menu now boasts a numerous (easily 25 or more) cocktails, that seem to blend into each other instead of standing with independent personalities, and taste too similar to each other (whereas Rev JW Simpson did the opposite and developed a greater variety of flavours than before, the B&H Buildings provide a greater variety as well).

The new menu has a tendency towards being incredibly sweet (so perfect if you enjoy sweet!), and an overbearing of berries and gin – so for the evening we tried our best to go for those that stood out.

L-R: The Madame Elisa’s Breakfast; The Honey Berry Bison

The then Cherry Sidecar has reverted to a slightly more classic Sidecar (Cognac, with marmalade instead of triple sec) in the Madame Elisa’s Breakfast – a drink that stood about a bit further from the others of the evening with the tartness of the marmalade – probably the most enjoyed of the evening in its simplicity.

The Honey Berry Bison goes for Zubrowka vodka and berries, shaken with lemon juice, acacia honey and egg white. Berries range from rasp- to black- and the cocktail itself has a distinctly cinnamon flavour after the first few sips – but it doesn’t take away from the intense sweet berries of the cocktail.

Tequila finally takes the stage in the Plum Plume: Reposado tequila shaken with lime juice, plum wine and bitters, topped with lemonade – but comes off without much flavour outside the plum wine and lemonade’s sweetness. But at least that went down better than the Black Jack – Bourbon with spiced honey whisky liqueur, seasonal fruits, mint infused sugar and lemon that was entirely too much to drink when it tastes like an iced glassful of watered down Jack Daniel’s Honey and berries.

Service is good, even on days when the room is crowded, you can trust that someone will be served. Often, there are free tables (especially weekdays) to walk-in, but for Saturday nights, a booking is recommended. Normally quite chilled out and relaxed, event nights can get very crowded – so do check in advance.

With other great bars like Rev JW and B&H Buildings in their roster, it won’t take long for a banging new menu to be on the cards, but for now, this spring/summer might have to wait.

Drinks: **
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ***

Bourne & Hollingsworth

Rathbone Place,
London W1T 1JF

http://www.bourneandhollingsworth.com/bournes/

Big Fernand, Fitzrovia

Apr13

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant, French
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Wine, Food, Burgers

Okay. I really don’t want to tell anyone else how wonderful this Big Fernand is.

Though, yes, the Hoodooist tends to primarily review bars, it is hard to pass up talking about what is quickly becoming his favourite burger joint in London (outside Le Bun, but that’s another story, click HERE for a Le Bun review!)

Crossing the channel, the Parisian burger venture brings with it a wonderful selection of French wines, cheeses, savoir faire – and let’s not forget, hamburgés.

Downstairs, black is accented with wooden features down an aisle with its six-person burger assembly line from counter to server, decorated with classic French signage and exposed bulb lighting. Upstairs, the Hoodooist’s dream studio, a floral dining room, with vintage portraits and focal point fireplace surround a dining table perfect for an event. I could move right in tomorrow if I could.

With meat cooked all the way from blue rare to well done – and we mean French blue rare, no kidding around here – burgers utilise beef, veal, lamb, chicken and a vegetarian option. And other than the carefully constructed 6 on-menu choices, diners get a ‘build a burger’ option to design their own. With a selection of various sauces and several herbs, the cheeses make some of the most exciting choices from farmhouse goat cheese, herbal Tomme de Savoie, sweet blue Fourme d’Ambert to the quintessential oozy Raclette.

Beginning with the slightly formidable Le Bartholomé, beef meets Raclette, bacon, carmelised onions, chives, and topped with home-made barbecue and cocktail sauce. A hefty beast, the Bartholomé came cooked to a medium-rare perfection, oozing with the softly-sweet Raclette and the sauces that seem to complement each other so surprisingly well – and with that subtle kick of the chives. The Bartholomé finds a way to take a classic, and stick to a classic formula, while twisting it with new flavours to give us a continental take on a gourmet bacon burger.

And because one wasn’t enough (even with a side of perfectly seasoned spiced fries) – Le Victor enters the arena, the rose veal topped with blue Fourme d’Ambert cheese, caramelised onions, coriander and home-made sweet mayonnaise. Corianderphobes do not panic – the herb doesn’t scream at you, but nudges lightly under the burger’s sweeter ingredients. An excellent approach to a veal burger (and that cheese!).

And to go with the concluding cheese plates, the wines, supplied by Michel Chapoutier, included the house red Marius, and the Petite Ruche 2012.

The Marius is a bold wine, a Grenache/Syrah, the nose is almost intimidating. The palate is powerful, a complex array of spiciness, berries and a certain darkness, balanced lightly by the floral Grenache. Not necessarily the Hoodooist’s favourite, especially when the beautiful Petite Ruche is on offer.

The Petite Ruche 2012 is built to be served with meat. Unmistakably Rhone, chewy and dry with fabulous full body. A palate of ripe red berries and cassis, with overlaps of spice and pepper, and something drier, perhaps tobacco. Almost deceptively easy to drink, I can’t imagine dining here without a bottle of the Ruche on the table.

Service is absolutely wonderful. Downstairs, the several Fernands walk you through the process on the assembly line where you collect your burgers, and upstairs, they make delightful hosts – your glasses are always full, and so are your bellies – chances are, you’ll go for a second hamburgé before the night’s out.

I mean, how can you help yourself?

Drinks: ****
Food: *****
Atmosphere: Downstairs: ***, Upstairs: *****
Service: *****

Big Fernand

19 Percy Street, Fitzrovia,
London, W1T 1DY

http://www.bigfernand.co.uk

Reverend JW Simpson, Fitzrovia

Apr7

Type of Bar: Basement, Speakeasy, Vintage, Quirky
Damage: ££
Ideal for: Date, Small Groups, After Work

A door is not a door, and a wall is not a wall at the Reverend JW Simpson – Bourne and Hollingsworth’s sister bar (Click HERE for Review!) resides in a basement apartment just minutes away in Fitzrovia. The third of the B&H bars being the B&H Buldings, Clerkenwell (Review HERE!).

Named after an ex-resident of the space, the apartment now houses white banquettes set up against tattered wallpaper, overseen by a large and impressive bar, amusingly presented as ‘windows’ to the visitors, from where the drinks are served. There is a strange kind of shabby-Art-Deco-dissonance about the venue, especially with honkytonk, swamp rock, and everything from the Talking Heads to Red Hot Chilli Peppers playing in the background.

On a weekend night, the venue can get swamped with people, so reservations are highly recommended – but this doesn’t harm service too much. It’s swift and attentive even with the crowd.

The two menus – one seasonal and one permanent (in the form of a paper fortune teller!) – have running themes: light, fruity, but there are the occasional heavyweights like the beautiful Larder Batch (The Hoodooist’s favourite at the Cocktails in the City 2014 event, Click HERE for Review).

So whether you pick out a seasonal drink, or play a schoolyard game to make your order, the Hoodooist tried a few from each for your consideration!

The Fir Douglas Rathbone, Esq.

The Fir Douglas Rathbone, Esq. immediately catches the eye: Rathbone New London Dry Gin, homemade Douglas Fir liqueur, lemon juice, and a touch of maple syrup – finished with a spray of bergamot oils. The Hoodooist could sit back and just sniff this one all day. The fir and bergamot is sharp and fragrant, incredible. However, considering the ingredients, there are two ways to approach this cocktail – the heavy maple syrup sinks to the bottom of the glass, so either you stir it to spread the sweetness throughout the drink, or just drink it straight.

Drinking it straight results in the bottom half becoming a sweeter version of the top half – which, though wonderfully piney, and strongly juniper, risks tasting like disinfectant (although I think that comes more from the scent than from the actual flavour!). Personally, I rather enjoyed the bright, vivid drink, but it is easy to see how it can be an acquired drink for some. Stirring it will result in a maple sugariness toning down the tartness, while keeping in like with the evergreen theme.

L-R: The Blue Leaf Clover; and the Pomegranate Haze

The Blue Leaf Clover from the seasonal menu goes straight for the Bourne and Hollingsworth favourite flavours: berries. Rathbone New London Dry Gin, homemade blackberry and rosemary syrup, lemon juice and egg white result in a drink that is very easy sipping, smooth and delicate. It might not be complex, or a showstopper, but does its job as a refreshing semi-sweet cocktail you’d want at a picnic on the kind of sunny mornings we’ve had this Easter. And you can’t argue with the beautiful garnish that comes with it.

The Hoodooist’s love affair with Mastiha gum mastic liqueur is back with the Pomegranate Haze! Hendricks Distilled Gin, Mastiha liqueur, pomegranate tea syrup, lemon juice. This is not as sweet as you’d expect, and has a distinct earthiness a friend described as ‘like being in a forest’ – which I find is characteristic of Mastiha. There is an added bitter depth from the pomegranate tea syrup, slightly herbal, somewhat spicy, this drink in surprisingly adventurous.

Foreground: The Gardenier; Background: The Rumplestiltskin

A young apple is used instead of an ice cube in the Gardenier: Aged Calvados, Suze Aperitif, honey and orange liqueurs, apple shrub. The first sip of this drink is overwhelmingly sweet, the Calvados, honey and shrub assault the palate – but after the first sip, it seems to mellow out a bit, with help from the bitter Suze, whose spice complements the apple nicely. Still, a bit too much on the sweet side for myself, but a useful dessert drink nonetheless. This is more suited to autumn in front of a fire.

The Rumplestiltskin, on the other hand, is sweet in less appealing ways: Rum, homemade apple and spiced Falernum syrups, lime juice and dry chocolate liqueur present an intensely sugary long cocktail with a bit of a chocolate kick. This cocktail seems a bit jumbled and confused. Not far off, the Serena, with Polish Vodka, carrot shrub, vanilla liqueur, lemon and honey; lacks character and seems to taste more berryish than carrot, though the vanilla makes an appearance.

The Larder Batch

The Larder Batch really does need to be eaten with steak. An excellent short bourbon drink, Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon, Pinot Noir reduction, seasoned with pink peppercorn, spiced cardamom and Angostura bitters. Here the Reverend presents us with a steak dinner in a cocktail format; the natural winter spiciness and vanilla/honey sweetness of the Four Roses Small Batch, and the bite of the peppercorn and cardamom suits the Pinot Noir (PIIINOOOOT NOIIR…sorry) reduction perfectly. The Reverend excels here, with a style that is daring and stands out from the rest of the menu. Would love to see more in the style of the Larder Batch next season.

More adventurous than its original cousin, the Rev still displays a certain amount of conservatism with the flavours explored on the menu. Nonetheless, there are a large number of drinks to choose from, each bringing something new to the table – they know vintage, and they do it right.

Drinks: *** – ****
Atmosphere: ***
Service: ****

Reverend JW Simpson,

32 Goodge Street, Fitzrovia,
London, W1T 2QJ

http://www.revjwsimpson.com/

Quaglino’s, Mayfair

Apr2

Type of Bar: Bar/Restaurant
Damage: ££-£££
Ideal for: Food, Live Music, Date, Small Groups, Large Groups

A 3.5million pound face-lift later, Quaglino’s has reinvented itself into the enormous, Fashion Week meets fin de siècle-stage and live music venue it is today.

Compared to the airy, minimalist, marble and mirror affair it was before, the updated Quaglino’s has developed a rather cabaret style vibe with heavy drapes and dark walls – though it could be bit more cosy now, I’d want a table hushed away, since it does risk being slightly on the ‘oppressive side of plush’, if I communicate that idea correctly.

Nonetheless, the bar upstairs is a vantage point over the main arena of the venue, and one way of avoiding the hustle and bustle downstairs. A dimly lit space, where your best bet is sitting up at the bar, where service from the team, Milos and Davide, is en pointe. Conversational, effervescent, and always up to help.

Featuring the Diplomatico Rum range

This day, Ambassador of Diplomatico Rum, Jon Lister, introduces three specials (at 7.50 each) added to Quaglino’s already lengthy cocktail menu – all using the rum range from Diplomatico, exhibiting their versatility.

The Final Word

Beginning with a twist on a classic, the Final Word demonstrates that rums can indeed make excellent aperitifs – by substituting rum for gin in a ‘Last Word’. Diplomatico blanco, Green Chartreuse, St. Germain Elderflower and fresh citrus – is almost deceptively similar to a Last Word (going to show you how reliant on Chartreuse the cocktail actually is!). The rum, however, softens and sweetens the edges slightly, making it a fantastic introduction to those afraid of the sour and dry edges of many gin based aperitifs.

The Final Word still keeps a bit of an edge with the peppery notes of the blanco, but its softer vanilla and sugar round out the cocktail for the drinker less accustomed to Last Words.

The Swanky Panky

The Swanky Panky twists the classic Hanky Panky to rum as well. If Swanky Panky sounds oddly familiar, though – you’ve probably been watching too much of Bob’s Burgers.

“You ever hear of a cocktail called the Swanky Panky? It’s made with two parts vermouth-“
“Teddy, Teddy, Teddy. Get me out of here.”

And it is indeed made with vermouth – Diplomatico Reserva, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, and Fernet Branca. Whereas the Reserva makes an initial sugary appearance, it’s immediately subjugated by the Cocchi – orange peel and menthol suddenly dominate the cocktail, followed by the herbal and bitter flavours of gentian and quinine from the Fernet. This cocktail is nothing like what the Hoodooist expected it to be initially (smoother mouthfeel, slightly sweeter, less herbal), and instead takes a much sharper, minty flavour.

The Diplomatico Old Fashioned

Now this one is a bit more complex, a fantastic digestif, and the ‘hug goodbye’ of cocktails – the Diplomatico Old Fashioned gives us Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva (both natural and infused with ground coffee), sweet sherry (Pedro Ximinez, if I’m correct), and Mozart chocolate bitters.

One could easily replace dessert with this drink. Though sweet (very sweet), not sickly or overbearingly so. Though Mozart has a tendency to be rather pungent, it collaborates well in this drink, helping balance out the sweetness of the sherry and the Exclusiva, as does the bitterness of the Arabica.

The vanilla, figs, and various mince-pie-esque notes of the rum are still very much present – really, this drink is dessert in a glass, covering all bases of the course, coffee and little glass of sherry.

Wonderful, though its powerful flavours means it did take the Hoodooist a good half hour to take this one down.

The regular cocktail menu at Quaglino’s is fairly long, and runs at about 12.50 GBP per drink – themed by the era of the cocktail’s release.

The Fresh As a Daisy tastes exactly how you’d expect it to – Hendrick’s gin. Muddled cucumber, elderflower liqueur and apple juice – long, refreshing, simple, classic.

The RAF got bit of an update here, Botanist gin, Maraschino liqueur, lemon juice, egg white and violette liqueur – personally couldn’t stomach it, simultaneously too sour and too sweet, bit overwhelming. I suppose if you like your drinks very, very sweet, this is it.

The RAF

However, winner of the evening was easily the Fisherman – competitor in this year’s World Class Diageo cocktail competition. Talisker 10yr whisky, sage infused Cocchi Americano, a splash of Pedro Ximinez and bitters. Brilliant – absolutely wonderfully constructed. The nose is heavily leaning on the Talisker, smoky and thick, with an island beach salty touch. The drink keeps the Talisker’s intense spicy peat, with a long malty finish – smoothed out by the Cocchi Americano and its accompanying bitter quinine kick, all balanced out wonderfully with that touch of sherry for a sweeter overlay toward the end of the sip that coats the tongue.

The Fisherman

I suppose what you must keep in mind is that the cocktails on offer at Quaglino’s are massively varied (though they lean towards the sweet and many Sours), and with the wonderful service, will be willing to knock up any classics you need. Thinking of returning for a live band and another Fisherman!

Drinks: ***-****
Atmosphere: ***-****
Service: *****
Quaglino’s

16 Bury Street, Mayfair
London SW1Y 6AJ

http://www.quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk/