I blame this post on Frontline blogger Rob Crilly. The Nairobi-based, Africa-wandering, freelance hack has taken it upon himself to sample the African take on Fish n Chips wherever he finds it on the continent. Whether it be good, bad, indifferent or possibly dangerous, Rob has kinda foolishly given himself the task of blogging it. In response, here we have Micky’s Fish Bar at 29 Norfolk Place in London. Anyone familiar with the Frontline Club will recognise Micky’s as it sits directly opposite the club entrance. But, how many members have ever entered and is it any good?
In answer to the first question – at least one. Me. Inside Micky’s Fish Bar, you’ve got your standard hot plates, men in hats, the frazzle and spit of frying oil, clammy air and formica tables laden with salt, vinegar, pepper, lemon juice and ketchup. The menu is resplendent with the full edible monty; haddock, cod, rock, plaice, skate, scampi, fish cakes, pies, chicken and burgers.
At around £7, it’s a sit in Haddock, chips and mushy peas I plump for. It doesn’t take long to arrive – not always a sign of quality in your English chippy – but the spread, as you can see above and below, is impressive. And it’s not bad fish n chips, it’s just not great fish n chips. It’s adequate. And, when you’re used to the nosh John serves up in the club over the road, adequate is a distant second best.
There just isn’t a lot of taste going on here. Not that I’m averse to a bucketful of vinegar and a thimble full of salt, but even that jolt failed to kickstart Micky’s out of bland and into merely average. That said, if it’s a stodgey British fix you need, Micky’s will suffice. ]]>
They come from far and wide to eat the Frontline Burger. I spotted the Economist’s man in Tel Aviv tucking in during this sitting along with two other club regulars. And at £7 a meatpacked pop, who can blame them.
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In Kabul, blazing hot, need to cool down, head to the local ice cream parlour and order yourself a Shir Yakh. No idea if it tastes any good, but SBS reporter Yalda Hakim got to try one as she returns to her birthplace, Kabul and blogs in words, pictures and video what she finds there,
The heat was oppressive as I walked across the runway to the airport building; the sights and sound were bombarding my ears as I tried to make sense of the language and people. Yes I speak Dari, but it was immediately obvious that I was a foreigner in my country of birth. This was not the greeting I had anticipated, I was viewed with suspicion and distrust, especially when I identified myself as a journalist. link
And, if like me you’re pretty intrigued by the Shir Yakh, this appears to what a local vendor looked like in 2003. But does it taste any good? Alex?
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Part 1 in an occasional series of posts live and direct from the bounteous Frontline Club restaurant sweet trolley. This is a chocolate brownie with some ice cream. It’s a cocosolids-sugarstacked slice of somewhere sweeter than planet earth. Tread carefully, one too many and you may turn…
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British food bloggers descended upon the Frontline Club in London last week for our monthly Food and Wine event. Fortunately, all seemed to come away very impressed. Fraser from Blogjam and the Observer Food Monthly blog had his say, wine blogger Andrew blogged his experience at Spittoon.biz and Jeanne from Cook Sister! promises me she will blog all forthwith – hope it’s mostly all good. Meanwhile, Chris Vallance from the excellent BBC Radio 5 Live Pods and Blogs show interviewed the lot of them – and Malcolm Gluck, the Club’s wine guru – on the night. It makes for a great listen – it’s towards the end, but stick with it. Some good banter.
Kabul hillside, originally uploaded by zedwards.
Jean Mackenzie at the Institute for War and Peace reporting tells us how easy it is these days to grab a pizza in Kabul,
]]>Friday night at Boccacio, formerly known as Villa Villebita. Remember the old days? You would show up, desperate for the best pizza in town, a bottle of wine, perhaps, or a Greek salad for the health-conscious. You would present yourself at the front door, only to have the handsome Croatian maitre dâ€
hotel fix you with a steely stare. “You did not make a reservation?†he would ask accusingly. Shamefaced, you would hang your head, and with a last look at the tables of lucky diners, go off to some second-rate location. Welcome to the new Kabul. Now you can just show up and have your pick of any seat in the house. The few other diners in the establishment will shoot you self-congratulatory grins, as befits those hardy few who venture out in the post-Serena world. link
In our global search for the cutting culinary edge and following on from the latest in Khartoum, we discover – courtesy of Phnomenon – that the
QSR Brands Bhd is expanding its restaurant business under the KFC brand to Cambodia.
The first outlet is expected to be operational in Phnom Penh by year-end, said chairman Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim during a press conference to announce the new venture Thursday.
The group plans to open four outlets initially in the capital as well as in major towns. This would be followed by two new restaurants every year. link
The easier option might be the Foreign Correspondent’s Club – which was never really a Foreign Correspondent’s Club – or better still a quick scour through the extensive Phnomenon archives.
NB: Picture above is from Ho Chi Minh City not Phnom Penh…
As far as I recall Khartoum didn’t figure in the World’s Best 50 restaurants this year and with highlights like the above it’s no wonder. Frontline Club social network member Andrew Heavens takes the cork off the Sudanese dining scene after his recent move from Addis Ababa, where dinner time was somewhat different. ]]>