Randall and Aubin

As a lover of anything seafood or fish orientated, I love discovering new places where that's what they do best. So a big high five to the friend who introduced me to this little beauty, Randall and Aubin. Situated along Brewer Street in Soho, this small establishment gets busy quickly so I suggest you book! Walk-ins are welcome but be prepared for a nice chilly queue outside the door... space inside is limited so don't expect to hang around at the bar. 

Originally London's first French Butchers shop, the French theme continues to run throughout  with a rustic Parisian decor and with a menu to match. This place really is famed for it's fruits de mer (check me out) although they do have a small range of grill options such as rib eye, lamb and pork belly. The prices are slightly above average (who charges four quid for bread?!) but, to give credit where credits due, the food we had was worth it.






To start, we both had the grilled queen scallops with pancetta drizzled in caper, lemon and garlic butter. I'm not going to lie; I was expecting fat, juicy scallops as opposed to these small offerings but they were nice all the same.

















I was trying not to over-indulge (for once) so for a main, I went for the 1/2 pint of pink prawns with aioli, with a rocket, mushroom and parmesan cheese salad. Fair enough, this doesn't look much but, right then, that was right up my street. The prawns come with the shell on so, as long as you're prepared to put a bit of effort in, you can't go too wrong. 

I was pretty satisfied with my choice, until I saw my companions meal served up to her. Cue MAJOR food envy. She had the grilled sea bass (my absolute favourite...see where I went wrong?), served with a spring onion and rosemary salsa, and curry dusted potatoes. The fish was cooked so absolute perfection and the flavours of the potatoes and salsa worked so well together. It was a great twist on a classic fish dish.





Next up: cheese. Lots of it. And, thanks to a few cheeky connections, we had cheese in both savoury and sweet form (courtesy of the chef)! Now, I have to say that I usually avoid paying ridiculous amounts for a cheeseboard with very little on it. The only place where I am willing to part with my hard-earned cash for a decent cheeseboard is at Gordon's Wine Bar because it is SO DAMN GOOD. However, for £9.50, the one Randall and Aubin had on offer wasn't too bad. They have a really decent variety of cheese to choose from and you get more crackers than you can shake a stick at. 

When you're getting a free cheesecake, I suppose you can't complain too much about paying for a cheeseboard. This is cheesecake at it's best in my opinion. A plain, baked vanilla classic with the added bonus of salted caramel ice-cream. 

It's pretty safe to say we were both well and truly satiated after all that. If you love fish or seafood, I would strongly recommend giving this place a go. The menu overall is unique in what they have to offer and I genuinely can't wait to go back and give some other dishes a try.

Nic

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Crab House Café

In general, the reviews in this blog will be of places in London seeing as that’s where I’m based. However, exceptions will be made in instances where I feel the need to share with you my non-London discoveries and, OH BOY, is this one worth sharing!

This little gem is known as the Crab House Café and is located on Chesil beach, overlooking Portland. I discovered this a few years ago when my parents moved down to the area and, as a seafood/fish lover, it has quickly become my firm favourite.

Now, I should point out that if you don’t like seafood or fish then this probably isn’t for you. They really do stick to their guns which is part of the reason why I like it so much. I have seen vegetarian options on the menu once or twice but it isn’t a permanent feature (probably worth a phone call in advance if you are planning to go with a veggie!)
In Summer, it gets booked up very quickly due to the location. Placing a booking a month ahead is wise as it is a pretty small
restaurant so tables get filled easily. The staff don’t try and rush you so tables can be occupied by the same group for a number of hours.

The building itself is more of a “shack” than a café/restaurant. Its wooden exterior gives it an almost rustic, beach-washed feel which is perfect for the setting. Since I first came here, they have slowly built up an outside seating area with heaters and blankets as well as wooden trinkets and maracas dotted about the place. All a bit random but it somehow seems to work! The inside is simplistic; white washed walls, wooden tables, framed photographs and some fishing accessories hung from the ceiling. The kitchen dominates as it is entirely open with a showcase of the days catches on display. You can even sit and watch the chefs shucking oysters through a glass partition wall (someone’s gotta do it).

The menu is full of surprises in that you never know what might be on offer! The chalk board on the wall above the kitchen shows handwritten menu options which are all based on what has been caught that day. The later you book, the fewer options you have as they simply get wiped off once they are gone. There is a seasonal printed menu which has options of items that are in plentiful supply due to fishing trends, so it’s not like you’ll be left to go hungry. The only staple items which have been there every time I’ve been are oysters and crab (they pride themselves on being an oyster farm as Portland Oyster beds are located right in front of the restaurant). You literally cannot get fresher food than this!

We had oysters to share as a “pre-starter” (a posh term for being greedy). At £9.50 for a half-dozen they are an absolute bargain! I’ve had some very questionable oysters in London which have been almost double that price so I would definitely suggest that you make the most of these if you do go.  I’ve tended to have the half-crab to crack for a starter every time (its become a tradition) but I try and have something different for my main every time. On this occasion, I had hake which was a first for me. It was AMAZING! Served on a bed of roasted veg and topped with Chinese greens and a hollandaise sauce, it was so full of flavour. This was an option from the printed menu but my Dad opted for the chalk board option: whole seabass with a herb-stuffed belly, roasted in a salt-crust. Considering how quickly he hoovered (sorry, “politely ate”) it, I’m assuming it was good! All the above topped off with a bottle of wine from their VERY extensive wine list and you’re winning.

I hate to be a brown nose but there isn’t much I could criticise the Crab House Café for. This particular visit seemed to take longer service wise but I’m willing to accept that considering they are serving the most amazing food. All the staff are incredibly clued up on the menu (trust me, I asked enough questions) and the atmosphere is so relaxed and friendly that a minor wait for food on this occasion really doesn’t even seem worth mentioning!

I’ll leave you with this summary: It’s a nice plaice with a lot of sole! (I'm here all night guys).



They even make their own flavoured vodka and gin..... Worth the trip, just for that!

Nic
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