The Wells, Hampstead

Food Spotlight, with Damaris as my Tastebud.

The road well travelled
Helen Baron samples the menu in arguably the best gastro-pub in Hampstead

                                  
The road outside The Wells Tavern is startlingly quaint. Making my way down Flask Walk, passing picture-book houses, I’m put in mind of the Peter Pan stories – this stretch of road seems to possess far more of the cosy Edwardian elegance I remember from J.M. Barrie’s tales than does the modern-day Kensington Gardens (home to the Darling family in the books).
I’m visiting on a crisp, wintry evening, and the location – just a short walk from Hampstead tube – is magical. It’s as if you’ve stumbled into a scene from Lilliput Lane, complete with red telephone boxes, cobbled streets and charming cottages painted cheerful colours. At the end of this perfect little vista, windows glowing merrily, stands the beautiful Georgian building that houses The Wells. First impressions count when it comes to pubs, but The Wells has nothing to worry about on that score. From the outside, this is the tavern of dreams: I’d like to own a miniature version of the place myself.
What with the classic feel of the exterior, you’d be forgiven for thinking The Wells was a time-honoured Hampstead establishment, watering passers-by, residents and famous writers in style for a century or two. But you’d be mistaken, because owner Beth Coventry only renovated the building in 2003 – before that it was the kind of place you might pop into only to walk straight back out again. Coventry’s vision has wrought marvellous consequences, peeling back the building’s dilapidated surface layers to reveal the finest of Georgian proportions underneath. Situated a mere stone’s throw from the Heath itself, The Wells now mixes civilised sophistication with a touch of something old, wild and incredibly romantic – you can almost imagine a holidaying Heathcliff making a pit-stop here before battling across the Heath in search of Cathy’s ghost. The idyllic location and ‘local landmark’ status make it a real surprise that the building’s potential wasn’t realised sooner – but local residents have wasted no time in flocking to the pub since it opened. Its broad terraces and beautiful hanging-baskets must prove a huge summer draw – while the cosy fireside feel on the night of my visit has lured more than a few folk in for a warming twilight tipple.
As a great many tarted-up boozers have found to their cost, however, looks will only get you so far. Can The Wells match its fine façade with the kind of nosh that will keep the customers coming? Serving up an assortment of modern European cuisine, The Wells seeks to straddle both sides of the gastro divide, offering guests the opportunity to chow down either in the ground floor bar or – for those after a more ‘high end’ experience – one of three first floor dining rooms, each elegantly decked out in a style best described as ‘contemporary period’. On our visit the food is up to scratch with exciting combinations on offer - Gorgonzola, red wine poached pear and walnut salad and seared scallops, pan-fried fillet of bream, fennel puree, salsa verde and tomato coulis as well as rump of lamb with dauphinoise potato and the perfect selection of vegetables - broad beans, peas and butterd baby carrots with rosemary jus. Whether you’re after fine dining for two in a suitably classy setting or a comfy Sunday roast down the pub with your pals, it’s hard to imagine a more dependably satisfying destination than The Wells.
When I catch up with owner Beth for a quick chat, her busy schedule proves the best testament to her success as a landlady – business is booming, it seems. “The Wells is the third pub I’ve owned,” she says (the former two were co-owned with business partners). “It had been a pub for a very long time before I took it over. I changed the look from very unattractive ‘70’s décor to what you see today.”
Beth ascribes success in pub managements to three main factors: good food, happy staff and a high quality service. And of course, she also puts some of The Wells’ success – which has come during difficult times for the wider economy – down to its location.
“So far, so good; we are lucky to have loyal local clientele who aren’t short of a bob or two.  Customers here can be fussy and expect value for money, but on the whole they are extremely agreeable and supportive.” The pub’s fare is certainly reasonably priced; with most gastro-pubs these days ramping up their prices, The Wells remains very competitive, especially in light of its distinctly classy ‘restaurant rooms’. Beth describes the food menu simply as ‘eclectic’, adding that the kitchen staff keep things as seasonal as possible. “Our Head Chef is from New Zealand and cooks with simplicity and elegance,” she beams proudly. “His presentation is superb.”
I can understand Beth’s confidence. My evening in The Wells reminded me of another homely London story, Mary Poppins: practically perfect in every way. Having set up home for the evening at a corner table (excellently sited so as to allow me to take in the tasteful furnishings all around), the vibe soon became somewhat festive, as my dinner partner and I, the second dining party of the evening, were quickly joined by several other tables of well-heeled locals. Amid the pleasing buzz of a happy tavern, the menu provided a great range of classic treats – plus an extensive specials board. My partner and I had already spotted the potential of The Wells as a location for indulgent desserts, and the menu didn’t disappoint there either, with crumble, sticky toffee pudding, crème brulee, banoffee pie and a selection of cheeses all among the offerings. I opted in the end for a dark chocolate pot with clotted cream and cantuccini biscuits, which proved utterly delightful. A valiant effort was made to finish the lot, despite being fit to burst. As we ambled off towards the tube station a little later on, we discussed the good fortune of our find: a friendly local that can do everything from the warming evening snifter and the homely Sunday Roast to the cheerful summer cider and fine dining. Dog- and child-friendly too, it ticks all the boxes and then some. If you’re passing by on one of these cold January evenings, you’re well advised to let The Wells shower its hospitality upon you.

The Draper's Arms

In Don Draper's arms. Ho, there's a thought. Am in love with this pub. Stopped in for lunch with the pup and the fiance (we'll call him Lew from now on) last week. Came in out the rain to a wholesome parsnip and chilli soup (which had an Indian kick) and some darn good chips. I absolutely love the decor - it's like you've stepped back in time, like you're in the country...and yet the pub looks on to a familiar N1 skyline - the period houses that line the streets. It feels very 1930's.

Pub and Pup

Been visiting some jolly good pubs recently with Django (the pup). Normally you have to sit in the bar area if you have a dog with you,  but N1 has some truly great pubs that have a really antiquated atmosphere (even without sitting in the designated dining rooms) to the effect that you feel as though you're in the country but the decor is markedly better than in actual country pubs, where the food can often be a let down.


Review of The Wells to come soon...here's a picture of The Albion's meat roast (not mine I hasten to add) which has won some sort of award (I'm guessing best Sunday roast in London?) and the yummy Stilton Pie. Oh and the most delightful orange cream sponge for dessert (three spoonfuls was decidedly not enough).

                                                                        

Seafood Pasta

My sister Gret, and I stopped for dinner in Franny's pop-up restaurant in Soho a couple of weeks back. Her seafood pasta looked amazing - the flash on my phone makes it look a little like slop though, unfortunately....

French Onion Soup on the Slopes

Only just uploaded these from my phone - a bit of French Onion Soup for lunch while skiing at Xmas. Doesn't get much better than that- heaven.

                      

Hand Made Foods

They do the best fried egg sandwich...

Ottolenghi's

Popped to Ottolenghi's in the week. Love that place. Didn't have a cake but going back to get one!
My Ottolenghi interview up soon.

Wok's Up

School of Wok

LESSON

My cooking skills are inconsistent to say the least. A tendency to burn things and a rather gung-ho approach to measurements (I’m no Nigella) is only redeemed by the enthusiasm with which I plan the occasional dinner party. In fact, it takes such an event to warrant the introduction of a new utensil to my rather limited repertoire. I do, however, love food and eat out often, so my new year resolution was to cook more – and to cook better, of course.  As a result, the year began with a few friends and I starting our very own Come Dine with Me competition – I went first, and met with reasonable success (though my mascarpone and asparagus tart was rather greener and more gooey than I’d hoped). Next time , I thought, I’d be better prepared than ever. What I needed was some help from the experts – and so, with February and Chinese New Year approaching, I booked a cookery lesson with Jeremy Pang of School of Wok.

The lovely Jeremy arrived bright and early at 10:30am and furnished me with an easy but impressive custom-built menu: stir fried pak choi with garlic; prawn wonton noodle soup, and whole steamed seabass. Jeremy unloaded the food and cooking equipment he’d brought with him and the lesson began with a quick test – working out what ingredients would go into which dish. It turned out, I didn’t know my soy from my… soy, and Jeremy explained the difference between the main sauces of Chinese cooking. I had never even taken the time to realise the variance between light and dark soy sauce: the latter more syrupy, used for colouring and the former saltier, used more often and great for marinating.

Next up was knife technique (mine, alas, was at a level best described as ‘non-existent’) – I had to know how to use a knife properly in order to dice the vegetables for my wonton parcels. I’m extremely proud to say, I had it down (thanks to Jeremy’s guidance) in minutes, and was soon happily slicing Chinese chives, coriander, tiger prawns and garlic into neat miniscule cubes with a reasonable degree of precision. No more garlic crushers for me; gone are the days of my haphazard vegetable shapes, lovingly (if euphemistically) referred to as ‘rustic’. Jeremy had me itching to trade in my rather paltry selection of amateur serrated knives for his gleaming, razor-sharp professional one. I even learned how to cut and roll spring onion into the thin strips that garnish dishes and are used to make crispy duck pancakes. Wok and roll (ahem)!

As the lesson progressed, I realised that it’s the small things that make the difference in cooking. Dry noodles should first be soaked in hot water and then sufficiently dried by an open window or oven fan – not just boiled – to ensure they separate properly and to prevent them sticking together later. Fish bones and prawn shells can be used to make the stock for the noodle soup (with a little help from our old friend, oyster sauce, and that other staple of Chinese cooking, ginger). And of course, there is an art to using a wok correctly.  Those who have mastered it refer to their ‘wok hei’ (which Jeremy translates for me as height of the fire), because proper technique demands the food be cooked at high heat while being stirred or tossed quickly. Jeremy took me through the basics, explaining how Chinese-style cast-iron woks allow for much better heat retention and all-over heat distribution – luckily he’d brought his own, as mine was steel with a Teflon coating – not as durable or ideal for the high temperatures required. He also showed me how to clean a wok properly after use – you should always swill with water at high heat rather than bunging it in the sink with detergent.

At the end of our three hour lesson, I was able to reap the fruits of my labour. The food was delicious; unbelievably fresh and infused with simple seasonings but bursting with flavour.

 THE SCHOOL

School of Wok aims to bring the techniques of Chinese cooking to your own kitchen so that you, your family and friends can master the art without straying from home. Jeremy travels the length and breadth of the capital, sharing his cooking knowledge. Trained at the Cordon Bleu and having worked as a travel journalist in South East Asia, he loves what he does. “I enjoy meeting people from all walks of life,” he says, “and my job allows me to be constantly learning about food.” Having been surrounded by the wonders of Asian cuisine, he is happy to share the culinary techniques that, he feels, have been kept secret by Chinese restaurateurs over the last two or three generations. “What is a shame is that a lot of Chinese restaurants try to cut corners,” he says. “They use monosodium glutamate and aren’t willing to pay out for fresher, more varied ingredients.”

After the lesson, Jeremy sits down with me for a cuppa and shares some of his traveling tales, talking me through the regions most popularly referred to in Chinese cooking, the impact that geographical positioning and trade routes have had on cooking style and on the ingredients used in different types of Chinese cuisine.  Cantonese food uses a broad range of ingredients thanks to its coastal location, while the further east you go (and the nearer to Shanghai) the wider the use of kimchi and pickle (surely an influence from Japan). The cuisine of Beijing tends to be more extravagant, because historically food was brought into the city from all over the country and cooked in numerous ways to impress the Emperor.

Knowledge is one thing though – a good teacher also has to be able to impart it effectively. I’m glad to say, Jeremy is great on both counts. From the start of the lesson, he pitched my skill level perfectly, and as the lesson is quite long, I felt able to acquire new techniques without being overloaded. The lesson left me feeling confident about replicating the recipes alone – and for those of you with more experience than I had, you can choose to make your favourite dishes, take a more in-depth course spanning seven lessons or take on the ten-course banquet challenge, with Jeremy as your sous-chef! School of Wok also offer Group Gourmet Classes: something I’m considering as a gift for my Come Dine with Me pals. After all, I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to real Chinese cooking, and now I can’t wait for my next round of the competition: it’s in the bag!

Chinese New Year

Went for Vietnamese to celebrate Chinese New Year (obviously). We were on Kingsland Rd, so understandable. I don't know any good Chineses in Shoreditch, apart from the new Glo Glos looks good, but from what I can make out from the menu, is more dim sum.


Anywho, I forgot to take pictures (should have, excitingly, dinner was served...how do you say, en brûlant?)  So instead, here's a pic from my Chinese Cookery Lesson. Review up soon.

Lovely Vegetables

Am a little obsessed with the new range from M&S. The Portobello Mushroom Parpadelle is lush. As is the Bucatini with Grilled Veg and Feta - had not tried bucatini before and this has a great consistency - thicker than spaghetti and nicely al dente.

Weekend Mornings

Looking forward to a bit of this this morning - love a good weekend breakfast.

                                                                        
                                                                         The Pavillion

Oi Oi Oishiii

Oof, chocolate and pie for breakfast is never good/healthy! Still, at least they were hand-made chocolates...more on that later. Here is Oishiii. Taste bud = fiance, Lew.

Stoke Newington Church Street is hardly starved (if you'll forgive the pun) of places to eat. Along the first 400 metre stretch extending west from Stoke Newington Road you'll find all manner of cuisine waiting to tickle your fancy, from Mexican to Indian and back again. But until relatively recently, one craze had passed north-east London's cutest quarter by - we're talking sushi, and the art of Japanese cooking.

Well, north Londoners need worry no more. The proprietors of legendary local Thai restaurant Yum Yum (just around the corner) noticed the gap in the market and opened Oishii to fill it. And we felt compelled to whip out our chopsticks and put this newcomer to the test.

The first thing to note is that Oishii is not one of those sniffy, superior places that see sushi as the preserve of a tiny, well-to-do elite. The welcome we received was as warm as they come, and the atmosphere in the eatery was one of chatty, cheerful fun - entirely in keeping with the buzz of the area on the doorstep. We went on a Saturday night, and the restaurant was fairly packed with diners of all ages and appearances - young professionals swapping stories in one corner, a girls' night out laughing in another and, at the next table, two young bohemian types meeting their equally artsy parents.

The service was attentive and efficient from the start, the staff all smiles and happy to recommend dishes to two diners in search of fresh flavours. My companion chose miso soup, vegetable tempura and avocado maki to start, while I chose mixed yakitori - skewers of squid, prawn with vegetables and veggie gyoza (these I highly recommend). The miso soup was a delicious appetiser and the tempura a revelation - as crispy and flavoursome as we'd hoped, but lighter and fresher than we'd ever had had before. The avocado maki were a hit with my partner, while the yakitori had a terrific bite thanks to the delicate dipping sauce. Pick of the menu would be the crunchy tuna rolls, which our waiter brought out for us to try – a moreish combination of textures – soft but crunchy and drawing out all the freshness of the ingredients. 

Mains came in the form of a salmon bento box (for me) containing sticky rice, a slab of salmon, edamame beans and ginger, and a kitsune udon (beancurd noodle) broth for my veggie friend. All too often, Japanese food can be under-prepared, over-chilled or tasteless, but these mains were full of rich flavours and served in substantial portions. What's more, the menu is large and diverse, including a truly wide range of sushi, bento boxes and Japanese specialties like teriyaki grills. The happy atmosphere might be at least partly explained by the thoughtful presence on the menu of several exciting sharing platters, offering very good value for groups - or else by the amazing warm sake aperitifs and fine selection of Japanese wines and beer. We were spoiled for choice at the beginning of our meal, and pleasantly full by the end. (It's only fair to note that we couldn't help plumping for dessert, too - a mouthwatering mix of red bean and green tea ice creams.)

By evening's end, we were perfectly and happily sated. Japanese food is refreshingly light but filling. The restaurant's laid-back decor, relaxed ambiance and amazing food served to make for a Saturday night out that was at once informal in feel and impeccable in flavour. No wonder it's already proven a hit with the notoriously choosy locals, who by all accounts take advantage of Oishii's diverse offerings as much by day as they do by night. My friend and I wandered off together rhapsodising about the freshness and healthiness of the meal we'd just eaten - even for a cuisine as fashionable as Japanese, there's no greater testimonial than that.