Dark Side of the Cha Cha Moon

Alan Yau's Chinese noodle bar venture Cha Cha Moon opened back in 2008 just off London's Carnaby Street. The first time I went there, it didn't go well -- it was packed, the staff rushed and the menu both complex and unhelpful. When I ended up back there last Friday after a few drinks at The Clachan pub on Kingly Street, I thought I'd give Cha Cha Moon another chance.

Cha Cha Moon is Alan Yau's second attempt at Wagamama's, to my mind. I have a lot of time for the Hong Kong-born restaurateur behind some of the best recognised restaurants in London, including the high-end Hakkasan, dim sum palace Yauatcha, Thai chain Busaba Eathai and previously, Wagamama's. Not least because, having grown-up in Hong Kong myself, I love Asian cuisine.

The ambition is apparent -- its modern, sleek design is sophisticated and aspirational, and the Time Out award in 2008 as Runner-Up for Best Design is well-deserved. But on our visit last Friday, the front entrance on Ganton Street was boarded up for refurbishment. The back entrance in Kingly Court had a bouncer granting access. This didn't bode well. If bouncers are the new maitre d', then we really are in trouble. Inside, things didn't get much better. Staff were surly, the menu was ill-defined -- superficially Chinese there are still forays to Singapore and Malaysia, but it's testament to the lack of inspiration on the menu that I ended up with the same dish as my first visit. Except the notable difference is the prices -- they have quite literally doubled since opening. What was £3.50 last December is now £7.00. This is now fairly standard practice -- get in the journalists when prices are low, their reviews are published proclaiming good value and then the prices are inflated. Most reviews aren't updated, so the 'good value' proclamation remains. Hence a large beer at Cha Cha Moon now costs £6.00. There is only one type on offer.

Noodle dishes were bland, the Chinese chives side dish lacked the blossoming head so distinctive of this variety and the chilli oil condiment lacked depth of flavour or sizzling punch. Staff are so used to speeding diners on and turning around tables that they neglected to notice the place was only half-full, so we were still hurried on.

Central London is full of authentic Chinese restaurants offering a bowl of flavourful noodles, atmosphere and service for a reasonable price. It's just that Cha Cha Moon doesn't appear to be one of them. It wasn't all bad news though -- The Clachan, on the other hand, was a great find -- just tucked behind Liberty's, the upstairs bar has Timothy Taylor Landlord and London Pride on draught, a great space and good atmosphere.

Cha Cha Moon, 15–21 Ganton Street, London W1F 9BN
Click here to go to the Cha Cha Moon website.

The Clachan, 34 Kingly Street, London W1B 5QH.
Click here to see the location of The Clachan.

Note: The photograph does not show Cha Cha Moon.
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Add malt, hops, water and, er, fruit

Some wags at The Juice Brewery have decided that now is the time. It's Spring, it's sunny, and it's no time to launch a new alcoholic drink that'll be taxed off the shelves quicker than you can say 50p per unit. So they haven't. What they have launched instead is what they wittily refer to as 'the world's first soft-brew'.


Tucked behind the Old Vic Theatre behind London Waterloo is The Juice Brewery -- and they're churning out a new range of non-alcoholic soft drinks brewed with the malts and hops you'd expect from a thirst-quenching real ale, but without the alcohol or the hangover. These aren't beer replacements, but a refreshing alternative choice available at your local, provided your local is in London, mind.

The two flavours I tried are Blackcurrant and Citrus -- there is a crisp fruitiness that comes through in both flavours which is derived from the hops, while the malts add bitterness. The sweetness is controlled and not sickly and it's relatively flat, which avoids any bloatedness. Is it as good as beer? No. But then it's not meant to be. But they would probably make an excellent alternative at the pub to any of the other non-alcoholic drinks available. To get your hands on some, click here for a list of outlets from The Juice Brewery website, which incidentally includes The Natural Kitchen on Marylebone High Street in London -- a fantastic deli and cafe which has a great range of beers and real ales too. Click here to go to The Natural Kitchen website.
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Cast judgement on Great Taste

The Guild of Fine Food has launched a competition to find a judge for the Great Taste Awards 2009 -- a golden opportunity to impose your impeccable taste on an unsuspecting British public. One lucky winner will join the ranks of industry legends such as Mark Hix and Alex James by becoming a judge at the Great Taste Awards 2009. Which means lots of free food and drink and an eager audience for your unsubstantiated opinions.

You might not recognise the name but the Great Taste Awards stickers are widely recognised on quality food and drink from specialty producers as well as some larger producers who have made a name for themselves as a result. The categories range from cheeses to pies to sorbets to cider from every corner of the UK. Products are blind tasted by a panel of independent judges.

The competition winner will be able to bask in the reflected glory of better respected foodies including Charles Campion at the Real Food Festival 2009 at Earl’s Court on May 9th, where they will judge beer, wine, chocolate and espresso coffee -- basically all the important categories.

To enter, you'll have to write up to 400 words about why you should be chosen along with your foodie dreams and aspirations to gemma@completemediagroup.co.uk.

Click here to see the winners from the Great Taste Awards 2008.

Terms and Conditions:
The competition is open to foodies of any age and profession. The deadline is 30th April 2009. All applications will be judged by the Guild of Fine Food who organise the Great Taste Awards.
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London Restaurant Week kicks off

Today sees the start of London Restaurant Week, which actually runs for a fortnight until Sunday 29th March. An annual event where high-end restaurants open their doors for a fraction of the usual rates, there's a wide range of venues involved, including The Cinnamon Club, Galvin At Windows, Jim Thompson's Nahm and Roast at Borough Market. Booking is online through LastMinute.com. Discounts aren't as appealing as previous years, primarily because there are so many great deals on offer, but worth it nonetheless. Click here to go the London Restaurant Week site for more information and to book. Read More......

UPDATED Top 10 Wines for Spring

UPDATE – 3rd April 2009

Since this Oddbins blog was posted, the wine experts at Decanter.com have come up with their own Top 10 Wines from Oddbins –
Click here to take a look at their own take on Oddbins’ best.


After a beautiful sunny weekend across the UK, now's the time to be thinking about those refreshing Spring whites while still clasping to the big juicy reds of Winter. Who better to guide us through the best on offer at Oddbins than Peter Ingram, Assistant Manager at the Marylebone High Street store.

I have more wine at home than my wine rack knows what to do with, and it's primarily down to one man -- Peter Ingram, Assistant Manager at Oddbins on Marylebone High Street. I frequently go in for one bottle and come out with six -- sheer lunacy. But the man has a way with words, and with wine, so what can I do?

Oddbins was bought out several months ago by the original owners and this is welcome news -- Oddbins' focus over the coming months will be to return to their 'small bins' of exceptional wines from lesser-known producers in prime regions. The core offering will be reduced so that more of the wines are rotated. Which is a long way of saying they'll have a great range that's constantly changing. Here are Peter's tips of the best currently on offer:

REDS

Quinta de Bons-Ventos, Portugal, 2007. £5.99
A Portuguese blend from Casa Santos Lima in Estremadura in southern Portugal. They specialise in Portuguese varieties but using modern techniques. A medium bodied wine with red fruits but with lights tannins. Soft, well-rounded fruit.
Pair with: Very tolerant of most pairings being medium bodied. Any light meat or light stew.

Punta Final, Malbec, Argentina, 2007, £8.49
Argentine malbec, further south than Chile which is also well-known for its malbecs which are lighter fruited and more earthy. In this example, you get dark fruit aromas with a little licorice on the nose as well. On the palate, a certain amount of jammy fruit which melts into a very mineral finish with comparatively restrained alcohol.
Pair with: Something fuller-bodied -- a richer stew or anything a bit gamey.

El Quintanal, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 2007, £8.99
100% tempranillo from an up-and-coming region of Spain. Made by a co-operative but the winemaker is a family-owned bodega which is becoming something of a cult winemaker. This is unoaked, lots of very distinct, clear fruits -- red cherries, a little white pepper, medium bodied. Very smooth and approachable.
Pair with: Chicken and lighter meats or with vegetarian foods.

El Quintanal, Vendima Seleccionada, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 2007, £12.99
Similar spec to the wine above, but this is oaked, much fuller-bodied, getting into rich cedar flavours, darker fruit flavours.
Pair with heavier meats -- roasts, steak or any sort of Spanish tapas.

WHITES

Caves de Lugny, Macon-Villages, Chardonnay, 2007. £6.99
100% chardonnay from southern Burgundy, France. Unoaked so distinct cream fruit flavours, citrus and apples with a little bit of stonefruit coming through -- peachy. A little creamy butterness.
Pair with: Very light foods, a light starter or ideal as an aperitif.

Dr Loosen, Riesling, 2007. £7.49
Off-dry, so a little sweetness to it. A tangy acidity to balance the sweetness. Again, stonefruits with a little lychee. Fairly light-bodied, slightly lower alcohol than the others -- just 8.5%. A German wine.
Pair with: Goes very well with Vietnamese, Thai or Chinese -- sweet and spicy Asian foods.

Gemtree Vineyards, Tadpole, McLaren Vale, Australia, Chardonnay/Viognier, 2008. £7.99
This is a chardonnay / viognier blend from the McLaren Vale, Australia. A bit fuller-bodied, quite luscious, tropical fruits. Some stonefruits, but that's a lychee tinge. Unoakced, very clear fruits.
Pair with: Generally a wine to have by itself but can also go well with shellfish, scallops particularly.

Domaine de Villargeau, Coteaux du Giennois, Loire, France, Sauvignon Blanc, 2007. £9.99
Loire Valley sauvignon blanc and quite similar to an unoaked Pouilly-Fume -- lots of herbaceous cut-grass and flinty notes. A little more gooseberry than you'd normally get with a Pouilly-Fume and more towards a Marlborough, New Zealand style. A little more body, a little more fruit.
Pair with: Very much with seafood.

WILDCARDS

Gemma, Vigna Florita, Moscato D'asti, Italy. £6.99
An Italian moscati d'asti -- sweet but light and fresh. Quite low alcohol -- they're usually 5% to 7%. A great finish to any heavy meal. Refreshes your palate and doesn't weigh down with lots of alcohol.
Pair with: Dessert, but nothing too sweet. Goes really well with a pavlova or chilled with a Spring picnic -- chicken and cold cuts.

Lustau, Dry Amontillado, Los Arcos, Sherry, Spain. £10.99 A dry amontillado sherry which I've included because I think it's massively underrated. You get a rich, nutty character to it. The thing with sherries is that it's not that expensive but you're getting quite an aged wine. They blend in different barrels and some of the sherry you're getting is up to 30 or 40 years old. You get a rich, developed flavour for £11 which you'd normally pay alot more for.
Pair with: Suitable as an aperitif or with a coffee and cheeses. Read More......

Pie and a Pint deal for Pie Week

Having got amongst a chorizo and butter bean pie last night, my enthusiasm for British Pie Week is now fully stoked. But lo, it gets better -- some of South London's best gastropubs are getting in on the action with a pie and pint deal for just £10. Better yet, the deal runs well past Pie Week until 15th March.

Participating pubs include The Avalon, The Stonhouse and The Abbeville in Clapham, The Bolingbroke in Battersea and The White Hart in Kennington and you can choose from pies which include a rich rabbit pie with black pudding and prunes; and a full monty take on Desperate Dan’s favourite cow pie, packed with braised steak oxtail, tongue and tripe. Other pies include; chicken, ham and tarragon; beef and chorizo; and cottage pie.

You can choose from any draught lager and some selected bottled beers, but most pies pair better with a real ale like the award-winning Timothy Taylor’s Landlord, Meantime Pale Ale or a guest ale including Doombar from Cornwall, Bedford-brewed Bombardier and Edinburgh’s Deuchars Caledonian.

Venue details below:

• The Avalon, 16 Balham Hill, London SW12 9EB. T: 020 8675 8613
• The Stonhouse, 165 Stonhouse Street, London SW4 6BJ. T: 020 7819 9312
• The Abbeville, 67-69 Abbeville Road, London SW4 9JW. T: 020 8675 2201
• The Bolingbroke, 174 Northcote Road, Battersea, London SW11 6RE. T: 020 7228 4040
• The White Hart, 185 Kennington Lane, London SE11 4EZ. T: 020 7735 1061

Click here for more information

Comments welcome.

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Heston Blumenthal's superb lunatic display

I spend alot of time eating, drinking and writing about both, but I'll admit I barely watch any of the food programming on TV, in much the same way as an accountant doesn't come home in the evenings and do the family accounts -- it's too much like work. But given the excited build-up ahead of Heston Blumenthal's new Feasts series on Channel 4, I demured.



Without doubt one of the strangest food series ever commissioned, on the strengh of the opening show -- Heston had a luminescent absinthe jelly gyrating with multiple vibrators in deference to the Victorian classic Alice in Wonderland. Not to mention the absinthe carnage in France which involved a wholly unnecessary trip to taste the 'green fairy' in its spiritual birthplace. The wholly edible garden with soil of black olives, clay-covered potatoes and stuffed crickets was sheer, fantastical, madness and huge entertaining stuff. It seems the Channel 4 execs have finally admitted that no-one watching food programming actually attempts to cook what's on display for themselves and have come out pie-eyed and guns a-blazing.

Unaccustomed to using the 'series link' on my Sky remote, I've now exercised it for the first time this year -- with the expectation that there's more madness to follow.

See Last Night's TV at the Guardian for more:

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It's British Pie Week!

Call me cynical, but it may well be that British Pie Week isn't a 'proper' designated week, in the sense that there's no time off from the office, no 'bearded man in awkward hat-of-thorns' associated with it and there's no sense of a charitable whip-round in aid of it. More to the point, it's primarily promoted by Jus-Rol, purveyors of pastry across the UK and, co-incidentally, a key ingredient in any humble pie.



That aside, I like a pie as much as the next man and if there's an excuse to get amongst one, count me in. Besides, I already have some pastry in the freezer (yes, it's Jus-Rol) so technically I've not sold-out to participate.

To get things off to an excellent start, use Rick Stein's chorizo and butter bean stew recipe for the innards, then top and tail with pastry. Incidentally, the recipe comes from Rick's latest book, Coast to Coast -- read my review on the delicious. website here and buy the book from Amazon here.

Of course, for a quick route to success, get hold of a pie from Higgidy Pies -- they're the same pies you'll find in EAT sandwich shops, and available in selected Sainsbury's stores.

British Pie Week runs until Sunday 8th March 2009. Click here for more information.

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