Notorious Foodie

Cip sessions @ciprianilondon 😮‍💨
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Paccheri alla Genovese. A dish that brings so much to the table and the first thing I order every time. It’s not typically on the menu here, but ask and you may receive! It’s a sauce that’s made by slowly simmering beef shanks with mounds of sweet onion. Braised for hours till the flavours become one, till the meat falls apart and till the onions are oh so sweet. At Cip though, they strain out the sauce so that you’re essentially having a pasta that’s tossed and coated in a rich and glossy demiglace. One that’s infused with lots of onions. An incredible depth of flavour and perfectly al dente pieces of paccheri. It’s so good. I have two other favourites here. First is the veal al limone with rice. Thin slices of rose veal, seared in butter and finished in a limone sauce that’s so rich, sharp and addictive. Spooning that sauce over the individual grains of rice is a great feeling. The risotto al salto is top tier here too. Try it, but try it with a side order of their tomato marinara for a flavour overload. Best gelato and meringue cake in town.. uffff #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#london #londonfood #londonfoodie #pasta #pastalover #carbs #mayfair #cipriani #eeeeeats #finedining #italian #italianfood #cake #pastafresca #londonlife #londonfashion #michelinguide Less

Decisions decisions.. @nijulondon 🥩😍
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Popped back in to Niju for dinner the other night and had some excellent plates. It’s a restaurant that elegantly blends home-style Japanese cooking (katei-ryōri), with incredible steak and sushi. These are the three core pillars of their menu, so there’s something for everyone. If you’re thinking steak, they’ll bring out this board to show you the different cuts and varieties available on the day. This rotates but you’ll be sure to find an incredible Wagyu and Kobe selection - some Japanese, some Australian and some cross-bred British. Amazing stuff. I ordered the Japanese A5 chateaubriand in the centre - cooked over binchotan charcoal till medium. Amazing flavour profile and texture. Smokey, well seared and ultra tender. The fat melted as I ate it, but more than anything, it was the combination of a hard sear and rendered fat that made this taste so good. The sushi and sashimi here is top-tier too, led by @david.sushi.london . Loved the aburi toro and Wagyu nigiris, but the scallop nigiri was a sensational bite too. Buttery soft, sweet and with firm, warm grains of sushi rice. Definitely try this. A4 tartare with house made shokupan for starter is also a must. Lots on the menu here so go with what stands out to you! #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#london #mayfair #londonfood #londonfoodie #wagyu #beef #wagyubeef #steak #steakhouse #carnivore #omakase #japanese #japanesefood #kobe #finedining #eeeeeats #michelinguide #michelinstar Less

Went for the bao, stayed for the soft serve @bao_london 😍🍦
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Finally back in London! Was seeing a lot about Bao’s famous peanut milk soft serve so had to go and check it out for myself. First up, a couple of short rib and classic bao’s to get things going. Pillowy soft and flavoursome as always. You can’t really go wrong here. On to dessert though. I’ve always loved their house made peanut milk, it’s an insane creation, so turning it into a soft serve is the best thing that could have happened. The same moreish, sweet, salty, creamy flavours but in edible form. Served just a few notches above melting point so that when you eat it, it’s has the perfect delicate texture. It’s damn good and the homemade cones are a bonus! Only served at Bao KX. The banoffee choc ice was also great - a smart bao-style take on an ice cream sandwich. My favourite though was that soft serve. Unfortunately didn’t like the ice cream cake though, way too hard and just not quite the right texture. A little difficult to eat, but go get that soft serve! #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#bao #shortrib #beef #steak #kingscross #baobao #icecream #softserve #london #londonfood #londonfoodie #londonfoodies #londonlife #eeeeeats Less

Dover Sole Meunière 😍
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A visit to La Mère Germain in Villefranche-sur-Mer, a small fishing port between Nice and Monaco. Opened in 1938, this restaurant on the water’s edge has been a favourite in the town for many years, specialising in seafood and their very famous bouillabaisse. It was the Dover sole meunière here that did it for me though. Beautifully prepared. Gently dusted with flour and pan-fried in brown-butter before being finished with lemon juice and parsley. Perfectly golden brown all over and served with ultra soft, well seasoned new potatoes. The fish was tender and meaty. Nutty and ever so slightly sweet. The pale pink bones pulled away with ease. Simple and so delicious. A friend of mine told me that the lobster carpaccio was incredible here so ordered that too. He was right. A very delicate carpaccio with plenty of olive oil, lemon juice, dill, radish and small pieces of grapefruit. Just the right balance of sweetness and acidity. All you really need here are their super fresh raw plates and that Dover sole. If you’re in to bouillabaisse, make sure to get that too! #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#france #southoffrance #cotedazur #monaco #nice #cannes #sof #villefranche #dover #doversole #fish #seafood #shellfish #lobster #carpaccio #seafoodlover #fishing #fish #pescatarian Less

One of my favourites! @lachaumierenice 🔥🥩
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There are very few restaurants as charming as this one. Located on the outskirts of Nice is La Chamuière. A restaurant with a focus on utilising the best seasonal produce, speciality meat and the Woodfire grill. It’s a fairly intimate spot that’s dimly lit, with a big butchers block at the centre of the dining room. I only really go here during summer but it’s such a nice vibe for dinner. The grill master has been grilling meat here for over 20 years and his ability to perfectly cook so many things at once is impressive. I went for their famous duck, as well as the A5 Kagoshima rib cap - couldn’t resist the wag, it looked too beautiful. The duck was insane. Edge to edge pink with the most beautiful crust. Perfectly rendered, tender and smokey. It’s wild how he cooks it. Directly over the fire for parts, and then off to the back for lower temp cooking with one final blast at the end. Served with woodfired potatoes and the best local cream. The starters here are as good as the meat. That focaccia with heirloom tomatoes, truffles and prosciutto is just unreal - one of the most amazing bites. Excellent black summer truffles this season - super fragrant and with lots of flavour. They really added some oomph to the baked Camembert and focaccia. There’s a lot I could talk about here.. but just go and eat at this place when you can. It’s good #notoriousfoodie
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#southoffrance #cotedazur #nice #cannes #monaco #sof #sainttropez #sttropez #steak #duck #steakhouse #finedining #truffle #truffles #michelinguide #michelinstar #steakhouse Less

Warm Prawns @africanqueenrestaurant 🔥🦐
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Back in France and made a quick stop at African Queen for dinner. It’s a nice vibe here in the evenings with plenty on the menu. Some good, some great with a few standouts. Their warm prawns are delicious, as is their truffle pizza which is one of the best in town. For me though it’s that foie gras with brioche and fig jam that is one of their stand outs. The foie is so rich and creamy. It spreads with ease over the brioche and the sweet fig jam just complements the umami so perfectly. For main course, it’s the Maison Perrin Niçois ravioli - hearty beef-filled parcels of bite-sized pasta, tossed in a glossy beef reduction. It’s intense and comforting to eat - a really enjoyable dish that has a super meaty punch. The vongole on this visit wasn’t quite there though, a little bland and very overcooked spaghetti. The farm chicken on the other hand, delicious. Nicely roasted and carved table-side, served with a truffle jus on the side. This place has been around for so many years, it’s good to see it with new life and energy! #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#france #sof #southoffrance #nice #cannes #monaco #villefranche #cotedazur #prawn #prawns #finedining #french #frenchfood #eeeeeats #finedining #truffle #pizza #africanqueen Less

Etli Pide @macakizihotel 🔥♠️
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An amazing few days at my favourite hotel. Nothing like chilling on the deck here from morning through to evening. A few lahmacun, some pide and their unbelievable watermelon juice is all you really need to get through the day. The hotel is sort of tucked into the hillside, so when you look from afar, you don’t really see any rooms, just the lower deck and beautiful green and pink flora. It’s a very cool space that makes you feel like you’re right at home from the moment you walk in. Great food and a buzzing yet relaxed atmosphere day to night is what makes this place so special. It’s kept me coming back for years. They have a few days of the week here where they serve specials during lunch service. Saturday is my personal fave, with huge homemade döner rotating on the spit - it’s nuts. Perfectly charred and thinly sliced, piled up high. The Manti is excellent too. The best! #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#bodrum #bodrumbodrum #turkey #turkiye #türkiye #türkiyem🇹🇷 #pide #lahmacun #turkish #turkishfood #summer #sea #seafood #eeeeeats Less

Dinner at the all new @ambassadorsclubhouse by @jks_restaurants 🇮🇳♥️
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Their doors are finally open in Mayfair. The team that brought you 2-Michelin starred Gymkhana have been working hard on their new concept and it’s now up and running in full swing. A slightly more casual affair but no less impressive than Gymkhana, Ambassadors Clubhouse celebrates the dynamic cuisine of the Punjab region. There are a number of small plates, chaat and papads to start. For main course, a lovely variety of dishes on the grill with three different options of either tandoor (clay oven), Sigri (charcoal grilled) or Tawa (flat-top). Lots of the classic kebabs and spiced, roasted meats in this section. My favourites were those sensational grilled butter chicken wings in makhani sauce along with the Ajwaini prawns and lamb nalli. In between all of this goodness you’ll find the matka, karahi and biryani. It’s really a menu that hits all avenues of Punjabi cuisine and there’s a lot to try, so go hungry. The matka beliram lamb curry is the must order dish from the curries - ultra soft baby lamb that was so tender, covered in a deeply spiced tomato based gravy. Those who know will order a Tusker as soon as they see it on the menu. If you’re going for a lager, this is the only thing you should be ordering! A cool vibe downstairs for late night Indian funk! #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#london #londonfood #indian #indianfood #india #mayfair #londonfoodie #curry #currynight #takeaway #eeeeeats #finedining #spicy #indianphotography #butterchicken #naan Less

Lunch at @macakizihotel @chefaretsahakyan ♠️♥️
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Back at my favourite place. Nothing quite like starting the day here and sitting out on the deck till the early evening. It’s a place I visit every year and it’s become an essential part of my summer. Café Med is their new lunchtime offering, serving up a lovely Mediterranean-Turkish menu throughout the afternoon. Plenty of the freshest seafood like vongole and lobster to their irresistible Lahmacun and pide. Courgette fritti and dondurma ice cream wafers here are a must. Macakizi Restaurant just upstairs gained a Michelin Star earlier this year, as well as opening a new fine dining concept @aylamacakizi - lots going on for them at the moment! Head chef Aret is really pushing the boundaries of Turkish cuisine with a fresh, interesting and refined menu that utilises ingredients from across the region. More from this trip soon! #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#bodrum #bodrumbodrum #turkiye #turkey #summer #turkish #macakizi #macakizihotel #yalıkavak #sea Less

Istanbul for the night! 🇹🇷🍔
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Stopped into Istanbul for the night and headed straight to my favourite butcher shop and steakhouse @dukkansteak - This really is a local hangout and I’ll be honest, the burgers are the main reason to go here. The patties are formed from their secret blend of beef that is all dry-aged in house and contains a great amount of fat. They’re smashed and grilled over charcoal before being sliced in half and then grilled face down for an intensely Smokey bite. Just add a little flakey salt and chow downSteaks are a little hit and miss, they don’t often rest the meat so it can be tough - that was very much the case on this visit! A shame as it was leaking juices and not the most tender T bone. For dessert, a huge slab of dark choc that you need to crack into with a knife so that large shards fall off. Very cool! Stayed at @bebekhotelbythestay this night - cool hotel, feels like you’re on a boat. Loved vibe in there. Next stop, Bodrum! #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#istanbul #steakhouse #burger #turkiye #turkey #breakfast #turkish #turkishfood #butcher #steak #grill #grilled #summer #bosphorus #bodrum Less