Fusion

Le Bab

~ eatinbrixton ~ Leave a comment

408 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8LF

Book online – https://www.eatlebab.com/lebabbrixton

If you thought this was just a drop-by following a night out that involved too many cocktails and beers, then think again. This is definitely an upmarket kebab house in what was the vegan cupcake establishment. There’s a wall of glass bricks hiding some of the kitchen, with tables (some very rickety) and chairs spilling out into the side entrance to Market Row.

You probably need to book, as we had to beg for a table at 6.30pm and only had 40 minutes to order and eat. The menu has starters or sharers, mains and potentially a dessert, but we were not hungry enough to even look. It’s one of a small chain (5 currently) but the menus differ between locations. The paper menu did not reflect everything on offer and offered drinks that were unavailable. So don’t be too downhearted there are likely to be surprises, if your chosen tipple has run out.

We concentrated on main courses, but the starters/sharing plates were salads, breads and a variety of chips with a cheesy fondue to dip them in. Most main courses are meat, with a couple of veggie dishes (paneer and aubergine). We chose from the pork and chicken varieties – I had a Dirty Bab (menu description was almost an essay – a very naughty Pork Ribeye Shawarma, slow-cooked for 15 hours with chilli pork jus, sweet pickled cucumbers, fries, chermoula mayo & our signature fondue sauce).

My companion had a Free-Range Fried Chicken Shish Kebab – with no description at all!

Meals come in a wooden box with wooden cutlery, which you definitely need if you are lining your stomach for a good night out and wearing your party best. Trying to put the bread around the filling is clearly a skill that we have yet to fully master, at least until you have eaten some of the insides. Each layer of the kebab was a surprise including the hidden fries inside the Dirty Bab. The sweet pickled cucumber provided a bit of bite and the pork was definitely a step up from most kebabs, soft and a little sweet from the mayo. The fries were (I suppose) to be dipped into the little tub of fondue, but by the time I had thought of it most of them had disappeared (again a good bit of bite if you eat reasonably quickly). So I spooned out the cheesy sauce – it was delicious and full of… calories.

The free-range chicken kebab was equally stuffed and required careful manipulation to make it manageable. Not totally sure what was in there but red onion and fresh coriander were spotted, which helps any dish. No chips with this choice, but there was enough to share with the Dirty Bab.

We drank a beer and a lemon and cucumber drink that was refreshing but sweet – maybe a touch too sweet. The whole meal came to just under £40, so definitely not a cheap eat.

Sushi Revolution

~ eatinbrixton ~ Leave a comment

Address: 240 Ferndale Road, SW9 8FR

Website: https://www.sushirevolution.co.uk/

We arrived at this restaurant on the day it opened – wearing masks and very early. It is pretty bare, some tables, counters with high chairs and a bar. We were mistakenly given a large table for the three of us, as speech in our face masks was clearly difficult to discern. We remained there for the whole meal as the alternative was to sit in a line at a counter, which is very awkward, even if very Japanese.

The menu description is “taking on Japanese classics with a rebellious twist”. I assume they mean Padron peppers with a yuzu miso, or miso soup with truffle oil. Plenty to try and we did our best to sample as much as possible. There are gluten free and vegan options.

The choice is snacks and nibbles, Sushi, Nigiri and Sashimi, “Revolution” – think panko popcorn shrimp, Salads, various Maki, and if you really can’t decide, then choose one of the four sharing plates. We have given a description, but can’t really describe the taste of each – they are right about innovation and we will return, less hungry, to savour all the different flavours.

We had Yellowtail Nikkei Sashimi with yuzu truffle oil, Karaage Roll chicken with avocado, yuzu koshu mayo – Crispy Drago tempura prawn with avocado, spicy mayo, teriyaki, and sesame. Don’t ask us to choose each one was a delight.

Then there was the Aubergine Nigiri (yummy!) and California Uramaki prawn, with cucumber, avocado, miso aioli, and tobiko (flying fish roe, small and perfectly formed but not as much of a zing).

For dessert we had a Mango Passion Fruit Mochi and a Coconut Mochi – we preferred the Mango one but both were delicious.

We washed it all down with a couple of bottles of Asahi beer, Blushing Bride Session APA, and a couple of glasses of Inzolia Borgo Selene, Sicilian white wine (no picture)

Choosing to browse the menu rather than eating the shared plate does increase the cost which was …… £91.14 including 12.5% service for three people and all our drinks. The most expensive sharing plate with 28 pieces was really enough for three and cost £35.00, but you can get away with £15 per person for an interesting plate that is probably sufficient for the less greedy. Our view is to return and we will sit at the counter if there are only two of us but if there are more than two and you are not prepared for the Wimbledon head turning experience then specifically ask for a table.

Max and Taff’s at Brockwell Blend

~ eatinbrixton ~ Leave a comment

Address: Brixton Blend, 19 Tulse Hill, Brixton, London SW2 2TH

Reservations: maxandtaffs@gmail.com

On Thursday and Friday (6.30 to 10.30 pm) but only until the end of July there’s this pop-up at Brixton blend. It describes itself as South London’s premier Vegan, Asian Fusian, Pasta Makers. Really hard to live up to but THEY DO. Interesting food, not expensive and great wine. Oops not much to write about now … but I’ll try. .

The menu is short, organised and requires little regret, as everyone can choose something. There are two starters – crunchy red cabbage slaw (with sesame and other seeds) and smacked cucumber (with chilli and other bits) – we chose both. They were definitely crunchy and the smacked cucumber is spicy but not blowing your head off hot. They woke up our sleepy tastebuds.

Then there are two two types of pasta as mains. The first is Cavatelli (small pasta shells from eggless semolina dough) with two toppings: sweet tomato, Chinese cabbage and sichuan pepper or squash, miso and pumpkin seeds. The second pasta is hand pulled noodles with either kale, spring onion and chilli oil or, the less daring, aubergine, cherry tomato and basil.

Max, the chef, makes everything fresh, so the dishes come one by one. So you get to share. The first to arrive was the pulled noodle with aubergine followed by the cavatelli with tomato, cabbage and pepper. In this restaurant pasta is definitely al dente. But the aubergine was comforting and the cavatelli with pepper gave a punch, but not as big a one as the chilli oil on the table.

We finished it all off with a chocolate truffle each –  orange and chilli (there is a theme). Both were the size of rocks.

The wine list has two whites and one red – we had the red, Pinot Nero – the most expensive at £32.50 a bottle. The bill came to 52.50 including the wine and without a tip so you can see the teetotaller would get a bargain. Go now before they close down for the summer.