mai food, earl’s court

I’m of the belief that everything tastes better when it’s (a) eaten with your hands, or (b) on a stick. The Japanese have definitely enterprised on the camp of people who are of the second conviction, with the concept of kushiyaki and kushiage – the former, grilled edibles on skewers and the latter, breadcrumbed and deep-fried nibbles on skewers. After an incredibly enjoyable meal at Bincho Yakitori earlier in the week, I was delighted to come across this tiny little Japanese caff specialising in kushiage.

I didn’t take any pictures of the interior, because it’s just such an intimate affair – there are only three tables on one side of the room (seating four each), and a small row of stools at the counter, behind which Chef Saito and his comrades set about preparing each dish to order. A kind yet assertive mama-san takes charge front-of-house, aided by a very charming young waitress and a slightly bumbling, but very genuine young waiter. Japanese diners all took up the counter stools, chatting away to the chefs as they ate.

The kushiage a la carte menu is extensive, and while this form of dining isn’t exactly cheap (each skewer mostly costs between £1.50 and £2, with the most expensive being the soft shell crab at £3.90, but it slowly adds up!), the quality of the food was worth it. ‘Breadcrumbed’ and ‘deep-fried’ doesn’t sound like the healthiest of things, but the chefs use a light hand and the skewers are expertly battered and fried – the result is a light, crunchy golden shell of panko crumbs yielding to whatever delights it encases.

We ordered two of the kushiage sets, which included: shrimp with perilla (aka shiso) leaf, chicken and celery, stuffed green pepper, scallops and leek, courgette, okra, salmon and leek, shishamo (smelt), lotus root and shiitake mushroom. My favourite was the scallop and negi (Japanese leek) by far – the fresh, silky scallop was sweet and not transformed into mush. Also excellent was the shrimp wrapped in perilla (shiso) leaf – a brilliant combination.

We actually began with a simple, but tasty salad – though it could have done without the raw onions, which is never a good idea I feel.

Disclaimer: I don’t know what happened – perhaps it was the cider filled day we had prior to dinner, and the considerably large serving of umeshu (Japanese ‘plum’ – really apricot – liqueur) during – but my photos came out really blurry even though they looked fine to me on the screen. Oops.

For the non-kushiage items, the mama-san recommended the yakitori to us, and we’d be damned if we didn’t think it was bloody marvellous. I love the subtle smokiness of a well-made yakitori skewer. A good chicken to fat ratio, as well, and a sauce that wasn’t too salty nor too sweet.

Also brilliant was the tebasaki (salt-grilled chicken wings), another one of her recommendations. A squeeze of lemon to counter the deep saltiness, and you’ve got a winning dish. Simple but so good. The fat in the skin was nicely rendered for a nice crisp crunch (especially that ‘corner’ of the wing fat – you know what I mean, right? That bit that sticks out that just begs for the first bite!).

We craved sushi, so went against our better judgment and ordered a platter. It was good, but not excellent – the rice wasn’t as delicate as it could have been. But then, we shouldn’t expect people here to be masters of both crafts – this is clearly a kushiage restaurant!

A creamy, nutty ogura (soy bean) ice cream rounded off my meal nicely (for me as I was the only one still standing at the end of all of our dishes!). There were bits of crushed adzuki beans, and the ice cream had a very pleasant texture that I can only describe as ‘rustic’ – ie not supermarket processed and impossibly smooth. Turns out this ice cream is homemade. Yum! They also had matcha, though the other flavours weren’t as interesting (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry).

Expect to spend around £25-£30 per head, as those little skewers do add up once you realise how delicious they are! Still, drinks are very reasonably priced. My large glass of umeshu was £4.50 while the Japanese beers are £2.90.

Mai Food
7A Kenway Road
Earl’s Court, London
SW5 0RP
020 7835 0100 / maifood.kcnote.com

awards, hooray!

I have been so honoured to receive two awards from two of my favourite bloggers in the past week!

Helen over at World Foodie Guide handed over the Rockin’ Girl Blogger Award:

While Su-Lin over at Tamarind and Thyme passed on the Arte y Pico award:

Thank you both! Now, to make things simple I’d like to pass on each award to two bloggers who inspire me in particular:

• The Rockin’ Girl Blogger Award for Alice at An American in London – Her posts are always interesting to read, and more recently her trips to Budapest, Moscow and St Petersburg have been useful guides for anyone planning to visit soon!
• The Arte y Pico Award for Amy at Blue Lotus – Her photos always seem to trigger a Pavlovian response from me (that is, I start salivating every time I read her posts), and the dishes she cooks up at home are always inspiring.

sing me a love sông

In the past few months I’ve eaten my way around most of London’s Vietnamese restaurants, and time and time again I find myself pining away for that single bowlful of steaming hot goodness from one particular establishment…

Phở bò, at Sông Quê on Kingsland Road. I don’t think there’s anything quite as addicting as phở, and while every self-respecting Vietnamese joint will make some form of it, what separates the losers from the real kings of this noodle soup is the quality of the broth. Some are criminally weak – watery broths that fill you up but by no measure satisfy; some suffer from oversalting, resulting in the subtle notes of this complex soup being lost as your tastebuds are numbed by sodium.

Some, like Sông Quê’s, are pretty much near perfect: that is to say, deep and savoury with a hint of sweetness, with aromatic notes of cinnamon, star anise and ginger wafting up into your eager nostrils as your tastebuds relish the clean, meaty flavours that result from hour upon hour of simmering beef bones – they’ve certainly got their master stock down. All in all, the end product is a broth that can satisfy on its own; the addition of tender, rare beef (so many other places get it wrong with tough, overdone beef that resemble slices of roast beef left uncovered in the back of the fridge – you know the sort), fresh verdant herbs (they certainly don’t skimp on them, here) and slippery, al dente rice noodles are mere bonuses. Perfection in a bowl, basically. We even spotted a customer grabbing the bowl with both hands and downing the rest of the soup as soon as she’d finished everything else.

We’ve never been disappointed with their other offerings, either – spicy squid was faultless both times we ordered it, months apart. Crisp batter, fresh squid and an amazingly moreish garlic and chilli topping which we picked away at like uncivilised cavemen.

Another favourite of mine is bò lá lốt – minced beef wrapped in betel leaves, which are then grilled. Again, Sông Quê have got this down pat – generous portions of juicy beef in fragrant charred betel leaves, served with plenty of Asian basil and purple perilla leaves, crunchy lettuce, vermicelli noodles and carrot and radish pickles. Dunked into sweet nuoc cham, I’m in heaven. Points for the green pepper ‘bowl’ for the pickles!

Sông Quê
134 Kingsland Road
Shoreditch, E2 8DY
020 7613 3222