Happy to know that the original beautifully sited The Gate is closed for renovations and will re-open in 2013. It was a little creaky and musty, but so appealing in its simplicity. They opened up a spacious new ground floor branch at Islington. Between Jamie's Italian along the same street on different sides and The Gate, of course we would pick the latter. Lovely to dine with like-minded friends.
There isn't the rustic charm of Hammersmith at this branch. All spanking new in that warm wood yellow interior so popular of restaurants now. Walking in, it doesn't feel different from any other restaurant. The menu has been updated. Old favorites have disappeared or been reworked. The food at this new branch didn't disappoint. The pastas have been removed from this menu. Smart move, and plenty of other innovative dishes rule. Love the food. As much as I enjoy Vanilla Black and hop in for meals each time I'm in town (paid homage already), I've a soft spot for The Gate!
This trip, I've taken an odd liking to kale (not kai lan) in its freshly cooked format, eagerly seeking it out on the restaurant menus and at the supermarkets. Always like home-fried kale chips. Good crunch. Now, I get kale in all forms every other day; lightly salted or not at all, pan fried or otherwise, it's perfect in salads, and as a snack. Hehehe. I've been quaffing a lot of hearty salads too. Don't need hot soup even in winter. It doesn't matter. All bundled up, walking for an hour outside in 3°C to -1°C is okay. Any temperature higher than that is warm. Heh. Indoor heating is so powerful that I've been asking for either tap water with ice, or chilled bottles of sparkling water.
There isn't the rustic charm of Hammersmith at this branch. All spanking new in that warm wood yellow interior so popular of restaurants now. Walking in, it doesn't feel different from any other restaurant. The menu has been updated. Old favorites have disappeared or been reworked. The food at this new branch didn't disappoint. The pastas have been removed from this menu. Smart move, and plenty of other innovative dishes rule. Love the food. As much as I enjoy Vanilla Black and hop in for meals each time I'm in town (paid homage already), I've a soft spot for The Gate!
This trip, I've taken an odd liking to kale (not kai lan) in its freshly cooked format, eagerly seeking it out on the restaurant menus and at the supermarkets. Always like home-fried kale chips. Good crunch. Now, I get kale in all forms every other day; lightly salted or not at all, pan fried or otherwise, it's perfect in salads, and as a snack. Hehehe. I've been quaffing a lot of hearty salads too. Don't need hot soup even in winter. It doesn't matter. All bundled up, walking for an hour outside in 3°C to -1°C is okay. Any temperature higher than that is warm. Heh. Indoor heating is so powerful that I've been asking for either tap water with ice, or chilled bottles of sparkling water.
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| Wild mushroom and celeriac rosti: Sautéed girolles, pied de mouton, oyster & paris brown, served with pan-fried kale and finished with a cep reduction sauce. |
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