Brixton Village: A Taster

[Originally written in 2013]

The charm and appeal of Brixton Market with its local shops and eateries in recent years causing a stir in the now named Brixton Village. However, rises in rent costs of the Granville Arcade mean some retailers and restaurants are under threat of closing.

As well as the market combining a wonderful hodgepodge of vintage shops, grocers, cash and carry, streetfood vans, fish market stalls (and a guy selling crammed stacks of reggae CDs from a tiny whole in a brick wall), Brixton Village is home to some wonderful cafes and restaurants of various cuisines, from American to Spanish to Chinese, such as Mama Lan's corner cafe selling Beijing inspired dumplings. (The pork ones are particularly worth ordering. They quite literally burst with juicy flavour when you bite into them).

You probably already know that Brixton is an exciting place to eat some incredible food at reasonable prices. If you don't, then this is simply a taster to whet your appetite. It' mostly photos to be honest...and speaking of honesty, let's start with burgers.

One place which proves to be a favourite among visitors is Honest Burgers. This restaurant (both in Brixton and Soho) has had much acclaim and rightly so. The simple menu offering a few topping options is all that is needed for the soft meaty goodness in the toasted glazed soft bun.

And the coleslaw, (my God, the coleslaw!) is a creamy, crunchy delight with sprinklings of dill.

Bukowski charcoal grill. 

 

 Steak sandwich

Chicano pulled pork burger. Yep, part of the 2013 pulled pork bandwagon, but doing it oh so well.

Triple cooked chips and Waldorf coleslaw.

Cardiff Arcades

A couple of highlights from Cardiff's Arcades.

1) Wally's Deli. 

How the heck I've not been in here before is beyond me. A brilliant deli in The Royal Arcade that stocks floor to ceiling treats from an excellent cheese counter featuring Red Devil Snowdonia cheese, to classic pick n mix sweets, to intriguing preserves and chutneys, to colourful pasta to, an array of spices, to Italian, Spanish, German and Polish Charcuterie...I could go on. It's hard not to get carried away and buy most of the shop but I would recommend this tasty wild boar pâté with red wine and cranberries. 

 Wally's has various Christmas related products in at the moment, with assorted mustards, wines, chutneys (including goosebery & mint!) so it's a great place to buy some Christmas presents. 

2) The Plan. 

This café, tucked away within the Morgan Arcade, has been tipped as an excellent barista by newspapers and bloggers alike. However, I didn't go for coffee this time. Instead I went for lunch. The Welsh burger has recently been added to their menu and I hope it stays there. Accompanied by sautéed potatoes, salad, homemade coleslaw and salsa; this rustic beef patty housed in a cibatta roll was delicious! 

Lolly Sloice o' Bœuf

Strictly for the meat lovers out there...

Today I had lunch in the newly opened Ramon's New York Deli in Cathays, Cardiff: the recent addition to the family run greasy spoon, Ramon's of the same area. Keeping the family business going, Gareth Badman (son of Ramon's owner Robin) has caught on to a winner. It's simply an American deli that offers hunks of well cooked and juicy meat encased in the form of a sandwich, wrap or burger. Or bare! Naughty...

The deli sandwiches are an absolute steal at £3.50 each and they will fill a whole and probably push aside your internal organs to try and make more room. Check out the beast that is the Reuben: beef, pastrami, cheese and sauerkraut. 

There's no messing with any salad in the sandwiches. The lolly, lolly sloice o' bœuf speaks for itself! [Points to any Adam and Joe Black Squadron/Podcats out there.] Yes, the ingredients will possibly bring on a coronary just looking at them, but there's something satisfying about getting your chops round a greasy slab of beef, right? Even more so when it has been cooked perfectly without a hint of dryness, sat inside freshly made bread. I had the Chicago deli sandwich: beef with cheese, gravy and Tiger sauce (a horseradish mayonnaise). This is a typical condiment to pair with pit beef in some US restaurants...or at least the one in an episode of Man v. Food. Not sure I'd want to go anywhere near 'The Raven' at Chaps Charcoal Restaurant! *go to 5mins in*

But don't worry, Ramon's New York Deli isn't anywhere near as life-threatening to eat.

The burger and chips is also a great deal at £4.00, including chips. In true diner style you're food sits upon waxed paper and chips are served in little plastic baskets. The bun is fresh and soft and the contents are nothing short of dripping! (In the best possible way).

Just make sure you're hungry when you order as it will fill you up! 

I've come across the popular and renowned New York Deli in the Morgan Arcade in the centre of town which hones in the the more traditional US deli, attracting locals, visitors and tourists. Whereas, with Ramon's deli located close by to pubs and bars such as The Vulcan, Gassy Jacks and Koko Gorillaz, I suspect it will be more of a hot spot for students, as its fry-up alternative is. I just wonder if they can maintain the incredible portions once popularity strikes. Let's hope so!

Beast of Burger

Having an urge for a burger usually hits me in quite an impromptu way, with a slight jab to the stomach and resulting in an uppercut to the head - which usually means I must eat a burger. Soon. This urge came across me this afternoon, which meant I had the time to go and buy ingredients for said burger rather than taking a trip to somewhere like Camden to score at Hache (which I must blog about soon). 

So if you're anything like me and need a quick failsafe reliable recipe for a hearty burger to use you as a punching bag, then try this one for size...

Makes 4 beastly sized burgers

Ingredients:

250g of beef mince

1/2 a red onion (or 1 small one) - finely diced

1 large clove of garlic - crushed

2 spring onions - chopped

A few sprigs of fresh parsley - chopped

1 large egg - beaten

Salt and pepper for seasoning

A few pinches of dried chili

Splash of red wine

How to make:

Heat a knob of butter in a pan and cook the red onion, garlic and chili until soft. Add to a bowl and mix together with the mince. 

Mix in the beaten egg a little at a time.

Add the spring onions and parsley.

Season with salt and pepper and add a splash of red wine to the mixture.

Split into 4 patties. 

Preheat the grill to 180 and cook the burgers for about 25 minutes - turning every 10 minutes or so.

Use a knife to cut into the middle to check if they're cooked. If the juices run clear and no blood escapes you're ready to serve.

(Before a good grilling)

If you so wish, serve with a bun, tomato and salad in the classic fashion. Though I just had it sans bun with salad and some flakes of melted mature cheddar.