Contemporary Australian. London, UK
June 2020
I have a soft spot for Stoke Newington in London; it's leafy streets, village feel and traquillity are a stark contrast to the bustling city. I also have fond memories of my time in Australia, and a love of restaurants which have ever changing menus showcasing the best of local, bang in season produce. And then I came across Wander. Reading about the restaurant, the story of the chef/ owner Alexis, and how the restaurant came to be really resonated with me and I instantly added it to the top of my list of places to try. Unfortunately, this was just a couple of weeks before lock down so as soon as I saw they were doing a Wander At Home takeaway banquet, I was bursting to take one to my mum's garden for a socially distanced dinner. The weekly changing menu sounded both creative and delicious, and I loved the idea of being able to choose paired wine to enjoy with it.
Our banquet kicked off with sourdough and vegemite butter. For a marmite lover, this umami hit was heaven! Next up was beetroot cured salmon with shaved fennel. Although I am a big fan of salmon, this didn't sound like the most interesting course on the banquet menu, but it hugely surpassed every expectation and was actually my favourite dish. So simple, but such tender fish, so much flavour packed in, and the crunch of aniseedy fennel a fantastic contrast.
I was very excited by the prospect of octopus ragu and it didn't disappoint. With the texture of meat but a subtle taste of the sea that gave away it's meaty disguise, it worked very well as a sauce to the hand rolled pasta and complemented the delicious Judith Beck Ink Zweigelt/ St Laurent exceptionally well.
Again, the dessert sounded so simple but was anything but. Meringue, cream and strawberries muddled in elderflower, smashed together. The elderflower elevated this Eton mess to a whole other flavour level and has inspired me to add elderflower to all manner of dishes!
Find Wander in Stoke Newington, London.
I have a soft spot for Stoke Newington in London; it's leafy streets, village feel and traquillity are a stark contrast to the bustling city. I also have fond memories of my time in Australia, and a love of restaurants which have ever changing menus showcasing the best of local, bang in season produce. And then I came across Wander. Reading about the restaurant, the story of the chef/ owner Alexis, and how the restaurant came to be really resonated with me and I instantly added it to the top of my list of places to try. Unfortunately, this was just a couple of weeks before lock down so as soon as I saw they were doing a Wander At Home takeaway banquet, I was bursting to take one to my mum's garden for a socially distanced dinner. The weekly changing menu sounded both creative and delicious, and I loved the idea of being able to choose paired wine to enjoy with it.
Our banquet kicked off with sourdough and vegemite butter. For a marmite lover, this umami hit was heaven! Next up was beetroot cured salmon with shaved fennel. Although I am a big fan of salmon, this didn't sound like the most interesting course on the banquet menu, but it hugely surpassed every expectation and was actually my favourite dish. So simple, but such tender fish, so much flavour packed in, and the crunch of aniseedy fennel a fantastic contrast.
I was very excited by the prospect of octopus ragu and it didn't disappoint. With the texture of meat but a subtle taste of the sea that gave away it's meaty disguise, it worked very well as a sauce to the hand rolled pasta and complemented the delicious Judith Beck Ink Zweigelt/ St Laurent exceptionally well.
Again, the dessert sounded so simple but was anything but. Meringue, cream and strawberries muddled in elderflower, smashed together. The elderflower elevated this Eton mess to a whole other flavour level and has inspired me to add elderflower to all manner of dishes!
Find Wander in Stoke Newington, London.
Comments
Post a Comment