First of all Happy New Year everyone and a big thank you for reading, following my website/blog. Here are my highlights from 2014 in a video, I met so many chefs and attended a lot of events and went to one of my first Food Bloggers Conference last year.
This January marks its fifth anniversary running The Food Connoisseur. 2014 where did you go? As the year begins with my new 365-page book, it’s time to make resolutions. Last year I kept it simple and told myself to take more photos. Working with One New Change, I have been tasked with the challenge of making One New Change in January.
My ‘new change’ for January is to try new food on the menu’s I don’t usually order. I tend to go after the meat options, disregarding salads and seafood sections from the menu.
One New Change is no stranger to me, before my current job I was working in the area for over 2 years. It is located in the Cheapside area in between Bank and the famous landmark St Pauls. One New Change is the destination for premium fashion, cafes, and restaurants. I also enjoy heading to One New Change for the monthly and weekly food markets, where market vendors sell their gourmet goods.
Just before I left my old job, I headed to Searcy’s for champagne lunch to celebrate jumping the career ladder. There are many times I frequented Bea’s of Bloomsbury for afternoon tea and lunches. Strip was the nearest place from work to get a bikini wax before my holidays and where I got my HD eyebrows done.
On the evening I visited One New Change I watch the sunset leaving the beautiful purple sky, and the shopping centre was filled with Christmas decorations. Made of striking glass walls, the complex boasts an eclectic mix of fashion, beauty and food.
After a walk of the surrounding area to take photography, I headed to the 6th floor to Madison’s to take in the skyline view of London. We then headed back to St Pauls Cathedral to seek comfort at Bea’s of Bloomsbury for tea and cakes.
There were plenty of cupcakes to choose from, a shelf filled with cupcakes of the day and flavours. Spoilt for choices I finally picked the raspberry chocolate one, and a fruity tea by Jing.
My cupcake was picture perfect, angelic with a magic touch of colourful star sprinkles. The buttercream is natural real flavours not the sugar-overloaded crap at most places. Underneath, a fluffy moist chocolate sponge cake, you die and go to heaven from each bite.
Blackcurrant and hibiscus herbal tea was delightful, aromatic and refreshing. Jing tea does quality tea.
After the tea and cake break, we headed over to Barbecoa, a barbeque restaurant and butcher owned by Jamie Oliver. By the reception, you see whole animals hanging inside glass chambers. Interior has dark themes and with some Tom Dixon design elements.
Guided upstairs, we sat inside a cushy booth with plush leather seating overlooking St Pauls. The staff is super friendly and attentive, all smiles and very knowledgeable about the food.
We started off with some drinks, and the server recommended Devil’s Cornbread.
When it arrived we curious, I thought it is just bread served cold. It came on a plank enclosed in a steel casing. Still bubbling hot, the smell of westcombe cheddar was so strong. This savoury sweet dish was insanely addictive, crispy around the edges; soft, and buttery in the middle with a chilli kick every so often.
For starters, I choose Cornish crab and Jahne had the wood plank smoke duck.
The Cornish crab dish came with a super long stick of crisp bread, in the middle, shredded crab flesh, fennel and sorrel. A light dish, with simple flavours, then crabmeat tasted very fresh.
Although the menu was filled with all the barbeque meats, I wanted to give the fish main a go as part of my new change. A wood roast sole smoked throughout with a handful of cobble lane bacon and brown shrimps. By the side of the tail, lemon and lovage butter was melting away on the fish. Fish crisped on the outside leading to the fleshy belly filling meat.
However I couldn’t resist the meat for too long – I did get to taste a bit of Jahne’s short rib; the meat fell off immediately and dissolved in my mouth. Short ribs dry-aged to perfection, brushed with a Worcestershire glaze, for rich and hearty flavour.
Being a bit naughty, I ordered beef dripping chips on the side, as it’s something I wanted to try for a very long time. Fine cut chips with potato skin still on them, enhanced with volpia vinegar and seasoned with Cornish sea salt. All was lip-smacking good, crunchy and fluffy in the inside.
For desserts, we couldn’t resist and shared a sweet treat board. A selection of sweet treats desserts from the menu in miniature form. The slate board came with a selection of irresistible treats, every single piece was divine, and I love them all. The board included all of this Peanut butter cheesecake, lemon meringue tart, brownies, panna cotta, macaroon and sorbets.
20 NEW CHANGE PASSAGE
CITY OF LONDON, GREATER LONDON EC4M 9AG
TEL: 020 3005 8555
{google_map}20 New Change, London EC4M 9AG{/google_map}
