Eating Off Edgware: Satay House

Mr I whisked me away today to somewhere along the backroads of Edgware Road. 

After the buzz of a double-apple shisha - always at Slemani - my hand (and the rest of me) was forcibly steered  away from our natural course. Along fallen autumn leaves in crescents and streets. Skirting post-boxes and families. Arriving at Satay House. 

I won't cheat. I won't deny you that this was not my first visit. 

But, oh, I have not been in a while. I have not had the Malaysian curries and the coconut rice and the fun drinks! 

And Mr I decided I should have my fun drinks and my coconut rice as I have been working very hard today. So I got a treat. Naturally - food. 

Satay House had a different idea. Satay House thought we should come back in an hour with a-really-its-a-Saturday-night sort of air. Which considering their standard of curry is forgiveable. Even, maybe, sitting on little leather footstools for another 15 minutes is forgiveable. Because I knew that we would be satisfied.

As a warning, do not go to Satay House for a quick bite. A fast dinner. A stop-over lunch. No, you must linger over the food as we did. Wait for the food, steal greedy looks at tables nearby. Because this is Satay House and service isn't, what one might call, the fastest. 

But then, all of a sudden, your drinks might arrive. Ours did. They had exotic (!) names and were delicious and sweet and not the usual sparkling water that I order. Mr I had rose syrup with milk (oh, yes.) and I had rose syrup with grass jelly (which is for lovers of boba and slurping and little bits of fun in drinks). 

And then....

Little morsels of lamb and potato cooked in an eggy delightful batter. Homey and delicious and dipped in a bright red sweet chilli sauce. 

And, before we could take a breath...

satay. Chicken satay tender with delicious peanut sauce and served with the most tender (and fun!) little rice cubes which I just dipped and dipped into a peanuty-sweet satay sauce. The chicken was tender and Mr I stole a skewer before I took a photo. But five minutes later everything was gone. 

And we were left to contemplate the food at the tables around us. We lapsed into silence not because I didn't have anything to talk about (I did: Dark Souls and holidays and newspaper columns). But because we were in staunch anticipation.

The coconut rice. Which we drenched with ayam percik. Which is the most delicious chicken curry. Tender chicken swimming in an aromatic coconut, rich and creamy without heaviness it is a delight. The sort of delight that I, stealing glances around me, try to scrape every last morsel of sauce from the plate. 

Mr I ordered another serving of the begedil. Whilst I indulged in dessert. (I have a feeling Mr I believes that dessert is a waste when there is meat to be had...)

This was warm, black (sort of) glutinous rice in coconut-based broth and sugar. I often find East Asian desserts too sweet. However this was warm and rich and complex. It was not too sweet and the rice was starchy and earthy and the coconut delicious. I felt that I would give up any amount of meat for this rich and delicious dessert.

Conclusion:

The go-to place in London for Malaysian. Rich, delicious curries, well-balanced flavours. And so much fun.

Satay House

13 Sale Place

W2 1PX

Serpentine Bar & Kitchen

Mr I and yours truly found ourselves in proximity to Hyde Park this morning. Being a beautiful today (and some coaxing from me) we decided to take a stroll through the park, along the Serprentine to eat lunch and laze about in the sun.

Serpentine Bar & Kitchen was incredibly full and runs on a cafe sort of basis, where you order at the bar and wait for your food outside at your table, so it was naturally a bit hectic. And there was a deluge of children. And tourists...

However it seems to market itself as having quite good food, seasonally-inspired, Modern British/Contemporary French. Which seemed to be quite unusual when in theory they could pass off stale burgers to tourists in Hyde Park. And plus it was, admittedly, a lovely day. 

I ordered a 'Risotto of roast pumpkin, sage, candied pumpkin seeds and parmesan' rather uneventfully - although deliciously. Perhaps a bit underseasoned - but that is a matter of taste - but lovely in its al dente glory, with (my favourite) pumpkin and sage. The pumpkin seeds added a lovely texture and the parmesan melted right in. And who cannot love melted cheese? It was simple, seasonal and rich. Exactly what a risotto should be. 

Mr I, feeling a bit more basic, had their classic pizza (tomato, mozzarella and oregano) and added chicken and mushrooms. The chicken, I was told, was perfectly lovely and the pizza base looked crispy and charred from their wood-fire oven. I remain dubious about the mushrooms which looks like not-yet-hydrated dehydrated mushrooms.

In terms of the service, The Serpentine Bar & Kitchen falls a bit short. The waitress seemed to be oblivious to the dirty tray left on our table and Mr I asked  demanded thrice that it would be removed. It seemed that either the waiters/waitresses were in hiding. Or there wasn't enough of them. I believe it was the first. Maybe it was a busy Saturday but I think they are simply lax on service (although the prices aren't exactly bargain) because of the location, which I cannot tolerate.

Nevertheless it was a lovely afternoon with a decidedly lovely (on my part) risotto...

Even Mr I admitted, in the end, that it wasn't a bad idea.

Conclusion:

Not amazing service but more than decent food.

Serpentine Bar And Kitchen
Hyde Park
W2 2UH