2 June, 2015 – Wimbledon
Our first foodie adventure is to Wimbledon to a restaurant called Holy Smoke. It has only been open for 3 1/2 months but has leapt up the Trip Advisor ratings to be #3 in London currently.
Before we get there there are more travel adventures just like the rest of the day. The train rides are straightforward – Moorgate to Edgeware Road on the Circle Line and then Edgeware Road to the end of the District Line at Wimbledon. I have detailed instructions on how to find the place but they fail at the first step when we cannot find the first street. We walk around in circles for a while and eventually see that street. But the instructions imply that we should turn left from there which puts us back where we came from and we continue to walk around in circles. JV finds a local who sends us on our way and lo and behold we end up back where we were before. We continue on to what would have been a right turn and walk a fair ways more. We seek help along the way from other locals that indicates to us that we should continue on. Finally, while JV is talking with a worker, I spot an old street sign in stone for Leopold Street. We walk up and finally find the restaurant.
We are relieved to finally make it there after at least 30 minutes of walking in uncomfortable shoes. And then we are glad that we are there as Cam the owner seems to be a really good guy who does a lot of experimentation with Smoking of foods as you will see below. Of course I do a lot of smoking too so there are interesting conversations. Any way, here is the menu for today. You have to click the link and it will down load to your computer.
Or here is the unformatted text if you can’t be bothered with the down load.
holy smoke
28 May 2015
Starters
Home smoked Scottish salmon, lavender infused mead, spring onion 7.50
Smoked duck salad, apple, nori and mixed greens, whole-grain mustard dressing 7.50
Grilled baby calamari, red pepper and herb salad, Nam Jim dressing and toasted cashews
7.00
Char-grilled new seasons asparagus, braised girolle and leek, lemon-asparagus cream,
herb poached quail egg 7.50
Slow braised breast of lamb, pea shoot and citrus salad, mint and lime pearls 7.00
Mezcal flamed giant and king prawns with papaya, honey, chilli, and fresh lime 10.50
Main Courses
The Holy Smoke hand chopped steak burger, smoked cheddar & Monterey Jack, tomato
salsa, chipotle mayo and smokey frites 13.50
Confit pork belly, sweet potato mash, soy, ginger, chilli and honey drizzle, home-pickled
vegetables 15.00
Oak smoked leg of duck, pan roasted breast, dauphinoise potatoes, sugar-snap peas,
cherry and orange jus 21.50
Lapsang souchong and sake steamed loin of Atlantic cod, pak choi and shiitake,
chilli-grapefruit vinaigrette 18.50
Aubergine, sundried tomato and maple-smoked mozzarella “Saltimbocca”, grilled polenta,
fresh tomato and basil coulis 12.00
We do not levy a service charge. All tips go directly to the staff member tipped unless
specifically requested otherwise.
holy smoke
28 May 2015
Desserts
Triple chocolate brownie, salted caramel ice cream, Bourbon fudge sauce 5.50
Bruschetta of fresh strawberries, balsamic, fresh basil and black pepper on toasted brioche
with mascarpone 6.50
Vanilla scented duck-egg creme brulee, Rumbullion shortbread 5.00
White chocolate and rose mousse with lavender and rosemary creme anglaise,
honey-lemon caviar 7.50
The Lighter Lunch
(in addition to the main menu)
Tuesday to Saturday, 12 noon to 3pm
Steak frites. 6oz flat iron steak, tomato and herb butter, shoestring fries,
rocket salad – best served rare
or
The pulled pork sandwich. Slow roasted pork in duck and cola liquor, served in a
brioche bun with monterey jack cheese, spicy slaw and paprika fries.
or
Herb roasted chicken, sun-dried tomato mash, basil pesto, leaf salad and sticky
balsamic
Each £10.00 with a small glass of house wine, a bottle of Efes Pilsener or a soft
drink
We do not levy a service charge. All tips go directly to the staff member tipped unless
specifically requested otherwise.
Naturally Julie orders for her first course:
I ordered the Smoked Duck salad for my starter, no picture sadly. Very nice it was, Duck smoked with Oak. I don’t use Oak very often, maybe I need to rethink that in the future.
A delightful meal and evening. Cam was a great host and brought us extras all along the way. Not particularly expensive either. Highly recommended.