Fernandez & LeLuu, London Supper Club - Vietnamese feasting at its best & "Fight Hunger Eat In" with Action Against Hunger & Unearthed

The beef pho

I have 2 good reasons for writing about London supper club, Fernandez & Leluu.

1. They cook some of the best Vietnamese food I've tasted in London.
2. They recently hosted a charity dinner with Unearthed in support of Action Against Hunger. And I love the idea behind this new campaign.

Simon and Uyen have been hosting their supper club from their East London apartment since late 2009. Uyen's mum, who is Vietnamese, along with the gorgeous Gail from One Million Gold Stars, were helping in the kitchen on the first night I rolled up for my Vietnamese feast.

A Vietnamese chicken salad is both juicy and packed with fresh, zingy flavours. Bountiful platters of spring rolls follow, crammed to bursting point with prawn, crab, tender octopus and pork. They're a terrific mix of contrasting textures and the flavours bounce off each other well.

A bowl of beef pho with flat rice noodles is wonderfully aromatic and, although mild, there's some interesting layers of delicate spice at work.

The tuna sashimi that stole my heart at the Fernandez & LeLuu summer picnic at the Henley Royal Regatta features again at the supper club. We finish with pork cutlets and rice, before moving on to a coconut and Cointreau sorbet as a refreshing end to an excellent, fun marathon meal. No one leaves hungry.

This supper club is dancing on the tables, barrels of laughs, type fun. There's a huge energy in the tiny room and it tends to work to a slow crescendo as supper clubbers share their wine freely around the table. The crowd is mostly fun loving folk in their 20s and 30s and generally everyone brings 1-2 bottles of wine.

Yes, Fernandez and Leluu is BYO with no corkage fee. The suggested minimum donation is around £35 plus tips.

"Fight Hunger, Eat In" - Action Against Hunger & Unearthed

I returned again more recently for a charity dinner hosted by Fernandez & LeLuu with Unearthed, to raise awareness and funds for Action Against Hunger. Action Against Hunger is an international humanitarian organisation committed to ending child hunger. Their new Fight Hunger Eat In campaign follows its recent "Fight Hunger Eat Out" campaign spearheaded by some top chefs and restaurants.

The idea is to encourage food lovers to host a dinner party and invite their friends to make a donation in return for a great meal. Hosts pick a menu, invite their guests and cook away. Action Against Hunger has prepared lots of tips and materials, invitations and recipes which are available for hosts to download to make it all as easy as possible.

Simon Day, founder of Unearthed, hosted the evening I attended at Fernandez & LeLuu. Apart from being a lovely guy, Simon has what just might be the best job in the world - he travels around Europe & elsewhere in search of excellent products from great producers which might not otherwise see the light of day in the UK market. Unearthed products include things like rillettes, olives, cooked and cured meats, white bean tapas with Manchego and panettones. The products are sold at Waitrose and were the foundations of the meal cooked by Fernandez & LeLuu at this charity dinner.

We start with a tasty selection of Unearthed's potato omelette with pork rillettes, duck mousse, oyster mushrooms and garlic bread. I particularly love the rillettes from Le Mans and find myself happily placed between 2 large platters of the stuff. These are clearly quality products, and from the snippets I caught on the subject, they seem to come at very reasonable prices (eg. the rillettes are £2.49 at Waitrose).

A velvety sweet corn veloute with chorizo film had me at "sweet corn".

Next are some flamenquines -  meaty fried parcels of pork, pepperoni and ham with mustard and herb dip. Completely addictive.

Then, pork meatballs (again from Unearthed) with Fernandez & LeLuu's Russian salad. Fernandez & Leluu do a cracking Russian salad (again, it's one I sampled before at their Henley Regatta picnic), and the meatballs are a sweet, juicy counterpart.

Finally, we feast on Unearthed's Serrano ham with F&L's own champagne poached pears and a watercress salad. A gorgeous combination.

I missed the churros and chocolate - and I'm still kicking myself.

I love the spirit of this supper club, and the Action Against Hunger campaign, combined with the joint efforts of Unearthed and Fernandez & LeLuu, was inspiring. If you are interested in hosting a dinner party in support of Action Against Hunger, you can see their website here. You can book for other supper club events at Fernandez & LeLuu on their website.


Fernandez & LeLuu, a mystery location in East London.

Friday Food Club, Blackheath

Allow me to cut to the chase: the Friday Food Club is brilliant.

This terrific little supper club is run by Lee and Fiona Behan from their rather funky apartment in Blackheath. Formerly the GPO film studios and an art hall, the building has now been converted into apartments with high ceilings, huge ornate windows and (in the case of Lee and Fiona's apartment, at least) ritzy furnishings. This is a supper club with all the trimmings.

Lee Behan is a classically trained chef, while Fiona is the gorgeous, bubbly, front of house personality. They opened their doors in January 2010 and since then, it seems, have mastered the art of utter professionalism, while keeping things relaxed and friendly.

They often host special events - recently, Mark Hix took over the kitchen and this week they're working with Dhruv Baker (winner of Masterchef 2010). The Peanut Gallery and I recently attended for an evening with Prosecco Riccardo, and a menu designed to match.

A very seasonal corn veloute seduces us into the evening like the glorious pink sunset we watch through the windows. Served in small, white espresso cups, it is sweet, mellow and simply sumptuous. It is paired with Riccardo's lovely Superiore D.O.C.G. Spumante Extra Dry which is not as dry as the name suggests. Its apple and pear characteristics work well with the corn.

A starter of pork, pistachio and apricot terrine is served with red onion marmalade. It's terrific. And also smart - for the first 2 courses, most of the prep work can be done before the guests arrive, so everything is timely and relaxed, while losing nothing to quality and taste. The D.O.C. Treviso Spumante Brut is a fabulous accomplice, balancing dried fruit and floral hints.

Cornish pollack is pan fried to perfection and served atop a creamed Prosecco sauce of smoked bacon, leaks and clams. This dish really shows Lee's skills. The pollack is transformed into a thing of luxurious splendour, basking lavishly in its luscious, creamy sauce.

This dish had an unusual partner - a still Prosecco, Riccardo Prosecco D.O.C. Treviso Vino Tranquillo (for "tranquil"). Made with 100% Prosecco grapes, this wine had all the apple and pear flavours of Prosecco but without the fizz. While the wine was popular with other guests, it seems I'm a bubbles girl to the end. I like the lift that the fizz gives the flavour in a Prosecco and felt it fell a bit flat without it. However, the wine matched well with the pollack and so perhaps is more of a food wine for me.

If anything tops the main, it is a pretty late summer berry prosecco jelly balancing elegantly on white chocolate set cream - a divine match of flavours, so light and delicate, this was an accomplished dessert of which any Michelin starred restaurant would be proud. It matches wonderfully with the Riccardo Cartizze Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. Spumante Dry - very dry and delicate.

We were even given a home baked muffin as a parting gift to munch on for breakfast the next day. No, I did not wash it down with Prosecco (but I thought about it).

Douglas of Intoxicating Prose and Riccardo Tomadin from the winery did a sterling job of educating and entertaining us about the wines throughout the evening. Riccardo Prosecco is the business of the Fornasier family, which has been growing grapes since the end of the 1800s. "Prosecco" is no longer a label that can be used by any wine made with Prosecco grapes - as a protected designation of origin, the grapes of a Prosecco wine must come from the north eastern Veneto region of Italy and meet defined standards of quality and production methods. The Conegliano Valdobbiadene region was recently promoted to D.O.C.G. status, which means the wines are subjected to the most stringent quality and production standards for Italian wines.

The Friday Food Club is normally BYO and I understand they will advise guests on the most appropriate wines to match their menu of the day. Tickets normally cost in the range of £26.50-£38.50, although this event was subsided by Prosecco Riccardo and so lucky guests experienced the joy for a bargainous £18.

Ultimately, as a supper club, it's hard to fault. The only draw back is the last train leaves from Blackheath station at around 11.20pm, just as you get the sense that the party is about to warm up. So think about booking a taxi, sit back, meet some new people and enjoy.

Friday Food Club, Blackheath (a 5 minute stroll from the station), London, SE3

Greedy Diva was a guest of Prosecco Riccardo. Thanks to Riccardo Tomadin for the invitation.

STOLEN: London Supper Club, Notting Hill

Ok, so you all know what a supper club is by now. I have previously penned some thoughts on the concept here. The idea behind the Stolen Supper Club is this: its creators are inspired by some of the world's best chefs, they eat at the restaurant, they rummage through the cookbook. Then, they create an evening at a funky pad in Notting Hill, inspired by the experience, for the likes of you and me to sample at reasonable prices in relaxed and fun surrounds. They even offer BYO.

I was intrigued.

Stolen's supper clubs are held on Monday evenings, for up to 15 guests. Mia brings her bubbly personality and over 10 years of hospitality experience to the service part of the venture. Leandro cooks, and cooks well. I attended the "Oyster and Chop House" event this month, which was inspired by Mark Hix's restaurant and cook book - right down to the Hix napkins and wine. The suggested contribution was £30 (but this varies depending on the menu, as advertised in advance on Stolen's website).

We started in the garden, chatting to our fellow diners from around the world over a lovely glass or three of Hix Tonnix Quinta de la Rosa wine (Douro, Portugal, 2007) - a wine created by the winery in collaboration with Mark Hix and Mitch Tonks (and Tracy Emin for the label artwork).

Moving inside, we sat next to the modern kitchen under high ceilings with exposed beams, surrounded by white walls and brickwork with a trendy but casual feel.

Fresh from Billingsgate market, platters of oysters on ice and shredded seaweed (6 oysters each) were brought out to start - both natural and "Oyster Mary" style with a light Bloody Mary granita topping.

The main event was a gigantic ribeye with Chop House butter, bearnaise or green (mixed herb) sauce. Sourced from Jack O'Shea (as is Hix's steak), you can't say Stolen don't do their research. Cooked to a perfect medium rare, the steak was certainly generous and flavourful, but lacked some caramelisation given it was finished off in the oven. The steaks were accompanied by crunchy, fine straw potatoes and a mixed leaf salad.

We finished up with some potent sloe gin jelly shots, sorbet and cream.

This was a fun spirited, good value evening, particularly given the BYO policy, and wine sharing around the table. At Hix's Oyster & Chop House, the equivalent meal would have cost around £48.50 plus £27.50 for the bottle of Hix Tonnix wine, plus service.

The next Stolen Supper Club will be held on 13th of September - a "Game Evening". It's a particularly good option for West Londoners wishing to try their local supper club scene.

Stolen Supper Club, a leafy part of Notting Hill.... London

Summer picnic by Fernandez & Leluu at the Henley Royal Regatta

Anyone who's into supper clubs in London knows about Fernandez & Leluu. Simon and Uyen host a supper club at their home (mystery location) on a regular basis, and have obtained quite some acclaim for it. They even played host to the Grand Daddy of Supper Clubs, Jim Haynes, a few months back.

So when I received an invitation mentioning (1) free flowing Laurent Perrier champagne, (2) at a picnic (sponsored by Ryvita), (3) scheduled for a sunny day at the Henley Regatta, with (4) the great Fernandez & Leluu in charge of the food, I dove straight into my wardrobe to fossick for the nearest below-the-knee frock. (Truthfully, they had me at "champagne".) I emerged some time later, covered in dust but triumphant. Finding comfortable, yet suitably glamorous, shoes with heels which would not poke stiletto sized  holes all over the royal lawns of Henley was quite another matter.

Anyhoo, to the food.

I'm just loving this season of sunshine, picnics and BBQs. Fernandez & Leluu excelled themselves with a picnic that had random passers-by stopping to take snaps. It certainly put the surrounding picnics (comprising a few packets of crisps and a tub of hummus) to shame. Northern Rock oysters were freshly shucked and served with lemon and Tabasco to taste - although so rich and creamy were they, that I sucked them up in all their naked, voluptuous glory.

Gigantic Wild Madagascan Tiger Prawns boiled on a neighbouring stove top were also a show stopper, as were lavish chunks of fresh Yellow Fin line caught tuna sashimi (with spring onion in a light, sweet Japanese soy sauce) accompanied by bulging plates of samphire. Seafood was sourced from Fin and Flounder, an independent fish monger on Broadway Market. Cheeses, pates, rillettes and hams (largely sourced from Broadway Market) were loaded up on a never ending supply of Ryvita snacks and fresh breads, and served F&L's potato salad (enough to feed a large army). A hefty platter of red and yellow cherry tomatoes with mozzarella and basil was another refreshing summer plate. If you like the look of the snazzy blue and white plates, they were kindly supplied by Cornishware for the event.

In between helpings, we feasted on colourful bowls of cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes and flat peaches.

I'm a big fan of anything I can lather in butter and Vegemite, and usually this is where my relationship with Ryvita snacks begins and ends. But their new range of crispbreads were on show for us since our picnic was located at the Ryvita stand - we sampled several flavours including a sweet Fruit Crunch variety (which matched well with cheese) and my favourite, the Sweet Onion which went marvelously with some excellent smoked salmon (by Donald Russell) and cream cheese.

Simon had poached some pears in champagne (magnificent with cheese) while Uyen had burned the midnight oil perfecting a gorgeous, layered Cointreau and berry trifle served in glasses at the end of the day. Violet's Curd (of the Hatcham Supper Club) also made some lemon curd cupcakes which I wanted to try all day, but somehow had my snout so far down my champagne flute that I missed them at the end - all reports are that they were fantastic.

A superb day all-round.

Oh, there was some exciting rowing going on too. Apparently.


Fernandez & Leluu were interviewed about supper clubs on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday, and you can see the dates for their next supper club event here.

I attended this event as a guest of Ryvita, Wild Card and Fernandez & Leluu along with fellow bloggers, The London Foodie, Meemalee's Kitchen, Tamarind and Thyme, Feast on Scraps and the Hatcham Supperclub.

Pop-ups, supper clubs & underground restaurants

One of the trendiest trends in trendy dining this year has to be the growth in pop-up and underground restaurants, or supper clubs.

Budding amateur cooks, committed food lovers and dazzling hospitality queens have flung open the doors of their homes, polished the cutlery, popped open the bubbly and allowed word of mouth (read: Facebook) to bring friends, friends of friends and inquisitive strangers to share in their offerings.

Jay Rayner has expressed skepticism over whether the fad would last - and it's true there may be many "flashes in the pan". However, some underground "amateurs" are proving themselves to be able to stay the distance, and solidify their reputations as quality dining alternatives month after month. The Rambling Restaurant is reputed to be one such example I'm hoping to try (although I haven't yet had the pleasure) and Ms Marmite Lover's Underground Restaurant is another which has attracted much publicity. Even famous restauranteurs have indulged in the pop-up scene, and many London foodies were quick to sample the goods when Pierre Koffman sprung to the surface with La Tante Claire in October for a matter of days on the roof of Selfridges.

Underground restaurants offer the intrepid diner a sense of camaraderie as fellow patrons meet for the first time in the intimate setting of the host's home, share wine at communal tables and interact with cook and host in a way that is a hybrid mix of social event, restaurant dining and dinner party setting. It may not be for everyone, and there's always the risk you'll be stuck next to a freak, but if my first supper club experience last night was anything to go by, the underground scene is likely to give birth to a new generation of talented cooks and hosts testing and fortifying their skills just as quickly as it will weed out those who will discover it's not really the game for them.

It was high time for the Greedy Diva to get on the scene. And so it was with much anticipation that I attended The Humble Kitchen's "Supper Club for Christmas" on Saturday night - my initiation into the underground.

First, the disclaimer. This is not a restaurant review. Host and hostess are two of my known underground associates, who have created a new outlet for their passion and creativity with their recent HK venture. So, I will try not to wax too lyrical here about my fabulous evening - and you may take or leave my praises with a grain of salt. Instead, I'll simply flesh out my views on the whole supper club trend with some illustrations of what is has to offer at its best by way of the examples of the fare, service and company I experienced at the HK last night.

Having booked our tickets online for £25, a cluster of around 20 friends and strangers gathered at HK's fashionable base pad overlooking Brick Lane in Shoreditch. Having offloaded our coats and brollies, we warmed up with a Christmas champagne cocktail (elderflower, berry, gin, champagne) and canapes, perused the rather professional looking wine list (a range of bottles from various regions available by raffle ticket for £15) before being seated in time for our first course.

Entree: Savoury spiced mince pie topped with a sassy egg yolk, and some English sweet and sour on the side. This was explained on the menu to be the crafty HK take on the original mince pie, "the medieval chewet", which was a fried or baked pastry containing chopped meat, mixed with boiled egg yolks, dried fruit and spices. I have now banished all memories of mince pies past, and sickly supermarket monstrosities - this dish was meaty and rich, with a wonderful combination of flavours and textures. Loved the egg yolk. Totally gour-met.

Main course: We welcomed the whole roasted partridge with bread sauce, winter lentils, mash, roasted garlic and game jus. This meaty bird was beautifully roasted and succulent, and the juicy lentils provided a lovely texture and balance to the full flavoured meat. I tried to imagine myself pulling off 20 such dishes so well - until the fire alarms started going off in my head. Not a pretty thought. Back to reality.

Dessert was a rich plum pudding with a luscious vanilla and brandy custard. No need for a dishwasher for my plate...

Over a cheese board, coffee and home baked biscotti, the troops gathered and gossiped, polishing off a healthy amount of wine, until our hospitable host chef (complete with stripey T) and his glamorous hostess joined in the gaggle. The Peanut Gallery and I, full bellies and groaning livers, retired at around the 1am mark, leaving several solid performers still going strong and likely to head out to the nearby bars of Brick Lane.

I have been wined and dined by these two gourmets before at their enormous dinner parties, but with the Humble Kitchen they have taken their expertise to a whole new level. Each dish was perfectly executed, the environment warm and welcoming and they have completely nailed the right balance between homely and professional.

I'm amazed at the level of professionalism that some of the current underground operations have apparently mastered. It's inspiring to see that passion and skill, from complete amateurs in many cases, really can generate something unique, exciting and satisfying, bringing together friends and strangers alike to share in the creative experience. And all the better that this particular social wave of endeavour caters to the most gluttonous among us. Bring it on.