New year resolutions eh. My inbox is flooded by restaurant veganuary invites (I'm ignoring you all), #dryjanuary is in full swing, my social feeds are promoting every diet under the sun and I'll be joined by tens of extra runners on the hills that will tail off before February, leaving me on my own again. (Great, because deep down, I really hate people.) But in amongst all that is somewhat of a backlash with #NewYearTrueMe and endless self love memes. Wince-worthy maybe, but I'm all for this new antidote to this month long macro guilt and pressure. Enjoy yourself in moderation all year round I say. Eat that cake, order those fries, drink the wine...and savour this gratuitous plate of meat. For breakfast.

I've been drooling at the pictures of The Coal Shed's brunch menu on the social media feeds. Headline act is of course this Surf n' Turf and in the flesh, it still commands a gasp.

And knowing what awaited me, I had purposely starved myself short of an espresso, rolling into the freshly refurbished restaurant at noon ravenous. Being a Saturday also made it entirely permissible to order cocktails - plural. Hell, let your hair down love.



It kind of feels like stage fright, the pause of not knowing where to start, but the plump, soft mussels cooked with nduja seemed a good a place as any quickly followed by the tiger prawns and scallop and pork belly skewers.

The flavour of the maple-cured Tamworth bacon chop, king of chops, was immense and a smart addition to make the dish more breakfast, along with the two fried eggs and smoked black pudding. However, when I think of The Coal Shed, I think steak and the salt aged sirloin didn't disappoint. The charcoal grills give the meat those delicious charred edges and undeniable smokey flavour whilst sealing in all that juicy goodness.

There's plenty of choice for your two sides; crisp, slightly charred broccoli with garlic and chilli or an iceberg wedge with blue cheese and stilton for a bit of greenery. For those blasé about carbs or mortally hungover; beef dripping chips, truffle mac n’ cheese or mash with burnt ends. I chose one from each camp. Balance innit.

At £32.50 per head the Surf n' Turf platter may be at the top end of what you'd normally spend on brunch (lighter options are available) but along with hearty portions, quality is paramount here, so confident in both their produce and cooking, that they don't shy away from simplicity. Thoroughly enjoyed, I don't know of a more luxurious, or decadent brunch in this city.

And this ethos is evident throughout all their menus, wine selection and cocktails. The new decor is elegant, as moody and sexy as ever, a good eye for taste and refinement but still on-brand for an upmarket steakhouse and date night gold.

God, I need that run now though.

Brunch served Saturdays only 11am-4pm, alongside the a la carte menu.



The Coal Shed
8 Boyce's Street
Brighton BN1 1AN

also at

One Tower Bridge
London SE1 2SE

I dined as a guest of The Coal Shed. Words and thoughts, as always, my own. 

After having my preconceptions of "fusion food" totally turned on its head after my last visit to Señor Buddha, I returned for the Fish Thursday Night for another taste of their Spanish Asian style tapas dishes. Fish Thursdays are held on the third Thursday of the month and include a set 5 course menu plus dessert for £35. It's a bargain.

Señor Buddha is a quirky restaurant; it's intimate and located just off Preston Circus. I can't quite put my finger on the environmental style but the quality of the food is outstanding. Their wines are also stunning and front of house extraordinaire, Chris Garcia Viera, is very knowledgeable about their carefully selected range.


As I said, the wines were all fabulous and matched to the food. I particularly enjoyed the Maetierra Atlantis wine we started out with and I rarely go for whites. Hondarrabi Zuri is not a grape variety I have come across before but coming from Basque Country it was perfect with the food and a great choice - I'm treating myself to a case of this one! Unlike me, I strongly recommend you leave the car at home and get stuck into the wines here as you are bound to discover new varieties and favourites. I was so, so sad to miss out on the others on the night.

It's has been a good old while since my last visit to Little Fish Market, yet I still have some strong food memories from that meal, which is always a winning sign of good food. But the LFM has evolved since those days, now offering a single five course menu. Even the place seems a little smarter but is still relaxed and pleasant in an upmarket beachy way. One thing that hasn't changed is that Duncan Ray is still the sole chef at work in the small kitchen, and I suppose this restaurant's success is down to his ability to control and set the creative direction of the food.

It was actually a real bonus not to have trawl through a menu on the night (lazy me, I know). If you did have any dietary requirements I think they are happy to assist with notice, but for us eat-alls, it was nice to sit down and and relax from the offset. And if you can't be bothered with the wine list either, there is also a wine flight available to match the foods. At £25 per person it is well priced too.

From the starter you knew you were in for a special meal. A miso glaze is ideal for the smoke and strength of flavour of mackerel and the spring onion added a sweet element with the yuzu a little lift.


The food has simplified and even though it has always been of an exceptional quality, the cooking feels more self-assured. There are no flourishes and certainly no reliance on the smoke and mirrors of trendy processes or edgy accessories on the plate. The slip sole in seaweed butter, becoming somewhat a signature plate by the look of things, is exactly that. Being used to pretty garnishes and the like, it does feel a little stark but kudos for that confidence. And when you delve into the dish there is no need for any more at all, it's exquisite. Firm and sweet flesh flaked easily from the bone and the seaweed butter added depth and richness. Perfect.


Even thought the focus of LFM is, obviously, fish, the meat dishes are also very good. The pork belly was perfectly rendered so you had all of the flavour delivered in a soft, succulent texture. I loved the freshness from the pea puree and broad beans and the decadent, sticky reduction of the sauce.


Back to fish, a generous portion of halibut was served with pillow soft Parmesan gnocchi, pickled mushrooms and crisp Parma ham. This was the most complex course and I would have loved to have seen it stripped back like the other dishes, but was still hugely enjoyable.


We finished with a light strawberry mille-feuille with wild strawberry sorbet, perfect for the warm evening and to cleanse the palate. This is exactly the fresh dessert I prefer really over anything sweet and chocolate based.

So a pretty faultless meal and at £50 for all the courses, I would say exceptional value for money. The attention to detail and pure focus on the food makes me really struggle to think of a better restaurant in Brighton. This was actually my birthday treat from the husband so eating out as much as I do, I want somewhere really special and was so pleased we chose Little Fish Market, for an occasion it's an absolute must.

Most people with his talent would be shouting it from the rooftops, but Duncan works diligently and quietly at mastering his craft here, and the location, tucked away in the residential streets of Hove, suits it perfectly. But if you haven't already, do go and discover it for yourself.



thelittlefishmarket.co.uk
10 Upper Market St, Hove BN3 1AS

Aqua Pazza means "crazy water" which makes this a really fun sounding recipe. Apparently the dish comes from southern Italian fishermen cooking their fish for lunch in the little they had; sea water and a few herbs, possibly a tomato or two. It was made famous around the Capri area in the 50s and 60s by visiting tourists wanting a taste of something authentic.

Schwartz, the herb and seasoning company got in touch with me about creating a recipe and this was one of the first dishes to come to mind as it's ALL about the herbs and seasoning. Oregano is one of the most important Italian herbs and I always have a jar of the dried herb in my larder. In addition, you can use most Mediterranean flavours although I always like an acidic edge that either capers or olives bring. Aqua Pazza is a really gorgeous, light and fragrant dish for pretty much any white fish and really quick for a mid-week meal.
http://www.schwartz.co.uk


Serves 2

Ingredients
2 Fillets of firm white fish (sea bass or bream is perfect) or a whole prepared fish
3 Tbs olive oil
A few sprigs of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Half tsp of Schwartz dried oregano
2 Garlic cloves, peeled
Half a celery stick, chopped
8-10 cherry tomatoes or two ripe chopped tomatoes
Small handful of capers or olives
A little fresh red chilli, sliced

Half a glass of water
Half a glass of white wine
To serve: Sliced lemon and good bread

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C

In an ovenproof dish which will fit the fish in a single level, pour in the olive oil then the fish. Arrange the remaining ingredients around the fish (if using a whole fish then stuff the cavity with some of the parsley too) and pour in the water and wine. The liquid should come to about halfway up the fish, and never cover the fish entirely. Season well.

Bake in the over for about 20 minutes until the fish is cooked, it may need a little longer if the fish is whole.

Serve with slices of good crusty bread and lemon slices.

This post was written in collaboration with Schwartz. Thanks for supporting the brands that support The Graphic Foodie.

This is ideal is a quick, healthy midweek meal. It's a pretty standard fish stew recipe that is made more special with a few simple fresh toppings that elevate the flavour. Add a glass of chilled white wine and pretend you're on holiday whilst blissfully ignoring the grey British weather outside.

Serves 4

2 tbs olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
Half fresh red chilli, finely chopped
Teaspoon smoked paprika
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
New potatoes, scrubbed or peeled and sliced
400g tin of tomatoes
Fish stock, about half a tin can, fresh or made with stock cube
A handful of frozen peas
A generous handful of king prawns, defrosted if frozen or fresh
4 white fish fillets, skinned, deboned and cut into chunks

Topping;
A handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Zest of one lemon, finely grated
Garlic clove, finely chopped
Lemon juice
Olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and gently fry the onion until soft. Add the chilli, garlic, paprika and continue to cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the remaining chopped vegetables and saute for a few minutes. Add the tinned tomatoes, stock and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Add the peas, fish and prawns and cook for a further 5-10 minutes until cooked through. Season to taste.

Serve in bowls and top with a little of all the toppings, a squeeze of lemon juice and drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy with plenty of crusty bread.

The Saucy Fish Co. have now been recognised as one of the few cherry picked companies named as a "CoolBrand". Other CoolBrands (selected by consumers and an expert council of er, cool people including fashion designers, actors and musicians I'm too old to recognise) include Apple, Courvoisier, Lavazza, Nars and Stella McCartney. TSFC. are the first and only fish brand to have made it on the list of predominantly premium fashion and technology brands.

Now it's not everyday that prepared food is classed as cool (and we are not talking the Iceland aisle sort of cool) but the TSFC is testament to great design, smart branding as well as a good product. I've been a big fan of the packaging (designed by one of my favourite agencys Elmwood) for a number of years. The copywriting is also very sweet "Easy peasy and we definitely recommend a little lemon squeezy", "Set sail for the dock at www.thesaucefish...".

But the proof is in the eating as they say and I was sent a few products to give a whirl in the kitchen.



Salmon fishcakes and Smoked haddock fishcakes
These fishcakes were pretty good, nicely balanced with just about enough fish to potato ratio. They contain a "saucy centre" (the salmon having a Hollandaise and the haddock a molten cheddar centre) which were good for novelty value, I may even steal that one for my fishcake recipe. As fishcakes are a mini meal in themselves, I just racked my intake of vegetables up as a side to them.



Smoked Haddock in a Vintage Cheddar & Chive Sauce
Fish and cheese is a big no-no in Italian cooking so this was a cultural challenge for me. (God help you if you sprinkle Parmesan on your spaghetti vongole!) But the mellow cheese sauce and smokiness of the fish, I hate to admit, was a good one. (It's ok, I'll just say three extra Hail Mary's in church this Sunday.) This was a foil bake bag format that you sling in the oven, which is undeniably convenient, and fish baked in a parcel is always more succulent.


Tuna Steaks with a sweet soy and chilli dressing
I was dubious about pouring a dressing over tuna steaks already heavily seasoned with spices and peppers but these steaks were just fantastic. The dressing (soy, chilli, rice wine, mirin, lemon ginger and star anise) just married up the steaks with the simple noodle and vegetable stir fry I served them with. We were very impressed with the flavour combination here which was powerful but still allowed the tuna to shine through. Spot on.



Squid, King Prawn and Chorizo with a Sherry and Herb Sauce
This didn't really hit the mark for us. The flavours were quite flat and the portion was tiny, despite being quite calorific. As everything was in one bag you couldn't control the cooking time for each item. The chorizo I would have cooked more and the squid, far, far less. Which was a shame as the seafood itself was really good quality.


Fish remains one food stuff that consumers still fear, yet really, it's one of the healthiest, easiest and quickest things to prepare. But if you are not one for wrestling a whole turbot with a filleting knife then The Saucy Fish Co. is a good product, with pre-seasoning and sachets of sauce to complete a meal. There isn't too much to be worried about in the ingredients and nothing scarily chemical at all. The hybrid between ready meal and raw product is a very keen market as people are becoming more interested in cooking which I think has made The Saucy Fish Co. so successful. And anything that gets people cooking is pretty cool to me.

For the keen cook, like me, you may find the products a little restrictive. I felt unable to add to much to the products myself as they were already prepared, but there is no denying the convenience of these and from the limited prepared food I've come across, these products were certainly a notch or twenty above them, gorgeous branding or not.


Many thanks to The Saucy Fish Co. for the hamper of products to review. Opinions, as always, are my own. 

There are not many restaurants that could be classed as a Brighton institution but English's of Brighton is most definitely one of the small handful. It has existed in the same location since 1945, with a much older fish restaurant on the same premises from the late 1800s. You can even still see the original embossed brass plate on the outside.


Sitting at the oyster bar, it could be any era really, I doubt much has changed looking at the faded framed pictures on the wall, the charmingly worn print on the plates and handwritten old menu. And I love it, few places could exude this type of eccentric atmosphere, and one that cannot be created unless it had been seasoned in place over decades. I only regret not having visited sooner, thinking this was a quaint old place for tourists and the over 60s, the only people that seem to appreciate velour seating.

I suppose I have also been seduced to frequent the handful of other good fish restaurants with their neue lux surroundings (Riddle and Finns) or exciting and accomplished cooking (Little Fish Market).

So before we go ahead, here is my secret. Seafood is the only thing I dislike eating and one mollusc in particular, the oyster. I don't believe that you should "hate" any food (microchips and frozen pizza aside) so have always been disappointed with myself for not enjoying seafood, especially as Mr. GF can devour huge platters of the stuff like a seal. I feel like I have failed as a food appreciator as oysters are so revered, but I do try, and try again in hope.

So the invitation for an education in oysters at English's was exactly the ticket I needed to cure my palette. Oh, and the inclusion of champagne may have been a sweetener too. I KNOW I like that thank you very much.

We were hosted by Jonathan Speirs who has been the head Oyster Shucker at English's for over 10 years and for more than 30 in the industry. Unremarkably, he knows a thing or hundred about oysters. First, we were given a selection of cooked oysters, which I have never tried before, a good move rather than going in hard with raw ones.


Surprisingly, I liked them. The toppings (tempura with a dipping sauce, samphire and hollandaise and and the classic thermidor style) were a welcome taste distraction and cooking eliminated the squeamish qualities of the slippery, slimy raw oyster. Instead was a soft, mild little sea pillow with enough flavour to shine through the other flavours.


Next came the big boys and I will admit I wasn't exactly rubbing my hands together with glee. What was interesting is that we were given a selection of rock oyster varieties and we were told to eat them in a certain order, much like a cheese board based on strength. The Jersey oysters slipped down ok. They were quite firm and mild. I wouldn't say I was quite there with the love but I felt like I was finding my feet. Next were Lindisfarne oysters, a middle ground oyster. Again, I ate these with no issue. The only ones I did struggle with were the Mersea ones, which were so soft and creamy and possibly one texture of slippery too far. One for the oyster pros amongst you.

People say they taste of the sea, and I can't add much more to that. If you like them, you like them I guess and if you want to explore or know more about them, pull up a stool here and chat to the staff. I was happy to learn a little more, what affects the taste like the depth and temperature of the water and so on. Oysters, at the very least, are interesting little creatures.

Fishy Fishy really stands out in Brighton. The interior is well considered and has a nicely designed brand, not saying that our home grown restaurants don't, but many clearly launch on a budget. A heck of a lot of them wouldn't be able to survive with the location either, which is tucked right away in a corner in East Street and hard to spot unless they have their bannered seating area out. But I like it. It gives it a quirkiness that may have seemed too sanitary in a more convenient or newer location.

Having been here for five years now, it's had time to bed in. Amazingly for a costal town, Brighton historically didn't have too many decent fish restaurants to its name. I could see why with investment eyes on, it would be an ideal place to launch but Fishy Fishy now has some seriously stiff competition in the city.

Saying that, the other well-regarded fish restaurants have slotted into the more premium market with plenty of chippies and touristy fish restaurants at the other end of the spectrum. Fishy Fishy cleverly aligns itself in the middle of this, appealing to people wanting a decent feed in a smart/casual setting without spending a small fortune. It would be as good for an intimate lunch date or to bring the whole family down.



We started with a sharing platter (£15.50) which had a selection of the popular starter dishes. The shell on prawns were really fresh with homemade marie rose sauce. I particularly liked the smoked mackerel paté with toasts that had been oiled and salted, a detail I appreciated. The batter on the calamari could have been crisper and the fishcakes seasoned a little heavier. I would also have liked a little nip of chilli to enhance the Thai flavours too. Overall though, a good start to the meal.


For main I chose the market special which was the sea bass, served either on the bone or filleted, with a prawn and cream sauce (£16.50). I adore sea bass and this was a generous portion simply cooked as it should be. I'm usually not much of a fan of cream sauces but this worked really well and had fresh flavours from parsley and lemon to prevent it from being too rich and cloying. The new potatoes and green beans were all that was needed to complete the dish. There's not too much else to say. I thoroughly enjoyed it.



Mr GF went for the—deep breath—Fishy Fishy Fish and Chips (£10.95). I did try and get him to read the whole dish name out to the waiter but he wasn't playing ball. Spoil sport. The batter on the fish was beautifully crisp, the minted peas fresh and not to soupy and the fish itself soft and sweet. The only preference change would be to ditch the fries in favour of some chunky, hand-cut chips.



Can I take a moment to mention the plates? I know I bang on about plates but how lovely are they here? Smart choice too as fish can sometimes look a little bland on the plate and the blue pattern lifts it visually. The water jugs were also fish shaped and a nice nod to Brighton's symbol which appears on railings and fountains, not sure if intentional, but there you go.



We polished off the meal by sharing a lemon posset. Thankfully, we were sharing as it was quite large with two pieces of millionaires shortbread, but then I don't have an overly sweet tooth.

Although there were a few small things I would have tweaked with the food, lunch was really pleasant at Fishy Fishy. Sustainability is at the heart of the produce with local and seasonal fish and shellfish and the menu is varied from fruits de mer platters and dressed crabs to fish curries and soups. As I said, if you want a good quality, honest meal that is well priced then Fishy Fishy is a decent choice.

Fishy Fishy
36 East Street

Well this doesn't happen often. I think I have found a new favourite restaurant in Brighton (certainly top three anyway). I almost don't want to tell you about it!

Open for a mere few weeks, I had been hearing great things about the Little Fish Market Restaurant, tucked in the residential streets near the Old market venue. Formerly a Fishmongers, Duncan Ray has taken it over as his new restaurant (keeping the name and the branding which may have confused people a little - it's nothing to do with the former business).

And it's good. It's REALLY good. Beautiful, fresh food, refreshingly served up simply, yet elegantly, minus any cheffy nonsense of scattering your food around the plate so one piece of potato is a 5 minute drive from the other. Ray, despite his impressive CV, wants to feed you not his ego here and God love him for that.

The interior suits the food and the location. Well considered and designed, smart yet relaxed and understated in modern beachy tones. Perfectly matched to the food.

Fish is obviously the dish of the day here and Brighton sure as hell needs more decent fish restaurants. You'll find a meat option or two but vegans and "proper" vegetarians will struggle here.



My Smoked Trout Salad was a perfect starter, light and interesting. I loved the pretty discs of beetroot, the contrast of the freshness of the salad and the smoke of the fish with spikes of horseradish. Nice slithers of trout too which were pleasant to eat as I'm not one for great hunks of raw textured fish. The paper thin shards of crisp potato were something new to me and made the dish so interesting texturally.

Mr GF's fish soup with little brown shrimps and chunky cubes of soft hake was lovely too and gobbled up with the homemade bread and hand churned butter.

Starter sizes were spot on as we were really revved up for the main courses.

I chose the Seabass with Fennel and Pink Grapefruit with a Crab Ravioli. The way the ingredients of this dish were treated realy allowed the gorgeous buttery seabass to deservedly shine. The fennel and grapefruit made it a light (and actually quite feminine) dish. The pasta of the ravioli was thin and toothsome, and held a decent portion of soft crab. I'm smilimg as I write this as it's one of those dishes that sticks in your mind, not for gimmicks or showmanship, just for beautiful, memorable tastes, executed absolutely perfectly.



Mr. GF was clearly on a hake bender with his Hake, Pea Puree, Bacon and Mint dish. Peas, bacon and fish are a winning combination and they got first place here. As with mine, the textures were great. This is the style of food presentation I really like. The duck fat chips were crisp and moorish. Essentially this was a Rolls Royce version of the classic Fish and Chips, again, elegantly presented.