Koya

49 Frith St
London
W1D 4SG

C & B arranged to meet P and me at Koya on a cold weekend afternoon. After bundling in, we settled in for a feast. Udon noodles were ordered for everyone, of course - I had the Tori Nikomi (chicken and vegetable hot pot) which came in the adorable dish above and kept its heat for ages, which made it perfect for warming me up. Everyone else was slurping up their dishes and making appreciative noises - and once we finished our noodles, we couldn't resist getting more food. Off the specials menu, we had rhubarb and beetroot pickles (which inspired me to make my own rhubarb pickles a few weeks later), the fried chicken (my only complaint was that it was incredibly messy to eat), a tofu dish that I absolutely loved but can't remember now, and probably another dish as well. I stupidly forgot to take pictures of it all so I have no way of figuring it out. Which just means I need to get back to Koya to recapture my memories. Giant thumbs up from me.

New Orleans Day 6

As much as I loved New Orleans, it's a bit of a relief that this is the last post. So much happened each day that I'm getting exhausted just trying to remember!

To conclude, our last meal was at Stanley, on Jackson Square.

I had the grand finale dish of Eggs Stanley: Cornmeal-Crusted Oysters, Poached Eggs, Canadian Bacon and Creole Hollandaise on a Toasted English Muffin. Hell yeah.

And A and C both opted for the Stanley Classic: Scrambled Eggs, Smoked Bacon, Creole Breakfast Potatoes, and Whole Wheat Toast. 

I also had one of the strongest bloody marys I've ever had the pleasure of drinking. And that pretty much finished us off. With a wave goodbye to the city, we left, full to the brim with food and jazz.

New Orleans Day 5

Since C still hadn't had a chance to try beignets, we started our fifth day at Cafe du Monde again. But we were starting to wise up to how many things we wanted to eat, and opted to share one portion (one beignet each) instead of going all out - which turned out to be very smart as we ended up at Mother's for lunch.

Due to an attempt to see the American Cocktail Museum, which sadly was in the midst of relocating, we ended up wandering around a food museum instead. Since there were histories of all of the classic New Orleans dishes up on the walls, red beans and rice ended up on our radar. And Mother's (401 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70130) was able to supply that dish, as well as crawfish etouffee, their Famous Ferdi special and a giant portion of fries. We rolled out of the restaurant, happily stuffed and ready to go on a river cruise.

And all I can say about the Creole Queen river cruise is that you should go look at the paddle boat as it's quite attractive, but I'd skip the ride, unless you really really love industrial sites. Or hearing about how "tedious" it is to dock at certain docking points along the Mississippi River. 

Onwards to Harrah's for a spot of poker. A had never played poker in a casino before, and clearly beginner's luck works well, as he came out $10 richer.

After that, we decided to go out like the high rollers we were, and ate our way through platters of oysters all evening:

Luke's for happy hour oysters. At 50 cents per oyster, you can really go a bit nuts. We also sampled their grilled oysters though I preferred the raw ones here. Several cocktails later, we moved on to the next spot:

Acme Oyster House for chargrilled oysters and oyster shots. My favorite grilled oysters of the night (though still not as good as the ones at Cochon). Oyster shots are gimmicky, but it was still something I'm happy I tried. 

And finally, Antoine's for Oysters Rockefeller. These win the award for most disappointing oysters of the night (and possibly most disappointing drinks as well). I love the inside of Antoine's, and I'm glad our cocktail tour included it as a stop so we could hear all the historical anecdotes about the place, but I wouldn't necessarily go back.

A friend of a friend recommended Mimi’s in the Marigny for their Monday night swing dance lesson and live music - it was a lot of fun to give it a try and we enjoyed watching the more experienced dancers once the band started playing. Since we were down the street from The Spotted Cat, we popped in there again on the way home and saw a great vocalist, Kristina Morales, singing with a band. It was the perfect way to end the evening.

New Orleans Day 4

If you made me choose a favorite meal of the trip, I'm afraid it would be a toss up between Cochon (Day 2) and Commander’s Palace (1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130). Both require reservations, which is no surprise considering how good they are. What might tip it slightly in Commander's favor is the live jazz brunch at weekends - the musicians actually walk up to your table and will take requests so you can ask for whatever song you think will go perfectly with your meal. And the service is exemplary - everything that is great and gracious about the South is on display here: charm, comfort and gentle friendliness. On to what we had - for drinks, the waiter cheekily nudged A towards a brandy milk punch and a Sazerac (which was his favorite of the trip) while I had a viciously strong Bloody Mary, which was perfect after a late Saturday night, while C had a glamorous Bellini. When given the option of trying several things instead of one, you can bet I will go for it, so I had a soup sampler with turtle soup, navy bean soup, and gumbo, while A had an oyster & absinth "dome". Then A and C had the winning main of pecan-crusted trout - I don't know how they make the sauce for that dish but we would have licked it off the plate if that wasn't terribly uncouth. My eggs cochon de lait were also wonderful but very rich; if I hadn't shared it with A I'm not sure I would've been able to finish it on my own. And just when we were about to explode, dessert came: a bread pudding soufflé (light as air!), a tasting of Swiss chocolate, and a humongous slice of cheesecake. GO!

Due to the miserable weather, we headed off to the WWII museum (945 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130) to catch "Beyond All Boundaries", the 4D movie produced by Tom Hanks. I was pretty conscious of how it glorified US involvement, maybe because I was watching it with two British visitors, but for a film that is attempting to tell the story of WWII in less than an hour, I guess it was pretty good. After that experience though, we were ready for a drink, and thankfully WINO (610 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130) was located close by. They've got banks of Enomatic machines so you can sample dozens of wines by popping in a card loaded with some credit on it. 

After we'd sampled a few tipples, we decided to head home via the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone (214 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130). It sounds cheesy - a bar that rotates - but in reality it's actually very elegantly done. Alas, there weren't three seats on the carousel so we settled for some chairs close by and watched the lucky few go round slowly while drinking. 

One last stop before we crashed for the evening - Pat O'Briens (718 St Peter St, New Orleans, LA 70116) for a hurricane. I really wasn't fond of the drink - sugary and fruity, it tasted like cheap college alcohol punch, but I suppose it's what some people associate with New Orleans. The bar itself was better than I expected - there are different spaces, including a dueling piano bar and a surprisingly lovely courtyard space. But after all this, we were ready to get back to our leftovers from the previous night's dinner and some good old rest!

New Orleans Day 3

Seeing as how we were staying in the Treme neighborhood, it made sense to visit the Backstreet Museum before Saturday lunch at Lil’ Dizzy’s. The museum is incredible - the intricate details that go into creating an Indian costume are all on display, and the people that work there are happy to tell you as many stories as you can stomach about the chiefs and the history of the area. Definitely make time to go - it'll make the rest of your experience in New Orleans more meaningful. They're also very helpful with when Second Lines are happening around the city (sadly it rained heavily on the day we wanted to go see one).

The first restaurant on the list of recommendations at the Muse Suite is Lil' Dizzy's (1500 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116), and with good reason. The entire menu looked wonderful so it was hard to limit our choices down to a manageable amount of food. A cup of gumbo came first, followed by a fried oyster po'boy and one piece of fried chicken. C wanted breakfast food so had scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits, and A tacked on an order of French toast as well. And then we had to order some bread pudding (which by the way might be my new favorite dessert. Don't worry, a recipe will be posted soon!) We were so stuffed after this brunch that the only solution was to go on a city tour.

We booked a city tour through Cajun Encounters, and while it was not cheap, I think it was money well spent as we got so much background and history that added depth to what we were seeing. Our tour guide was excellent and generous with his recommendations for things he loves. Since we had decided to go car-free for this trip, it was a good chance to see parts of New Orleans that weren't as accessible by foot.

After getting dropped off in the French Quarter again, we headed to one of J's recommendations, Muriel's. The wraparound balcony on Jackson Square makes it an ideal location to drink and people-watch, but it was still a bit too brisk for that so we went back indoors after a peek outside. Since it was early the waitress told us about a bordello-like area upstairs that is usually used for private parties, but since it was empty it was fine for us to hang out there while drinking some superbly mixed  cocktails. A's choice was a Burnt Sage Margarita, with Herradura Reposado, muddled sage, Johnny Walker Black and house-made sour - the speed at which he drank it is a testament to its loveliness, I think. I had a NOjito made with muddled tarragon, lemons, Tabasco and New Orleans Spiced Cajun Rum. And C had her favorite, the French 75.

We'd done a little research about some jazz acts that were playing while we were in New Orleans and booked tickets to see Dr. Michael White at Snug Harbor (626 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116), so we picked a restaurant close by for dinner - Marigny Brasserie (640 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116). I hadn't quite realized how hungry I was until the bread rolls came out with the most mind-numbingly awesome apple butter. The waiter emphasized the need for us to try the apple butter and he was right - I tore through two rolls in no time at all. This was a dumb move, as portions are absolutely enormous, and even though three of us shared a starter of fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade, I was defeated before my main even arrived. My jambalaya was so large I managed what seemed like a quarter of it (though you couldn't tell I had eaten any at all) before surrendering. A's fried chicken with mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese and C's blackened catfish with collard greens and sweet potato fries were similarly boat-sized, so we had them packed up for another meal.

After the fantastic concert at Snug Harbor, we popped into The Spotted Cat (623 Frenchmen St, New Orleans, LA 70116) as well, seeing the last tune by a six-piece band before The Davis Rogan Band appeared. Prior to our New Orleans trip, A and I had been watching Treme and saw an episode where the character named Davis was writing a song about the gentrification of his neighborhood. Of course, that song came on and A and I looked at each other quizzically, and of course discovered afterwards that the character is based on Davis Rogan and the real Davis makes quite a few cameo appearances. So there's our "celebrity" sighting of the trip.

Lebanese Chickpea Stew

I really love chickpeas so when I saw this recipe that incorporated chicken thighs (another favorite), I was ready to give it a try. All of the ingredients were in my cupboards, except for the roasted red peppers that the original recipe called for. So I eliminated the red peppers and threw in some cabbage and carrots I had, and it worked out wonderfully. Of course, I also found out that A isn't that fond of whole chickpeas (something I never realized before, especially given his ability to eat entire containers of hummus in one go). Oops.

Lebanese Chickpea Stew
Adapted from The Amateur Gourmet who adapted it from BonAppetit

Ingredients 

6 chicken thighs (I used with bone and with skin)
Kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup red wine (AG says white wine but this is what I had)
3 dried bay leaves
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed, drained
1 cup cabbage, chopped into smallish pieces

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds

2 tablespoons cornstarch (optional)
Fresh lemon juice (from half a lemon)
Coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method

1. Heat a medium pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Season chicken aggressively with salt and then brown the chicken, skin side down, until it’s a deep, dark brown. (The best way to do this is not to move it for the first 4 to 5 minutes; then flip it over). Remove the chicken to a plate and turn the heat off for a few minutes before adding the garlic (otherwise it’ll burn). Also, if there’s a lot of rendered chicken fat in the pan, you may want to pour some of it out leaving a few tablespoons. 
2. Turn the heat back to medium-low, add the garlic and monitor carefully. When it’s fragrant but not at all brown add the cumin, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes; stir until a smooth paste forms, about 1 minute. 
3. Add the red wine, if you’re using it, scrape up the brown bits as it comes to a boil; then add 3 1/2 cups water along with a pinch of salt. (If you’re not using wine, just add 4 cups water.) Add the bay leaves and return the chicken to the pot; bring liquid to a simmer, put the heat on low and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender. 
4. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the chickpeas, cabbage and carrots to the pot; bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken and add to the stew whenever it is all shredded. Taste for salt. Sprinkle in cornstarch, if using, in order to thicken the stew a bit.
5. Take the stew off the heat, add a splash of lemon juice (to taste) and a generous sprinkling of parsley. Serve with good bread.

New Orleans Day 2

Our first morning was bright and sunny to match our moods. C was recovering from a cold so stayed in to rest, but A and I headed out for a wander. We knew our first destination was going to be Café Du Monde (800 Decatur Street, New Orleans 70116) for beignets and café au lait, and it just happened to be on the other side of the French Quarter from where we were staying, so we took a meandering route through the intricate wrought iron-lined streets. Once we arrived at Café Du Monde we joined the scrum for a table (later visits would demonstrate that it is not always super busy so since it's open 24 hours a day you can just come back at another time if you can't be bothered to wait). Beignets come three to an order, under a mountain of powdered sugar - I'd argue that you should just get one order per person unless you're saving room for something else, as the last thing you want to do is argue over a messy delicious breakfast.

While strolling around running errands (such as picking up tickets for a cocktail tour!!!) we passed Central Grocery (923 Decatur St,  New Orleans, LA 70116), home of the muffuletta (a round flat sesame-seed loaf split horizontally and covered with layers of marinated olive salad, capicola,mortadella, salami, pepperoni, ham, Swiss cheese and provolone, according to Wikipedia). So we had to get one for lunch. In our confusion about how large a muffuletta is, we ordered a whole, which was clearly meant for four people to consume. A put it in his bag and exclaimed about its weight. It's ok, he only had to drag it around for another two hours before we were ready to eat it. Sadly it was a bit disappointing - we found the bread to be a bit dry (though we saved a quarter to eat the next day and it was better then).

Heading east, we ended up at the French Market which was full of more food (oh no, there's no room!) and then a flea market section full of souvenirs and weird objects. We were later told by a tour guide that the best time to shop there is right before closing and the vendors expect to haggle, so ask for deep discounts.

On our way back to the apartment to meet up with C, we walked through Louis Armstrong Park which is full of statues of jazz musicians and a little manmade pond - apparently in warmer weather you can rent boats, but none were to be found in early January.

We'd signed up for a cocktail tour that started at 4pm - this was a hilarious activity that combined history, anecdotes and drinking with a spitfire of a tour guide (thanks to J & K for recommending it!) We went to the following (though every tour is different):

Pirate's Alley Cafe and Old Absinthe House (622 Pirates Alley, New Orleans, LA 70116). Guess what we had there?

The Hermes Bar at Antoine's Restaurant (713 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130). The bar was too crowded so instead we got a wonderful tour of all of the private dining rooms and a look at the ridiculously ornate costumes worn by the King and Queen of Mardi Gras. 

The Court of Two Sisters (613 Royal St New Orleans, LA 70130). They are famed for the Bayou Bash, which is a sangria-like punch made with Southern Comfort. We were all surprised by how much we liked it (I usually have an aversion to SoCo). A had a very disappointing mint julep, so don't get that.

The French 75 Bar at Arnaud's (813 Bienville Street, New Orleans, LA 70112). Embarrassingly I am not entirely sure this is where we were, but we were definitely in a bar famous for French 75s so let's just assume I'm right. C discovered she loves the French 75. A also liked his Sazerac here (though it was not his favorite of the trip).

The Bombay Club (830 Conti St New Orleans, LA 70112). We loved the atmosphere in here, but were all cocktailed out at this point. A had a dry martini, which was fine, but honestly who knows how good things are in the last bar of a cocktail tour?

Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St
New Orleans, LA 70130

Thankfully we had a long walk to dinner to clear our heads. This was a recommendation from several people, and ended up being one of my favorite meals of the whole trip. I still think about the woodfired roasted oysters - god only knows what they did to them but they were so incredible that all I want to do is eat them over and over and over again. We also sampled fried alligator (a little like chewy popcorn chicken) and gumbo (gussied up here, and I will confess I think I like the not-gussied up gumbo better). For mains, A and I shared the Louisiana cochon with turnips, cabbage, pickled peaches & cracklins (hell yeah!) and then to be frank, the eggplant and shrimp dressing and macaroni and cheese casserole sides we shared with C pushed me over the edge into delirium. I cannot express how much I loved this meal and would happily go back as many times as I could afford. 

Bellocq
The Hotel Modern New Orleans
936 St Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70130

Just to drive a final nail into the coffin of this day, we had a nightcap before heading home. I know A had a port cobbler, but I'm not sure about mine - maybe something ominous like The End of the World? Anyway, while they were lovely, I'm sure my enjoyment was dampened by the exhaustion that was setting in. These were the most experimental of the cocktails we had in New Orleans, I think - most places seem to stick to the classics, while we saw ingredients here that had to be interpreted by the waitress. So if that's what you're looking for, give Bellocq a try.