Eating Dinner at a Local European Restaurant
About a ten minute drive from my home is a casual European Brasserie called ‘Pulp Kitchen’. I had been there for breakfast once but never for dinner, so when a friend of mine invited me, I jumped at the chance.
There are both French and Italian influences on the menu and several vegetarian options. Chef also offers to make the meals vegetarian if asked – which is great. It was a special occasion so I brought a bottle of champagne for the three of us to enjoy.
To start off my friends enjoyed the thyme and garlic baked cheese (which was served hot) with sourdough. My friend’s lovely young son Harry, who knows me too well, said to me that I couldn’t eat the dip because it contained animal-rennet cheese – lovely boy!!
My friends ordered the beef tenderloin medallions, pommes frites (lovely way the French call ‘chips’ ) and béarnaise sauce and also the lamb rump, braised lamb belly with charred leek and pickled enoki mushrooms. My friends absolutely loved their dishes. (Sophie you will have to tell me if these dishes are true French cuisine)
The meals were served with a fresh salad of rocket, pear and gorgonzola cheese with a caramelised walnut vinaigrette and a side order of fresh baby braised peas with bacon and lettuce was also ordered (delicious they said).
I ordered the garlic and chive Parisienne gnocchi with wild mushroom fricassee, porcini sauce and toasted pine nuts – it was cooked beautifully and so tasty.
And of course we ordered and shared a bowl of shoestring french fries with aioli.
There are many desserts on offer but as usual I had eaten too much so did not partake. My male friend ordered the deconstructed peanut butter mouse [he said it was to share with Harry but I think it was more for him], with caramelised bananas, chocolate crumb and blackcurrants. A lot of restaurants these days serve the deconstructed dessert; I prefer when the dessert is all together really…I forgot to take a photograph of this one it was eaten so quickly…
Am sure I will return as it’s close enough to walk in summer and food is really good.
sileas said:
Woooo champagne – how nice! Good choice, the gnocchi look delicious 🙂 However they always fill me up so much that there’s no room for dessert anymore
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JohnRH said:
Mmmm. I would have loved every dish. As a beef and lamb guy I bet the gnocchi would have been a tasty side dish for those.
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JohnRH said:
What is tangmengxiu?
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Little Miss Traveller said:
Food looks delicious and mouthwatering! I, too prefer my desserts ‘intact’, but when I serve one at home that falls apart before reaching the plate I call it deconstructed !!
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kokodynia said:
It sounds adorable! Bearnaise sauce I consider as something absolutely excellent, and I also crave champagne 🙂
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carentaylor said:
The restaurant looks to cater very well for all tastes and preferences, All the meals look delicious and a lovely place to have…almost on your doorstep 😉
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SueT唐 梦 琇 said:
Hi John. It’s my Chinese name.
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SueT唐 梦 琇 said:
I think it would be too.
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SueT唐 梦 琇 said:
Thanks Julia. Yep champagne was delicious. I am the same with gnocchi it’s lovely but so filling.
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SueT唐 梦 琇 said:
Ha ha. Brought a huge smile to my face.
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SueT唐 梦 琇 said:
Thank you for commenting. Yes isn’t champagne just delightful.
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SueT唐 梦 琇 said:
Thanks Caren. Yes this was a great find for dinner by my friend.
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Lauren | The Lady in Waiting said:
Looks fab! Glad you got to enjoy some fine French dishes 🙂
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Amy said:
These dishes are well prepared and beautifully presented. Great photos, Sue! 🙂
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SueT唐 梦 琇 said:
Thank you so very much b
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SueT唐 梦 琇 said:
Thank you (as always) Amy. Very kind of you.
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Edward Tan said:
What’s a deconstructed dessert? A course with different pieces of desserts?
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SueT唐 梦 琇 said:
Hi Edward. It’s all the ingredients that make up a dessert on a plate but instead of being all together they are all separate on the plate. Stupid idea I think!!
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Sophie said:
Hi Sue ! I can confirm, these definitely are French dishes!! About the pommes frites, could you please explain whether there is a difference in English between the nmaes French fires and chips ??!! Txs!
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SueT唐 梦 琇 said:
Hey Sophie. Great to hear from you. Well I think we call fried potatoes (shoe string fries the are also called) that are skinny – French fries. And chips are usually a little fatter. That is really all the difference is.
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Sophie said:
Hey! thanks for the info, Sue! Yeah, I have been a bit off WP lately, as I started this translation and consulting company of mine, beside my day job. Hopefully I’ll get back to cooking more recipes when winter comes! Gonna have some chips later today, that sounds like chill weekend food to me 🙂 Hope you’re doing well, dear
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SueT唐 梦 琇 said:
Hi Sophie. Lovely to hear from you. It’s funny I came up to visit my dad and he asked after you and asked me to say hello to you from him. I said you were very busy. Hope new business is going well. I will reply to your email this week as I am on holidays. Xx
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Sophie said:
Perfect timing then! Say hi to your daddy for me in return then! Looking fwd to reading your email, I was missing you 🙂
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