Naturally Chinese new Gluten Free menu

smoked shredded chicken

I had been to Naturally Chinese a couple of times already, and I'd loved the food on both occasions, so I was really happy when Amie invited me over last Monday to try their new gluten-free menu.

It was lovely to come in from the cold into a warm and welcoming restaurant, and share a few hours with Amie and a few fellow bloggers. Who could say no to an evening like that?

We started with steamed dumplings (crystal prawn, prawn and chive, spicy mixed vegetables and salmon) which were fresh and melted in your mouth.Then spring rolls, which were very crispy.
Unfortunately we were so relaxed talking and enjoying the evening  that I forgot to take a photo of both dishes.

We also had shredded chicken smoked with beechwood which was amazing! I had never tried it before, but it's now going to be up there in my favourites list together with their soft shell crab.

 I enjoyed talking with Amie. It was clear how important it is for her to keep all her food as natural as possible, avoiding the use of msg (mono sodium glutamate) or any artificial colourings and flavours. Yes, all the ingredients that go into every dish are natural.

sizzling lamb

This is not something I had realized in my previous visits, as I was just happy to have all this lovely gluten free Chinese food at my disposal.

She was also talking about how they always try to accommodate any dietary needs. Their food is freshly prepared when ordered, so that gives them the chance to do so.

We moved on to the main courses: sizzling lamb with ginger and spring onions, beef and beans (we started calling it Amie's dish, as it's off the menu, but she always has it prepared for her by one of the chefs), mixed vegetables, rice and vermicelli rice noodles.

I loved the main dishes as you could taste the ingredients. I've noticed sometimes in Chinese restaurants the sauces overpower the dish. Here the sauce was delicate enough to let you taste everything else.

mango pudding

And to finish off the meal, we had a mango pudding. Now, I was a bit doubtful about it, as I've had a similar dessert in the past and I didn't enjoy it, but in this pudding you could really taste the fresh mango coming though.
If you are in doubt like me, I'd tempt you to try it, I know it's going to be a must for my future visits.

Overall, I was very impressed with the meal.
I enjoyed all the dishes we tried and was happy to see that Amie has addressed her growing demand for gluten-free dishes thoroughly.
Not only she has created a separate gluten-free menu to make it easier for customers and staff, she is also working with Coeliac UK to ensure her food is safe and is awaiting accreditation.

There is plenty of variety on the gluten free menu to keep your interest on several visits, and I was glad to meet her and see how determined she is to create a new style of Chinese restaurant, where every dish is made naturally and is healthy for you.
I would be happy to recommend Naturally Chinese to any gluten and non gluten eaters, and I know it's going to be one of those places I go to time and time again.

Naturally Chinese
http://www.naturallychineserestaurant.co.uk​
59-63 Brighton Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 5LW
Tel: 0208 3995533
Getting there: Surbiton rail (20 mins from London Waterloo)

Pearl and Grove Bakery

A friend got me these gorgeous cakes after a day out around Marylebone, where she spotted them in a shop with a cafe (I think it might have been Hunter Gather).  They were both fantastic, the one on the left was salted caramel and the one on the right had marshmallow, yum! 

My favourite was the salted caramel one, but just by a hair, both were really nice and I'd be quite happy to recommend them.

I had not heard of Pearl&Groove before so I was clearly interested in finding out more.

They are a bakery started by Serena and all their cakes are gluten-free. 

Although they do not have a shop per se, they sell their cakes at several venues listed below & also are on Fridays (11.30am to 2.30pm) at Granary Square, Kings Cross (Kerb Food).

You can also order online or join their cake club, and receive a new flavour every month.

Find out more on their website:

http://www.pearlandgroove.com/

Current stocklist:

Harvey Nichols, Daylesford Organic, 108 Marylebone Lane Hotel, Hunter Gather, Kerb Food, The De Beauvoir Deli, Angie's Little Food shop, Peardrop London, Sofa.com, The Doodle Bar.

Coming soon to Selfridges.

Torrijas

 This is one of those treats that I've grown up with.

My dad used to make torrijas for us occasionally and they hardly ever lasted a day.
They are made using bread that is a day or two old, and it was a fine art to casually leave enough bread around ready for Sunday morning, when he could be gently persuaded to make them.

There are as many recipes out there as people making them, some of them use syrup instead of the final coating in sugar, but this is the way I like them and I've eaten them all my life.
Thinking about it, I'd say I've only ever had them at home.



Milk dip

I've tried making them with a gluten-free baguette and it works quite well. I would recommend the one from Sainsbury's or Marks and Spencer's, both have the right consistency.


Ingredients:
* Gluten-Free baguette, one or two days old
* 125ml milk (I used soya) & 2 tbsp of sugar, mixed
* Gluten free flour
* 1 beaten Egg mixed with a couple of tbsp of milk
* Oil to deep fry it. I use a mix of olive and sunflower oil and a small pan
* Mix of sugar (3tbsp) and ground cinamon (1 tsp)

Method:


flour away

* Cut the bread into slices 1 inch thick
* Dip them in the milk&sugar mix, turning around and making sure they are well soaked. If your bread is really hard, you might need to keep it in there a bit longer.
* Coat them in the GF flour both sides
* Coat them in the egg mixture
* Deep fry until a golden brown colour. The oil should be on medium heat, too hot and they'll burn, too cold and they'll absorb too much oil


eggy

* Leave to rest on kitchen paper to absorb some oil for a few minutes

* Coat them in the sugar and cinamon mixture while still warm

Enjoy!



Elliots - Borough Market



Scallop and Mary Pippers

After an afternoon visit to Borough Market, we had dinner at Elliot's.
Their menu varies depending on what is in season, and according to their website, all their ingredients are sourced from the market.

The restaurant itself is very welcoming, the sort of place where you are happy to linger for a bit, although the service was somewhat erratic, in particular regarding gluten safety.


The booking had been made mentioning we were all coeliacs, and we mentioned it again on arrival.
We were given the menu with the gluten containing dishes marked on it, but a couple were not correctly marked (thankfully "barley" was a clue), and a non gluten-free bread basket was brought to our table.


Pork

Once we were settled on what we could eat, there were lots of interesting dishes on the menu, and choosing was difficult.
We were told two to three dishes per person would be about right for dinner, and being in a shellfish mood I ordered scallops, mussels and some of their Mary Piper roasted potatoes.
There was only one scallop in my dish, but it was very fresh and delicious, and the same can be said for the large portion of mussels (sorry no pic). They were a good size and were served with bacon and a creamy sauce that was very enjoyable. I wouldn't mind having them everyday!

I had some of the chocolate ganache for pudding, which was also nice, but not as nice as the main meal.

Most of the dishes ordered by the group looked very appetizing, like the pork in the photo, and it seemed like everyone was happy overall.

I would be happy to recommend the food, it was lovely and fresh and the venue was very welcoming. Most of the dishes are naturally gluten-free, but make sure you double check about anything you are unsure of.

Elliots Cafe
http://www.elliotscafe.com/index.html
12 Stoney Street, Borough Market, SE1 9AD

Dim sum Naturally Chinese Surbiton - Gluten Free

After visiting Naturally Chinese recently, I wanted to go back to try their Dim Sum, which is available every day until 5pm at the restaurant.

Dim Sum was one of my favourite weekend lunches before I had to wave goodbye to gluten, so I was curious about how would their gluten free option compare to what I remember.

They have many gluten free choices clearly marked on their menu (available online).

I ordered:
Turnip cakes
Steamed vegetables in garlic
Prawn and chive dumplings
Spring rolls
Vegetable rolls




Unfortunately Char siu buns and glutinous rice were not available gluten-free, which I would have loved to have.

My two favourites were the prawn and chives dumplings and turnip cakes, both very tasty, while I have mixed feelings about the vegetable rolls and spring rolls. The fillings were very nice, but the roll itself could be a bit lighter.

Overall I would be happy to go back as the food was tasty and they seem to have a very good understanding of gluten and cross contamination.

Naturally Chinese
http://www.naturallychineserestaurant.co.uk/
59-63 Brighton Road, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 5LR
Getting there: Trains from Waterloo take around 20 mins

Borough market

I went to Borough market at the weekend with the London Gluten free meetup group.

Freefrom Bakehouse

The market is great if you like your food, as there is probably not much you might fancy that you wont find there.

We were looking out for stalls that were gluten free, and we found plenty of them.

The Free From Bakehouse
This artisan bakery has won many Free From and Great Taste awards. All their cakes and treats are gluten and wheat free, with many also sugar free and egg free.
They are at Borough Market from Wednesday to Saturday, and I'd definitely recommend going early if you want to try some of their more popular products. I was looking forward to some jalapeno and sweetcorn muffins but they had run out by then, so I had to get one of their other yummy cakes!
Find out more on their website:
http://www.sugargrain.com/

Mini Magoo's

Mini Magoo's, many GF breakfast options

At this stall, just behind the Free From Bakehouse, there are many types of cereal, many of them gluten free, so if you are into granola, muesli, porridge and anything cerealy it is worth a visit.
Available in many places across London. Find out more on their website:
http://www.minimagoo.com/


Cannon & Cannon

Cannon & Cannon GF charcuterie

This is a charcuterie where every product is gluten free and dairy free, and they have a huge selection of different products. I bought a few to take home and they were quite nice, although I don't remember now the varieties I got so I cannot be more specific than that!
Find out more on their website.
http://cannonandcannon.com/

Rabot Estate 1745

This is a restaurant, cafe and shop that's all about chocolate, where you can find from cocoa beans to the very best of chocolate made with beans from around the world. I tried the cocoa beans when we were there, and what an unusual taste, starting close to a peanut in texture, but with that bitter chocolate taste at the end, lovely!

It was a fantastic culinary journey, we also found some gluten free sausages at Sillifield farm butchers, ostrich eggs and more fish and shelfish varieties that I've ever seen together.
Nothing better to finish the day than a great dinner at Elliot's also on the market, that I will review on a separate post.

Lu-Ma Wimbledon

I finally had a chance to visit Lu-Ma, a new cafe in Wimbledon, not far from the station (5/10 mins walk).
The cafe is on the side of the Justin James Hotel on Worple road. The cafe itself is a small venue, but it feels quite light and airy, with tables in and out and a Scandinavian feel to the decor.
We were there for an early dinner (note that they close at 6.30 pm if you plan to visit) although I'd say it's probably a venue to be enjoyed more for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea.

The menu is available online, and you can see their gluten-free options (GF) and vegetarian options (VG).
I love the fantastic choice of drinks, lots of freshly made smoothies and juices, they all looked very appetising and full of vitamins.
Their focus is on healthy eating, so even the jacket potatoes are made with sweet potatoes, and if you read about their Vision on their website you can see that this ethos goes into all the food and drink they provide.

We had some juices to start us on the healthy road and they were just fantastic, definitely recommended.

It was difficult to choose our main course as there were several things I wanted to try, but in the end I went for Buckwheat noodles with chicken and my companion had one of their Super Salads with salmon.

I was trying to check the ingredients on their website as I write but this dish doesn't seem to appear, so I'll just say the sauce in the noodles was very nice and I enjoyed it very much. Noodles can be ordered on their own, or with a protein topping (chicken, salmon, tofu) and I ordered some chicken. Although the flavour was good, the chicken was served cold on top of the hot noodles, which didn't quite work for me.
A suggestion would be to heat the chicken slightly before serving so that it's all warm or to mix it with the noodles so that it's all enjoyed at the same temperature.

The salad looked very impressive indeed and I could see my companion feeling overly healthy eating it, not just your five a day, probably you get the weekly recommended amount of vegetables with such a nice salad.

There were lots of interesting ingredients in it and I was feeling slightly jealous looking at it, good thing that my noodles were fab.

My friend really enjoyed it, although felt that the dressing was not enough for such a large salad.

Overall we both enjoyed our meals and would be happy to visit again.

Lu-Ma cafe
http://lu-ma.co.uk/
Justin James Hotel,43 Worple Road, Wimbledon, SW19 4JZ
Opening times: Monday to Friday 9.30am – 6.30pm, Saturday & Sunday 10.30am – 6.30pm

Leon new Gluten-Free Chicken - Oh dear!



Gluten Free Chicken

I was invited to try the new Gluten Free Chicken at Leon that is trialling for a week at their Spitafields branch.
The Spitafields branch is well located inside the market, so it's fun to see the hussle and bustle from the windows.

My invitation included the new chicken dish plus side, cake and drink which was very generous of Leon.

Every item I ordered was labelled gluten-free on the menu, however I started feeling unwell a bit later, and I believe there was some cross-contamination in the food I had.

After mentioning it on twitter I got a call from their Head of Food who went through all the processes they have in place and I have to say, it is surprising if they do all that that I got ill there, but unfortunately my gut doesn't understand of processes, only of gluten.

They seemed to take it seriously and someone was dispatched to the restaurant to investigate. It might just be a problem with training.



Pecan Pie

Although I am unlikely to go back due to food safety, I did like the chicken, the flavour was very nice and the coating quite crunchy and full of flavour. The pecan pie was lovely too, with lots of nuts.

I would like to know if anybody else has had a similar experience or a positive one eating gluten-free at Leon, please leave a comment, I'd love to read it.

Leon Restaurants
http://leonrestaurants.co.uk/

The Truscott Arms - Very Gluten-Free Friendly

I went to the Truscott Arms at the weekend with the Gluten Free Meetup group.

I had already heard lots of good things about it and I'd been looking on their website at their food and drink options for us GF eaters.


Fish & Chips

The pub is quite spacious and welcoming and we had excellent service from the staff, no question was one too many and all our doubts were put to rest with a smile. A 10 for service!

We had our dinner at the bar (there is also a restaurant upstairs), and it was great to see that most of the menu is gluten-free or there is a gluten-free option.
As an example, of the eight mains on the bar menu, four are gluten-free and two have a gluten-free option. Brilliant!

Most of us went for fish and chips, and it felt like such a treat.
I could write a whole post about the delicious chunky chips, worth the trip just for them, and the fish was quite good too.
I generally like my batter a bit lighter (like the one we had at Maddys recently), but I guess this is just a personal preference.

On the drink front, there is the normal pub choice plus five different gluten-free beers!!!
It was brilliant, and I finally tried Daas Blonde, which I loved and now shares with Greens the top spot of my favourite gluten-free beers.
All the puddings except one are GF too, what is not to love?

Overall, I felt the staff knew how to handle gluten-free, and were happy to answer any questions. There was a good selection of GF food on offer and I loved what I had.
Recommended!

The Truscott Arms
http://www.thetruscottarms.com/
Tube: Warwick Avenue
Address: 55 Shirland Road, Maida Vale, W9 2JD

Naturally Chinese - Gluten Free in Surbiton

 

Soft Shell crab

I went to Naturally Chinese in Surbiton at the weekend.
I first heard about it from the Gluten Free London meetup group, and although I couldn't go on that occasion, I've been wanting to go for a while.
This is a Chinese restaurant with lots of gluten-free options and all of them very tasty.
The restaurant itself is spacious and light and as we went for an early dinner it wasn't too busy.
The service was very attentive and I even got my own Tamari sauce to use at will!

So, what did we eat?

Steamed dim sum

Soft-shell crab, steamed dim sum platter, chilli squid, vermicelli noodles Singapore style and, as I couldn't have the crispy duck pancakes, I ordered crispy lamb, which is served with lettuce instead of pancakes and plum sauce instead of hoisin to make it gluten-free.
It is very easy to see the gluten-free options on the menu, as they are marked with a red G, and it's also easy to spot the vegetarian options marked with a green V.

Squid

It was really nice food, and I was happy that they knew how to keep gluten-free food, gluten-free. I didn't feel unwell at all after visiting, which was fantastic!

I'd love to go back for dim sum as this is something I really miss from my gluten eating days.

They told me they will be launching a dedicated gluten-free menu towards the end of the month (Sept 2014) with even more choices.

Naturally Chinese
http://www.naturallychineserestaurant.co.uk/
59-63 Brighton Road, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 5LR
Getting there: Trains from Waterloo take around 20 mins

M&S growing range

Everytime I visit M&S I find some new gluten-free products. It is fantastic that the cater for us, but why not advertise it a bit more?

Most of their products are very nice, so it's a pity that we don't hear more about it, maybe more twitter photos would encourage even more of us to visit? Just an idea.

So, what did I find this time? A lovely quiche Lorraine (£3, 522 kcals per 1/2 quiche), chicken & mushroom crispbakes (£1.25 on offer, 214 kcals per bake), fishcakes (£1.80), cheese puffs (£1.70, 445 kcals per bag), green olive ciabatta rolls (£2.10, 214 kcals per roll).
I've been eating most of it over the last week and I'd say they are all very tasty and deserve recommendation.

chicken crispbakes

It is a pity that their gluten-free sandwich range is not as good. In my opinion the filling is ok (egg and crest, ham and pickle, chicken salad), just the bread is quite dry.
Of their gluten-free breads my favourite is the white boule, so maybe they could swap the bread for this one?

I read on twitter that many of their normal products are also gluten-free, although not advertised as such, so I had a bit of a label-check-fest while I was there.

Of their sausages, most of them do not have any gluten containing ingredients so one could presume they would be ok? Does anyone know if there is a chance of cross-contamination?

Also most of their fresh sauces do not have any gluten containing ingredients, so it might be an idea to get your own gravy sachet from M&S if you are going out for a Sunday roast so that you can have gravy too!

Hummus Bros New Book: Levantine Kitchen

I had been thinking of visiting Hummus Bros soon as I've been hearing a lot recently about their gluten-free options, so I was very happy when I received a complimentary copy of their book Levantine Kitchen. Thanks Pavilion!

The book has a nice and manageable format and most recipes have some amazing photos so that you know how each dish is supposed to look like.

In the introduction you also get to know a bit more about Ronen and Christian, the Hummus Bros, who are not related, and why did they start their company, and for each recipe you can also read how it came about and the best ways to serve it.

Most of the recipes are suitable for a gluten-free diet, but in case you are in doubt, there is a useful table at the back with all the dishes listed, indicating if they are gluten-free, lactose-free and nut-free, which is very helpful if you are not familiar with some of the ingredients.




Which recipes can be found in the book?

Hummus
Yes, there is quite a good explanation on how to make a good hummus and a few options for toppings.

Falafel
There are four recipes for falafel, with unusual ingredients like sweet potato and beetroot.

Soups
With chickpeas, lentils and even Jerusalem Artichokes

Breads and sauces
All sauces are ok for gluten-free and most dairy-free too, but not the breads, although it is easy to get some gluten-free pitta bread nowadays from most supermarkets to go with your hummus.

Desserts
All gluten-free but not dairy free

There are also recipes for wraps (not gluten-free), salads, drinks and quick snacks

I love having a new recipe book and experiementing in the kitchen, even if the tidy up afterwards takes a year or two, so I read through the different options and decided to start with Falafels.
I've never made them before, but that has never stopped me!

My first two attempts with green Falafel and sweet potato Falafel were not too successful, but I can report a reasonable Spicy red Falafel ;)
What went wrong, I wanted to know? 
Nothing like good old google to get some tips from those who have been there before me.

The tips that helped me where:


Spicy Falafel,  result!
 

*Dry the ingredients as much as possible before mixing so that the mixture is not wet and can be shaped into a nice ball

*Check that the temperature of the oil is not too hot or the Falafel will disintegrate (I got some good results too by cooking them in the oven, just sprayed with a bit of olive oil)

Also, I think the consistency is more creamy if you use an extra ingredient like cooked sweet potato or beetroot, so I'd try those ones first if you are cooking Falafel for the first time.

I have also tried the roasted Aubergine salad which was very nice just with a bit of salt and lemon juice. And finally I am attempting Hummus later on today!

Overall it is an interesting book if you like Levantine cuisine, and it's mix of spices and flavours or if you just like to try new dishes and experiment in the kitchen.

Update: The hummus is Amazing!!! I was very surprised when I finished making it, it's so creamy and nutty, it reminds me a bit of peanut butter but so much nicer.
Never again Hummus from the supermarket, Hbros forever!!!
Just be aware of the amount you will get. I've only done half of the recipe and I got 3 full jam jars, so I might need to organize a hummus party ;)

Gluten Free Greenwich and New Cross

 This weekend I went to Greenwich with the Gluten Free London meetup group.

We started the afternoon in the market, visiting  Rubys of London's stall. I had been looking online at her products, and was looking forward to some GF donuts (although there were lots of other yummy cakes on offer too!)  and I was a bit shocked when there were only 4 left when I got there at 4pm on Saturday.



Oh no! I had to get a couple before it was too late, and so I did, although I could only try the chocolate ones, as all the others had sold out by then.
Obviously need to get there earlier next time for more choice.
As we were going to have some fish and chips I took them home for Sunday and they were quite yummy.

Were they like the gluten containing donuts of my past?

Well, that is a difficult question to answer, as there where no plain donuts left when I got there so I cannot compare like with like.

The chocolate ones I tried were very nice, and they were a nice flavour and texture eaten on the following day. They were slightly heavier than I expected, but quite good, so I would be very happy to go back for some more and to recommend them, obviously aiming for a morning visit.
Ruby's of London
http://www.rubysoflondon.com/
Visit their stall Saturdays&Sundays at Greenwich Market
Getting there: Cutty Sark DLR

We had a -not so- quick stop at Greenlands Health Foods, a proper shop in the market for some supplies. I have to say that although it looks small from the outside, it's extremely well stocked up for the Gluten Free eater. I just had to restrict myself as I would be carrying it around for a while, but I still managed to get some quinoa, Spanish paprika and tahini for my cupboard.
Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.
Greenlands Health Shops
http://www.allthingsgreenwich.co.uk/businesses/greenlandshealthfoods-id-386.html


Then we visited Maddy's Fish Bar in New Cross.
Ben had added quite a lot of information about it on meetup and it looked very promising.
(Read it here: http://www.meetup.com/Gluten-Free-London-Club/events/201270152/ )

Maddy seems to know a thing or two about fish and I certainly was not disappointed.

Fantastic fresh fish with some very light gluten free batter teamed up with some chunky chips and some tartare sauce.

IPA gluten free beer is also on offer, plus cider, wine and some interesting soft drinks.

Overall it was a really enjoyable Fish and Chips.  I can't remember the last time I had some, and I would be very happy to recommend Maddys to any gluten free eaters.
Maddys Fish Bar
https://www.facebook.com/MaddysFishBar/timeline?ref=page_internal
Getting there: New Cross train or overground

Gluten Free Profiteroles

OK, so this is not my recipe, but it is a great recipe for anyone feeling a bit profiteroly ;)

The recipe is from @nels3 on twitter, who also writes the blog: http://fabulouslyfreefrom.wordpress.com/

I changed the proportions for the choux pastry a little, as the first time I did it my mix was too runny and the result was not great, so I reduced the amount of water to 100ml instead of the 150ml in the recipe. And with that, the result was amazing, as you can see in the photos.

Here is the link to her recipe:
http://fabulouslyfreefrom.wordpress.com/2013/09/30/gluten-free-chocolate-profiteroles/

Also, I did not fancy cream for the filling, so I made some creme patissiere (very thick custard) using the recipe (also dairy free) from Glutoniana, here is the link to the recipe (in Spanish):

http://glutoniana.com/2014/03/11/crema-pastelera-sin-gluten-y-sin-lactosa/

The only thing that was a bit messy was the chocolate topping, I think I was just tired by then, so although it is not too pretty, it was very tasty ;)

Gluten Free Camden part 3: Cookies and Scream

 

After having one of the lovely Honest Burgers at the Camden restaurant, we managed to drag ourselves a few steps to Cookies and Scream so that we could enjoy a sweet treat.
My tummy was quite full, but how often do you find yourself surrounded by so many great looking and smelling cookies and puds that are also gluten-free?

Well, one is not made of stone and I got myself an Apollo cake. It might not look like much in the picture, but trust me it was very very yummy.

I shared it after dinner with my sister and followed the instructions they gave me: heat slightly in the microwave (40 secs is enough) and enjoy with some ice-cream.
I did that and was just sorry that I had not got any other treats from them.
All their products are gluten-free and vegan so no need to worry about what to pick.

Ben from the group got some cookie sandwiches that looked quite interesting (sorry no pic), so I might have to drag myself to Camden again and check that out. Fully recommended!

Check their website: http://cookiesandscream.com/index.html

Gluten Free Camden 2: Honest burgers



GF Honest Burger

After a fantastic Friday in Camden it was time for another visit! I met the Gluten Free London club (meetup) at Honest Burgers on Saturday.
I can't believe I had not visited yet, as it is the most talked about place for gluten-free burgers.

The burger can be ordered with a normal or gluten-free bun, and I have to say the bun was very nice. I ordered the Honest Burger without cheese and the flavours of bacon, gherkins and onion relish did complement it really well. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as much as the rosemary chips and the onion rings which were also gluten-free.


GF onion rings

I drank some of their homemade lemonade which I enjoyed, and they also have Daura Damm gluten free beer if you fancy it.

The restaurant is quite small but also quite casual which adds to the charm.
When we arrived around 12ish there was nowhere for us to sit together but some lovely ladies moved tables to accommodate us.
Who says London people cannot be kind?

After a much enjoyed lunch we moved just a few steps to Cookies and Scream for dessert (see review later), although it was a take home pud for me, as I was completely full.

Overall the burger was fantastic, much better than the one I've had before at Vorzars (meat just ok) or the one at GBK (bun a bit dry). I recommend it.
http://www.honestburgers.co.uk/

Gluten Free Camden 1: Camden Lock Market

On Friday 1st of August there was a Gluten Free Food Festival at Camden Lock Market. I had heard about it on twitter and it sounded quite exciting!

So there I was at 1pm with my friend Freddie checking out the lovely food on offer.
There was also a stall from Whole Foods with demonstrations through the day, so all in all, a busy Friday at Camden Lock.

 

@theCircusBros Stuffed Omelettes

We both had one of the stuffed Spanish omelettes from Circus Bros. The omelettes are cooked in a small pan so they are perfect for one. You can have them plain, but who could with the amazing leg of ham on display? I had some Serrano ham and red peppers as filling for mine, and I can say it's one of the best Spanish omelettes I've eaten in a long time, even better than the one I make myself.

www.cowboycottagepie.com American fusion

They told me they are at Camden lock regularly so definitely worth a visit.


And what about the lovely American fusion dishes from www.cowboycottagepie.com ?

The food looked also delicious, with those nachos, beans and corn bread, definitely one for future visits, as she is there from Thursday to Monday, and all her products are gluten free and dairy free.




    


@RomeosGFbakery

I also tasted the bruchetta from Romeos GF Bakery and I have to say I was impressed. I had already heard a lot of good things about them, and will have to arrange a visit soon.
They are based in Islington:
167 Upper Street, London N1 1US
http://www.romeosglutenfreebakery.co.uk/



Paleo Menu from @FeedmePrimal

 There was some Paleo food on offer by Feed me Primal, who are there regularly too. Their meetballs looked delicious, you can check all their dishes on their website:
http://feedmeprimal.co.uk/

 Overall a very enjoyable day, good food, good company and lots of sunshine!

I just had to get ready for another Camden day on Saturday when I visited Honest Burgers and Cookies and Scream, but that is a story for another post.
Camden is very gluten-free friendly!