London – Chanters Lodge Livingstone

Penny Black Restaurant, Chelsea, London

Loved this from my son Jan, Head Chef, in the latest newsletter from The Penny Black. Jan is pictured with his wife Jo on Livingstone Island during a visit to Zambia. He writes:

What a start to the life of The Penny Black Restaurant! We have lost count as to how many Beef Wellingtons have been served and the countless number of chocolate fondants that have been eaten! Our first private hire event for doctors from the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital went spectacularly well and we are looking forward to working with future clients.

Spring is now upon us and that means plentiful new ingredients.

I have a lovely recipe for a rump of lamb with warm new potato salad and sprouting broccoli which you should have a go at when you have a few moments spare!

Recipe:
– Marinate the rump in sliced onion, garlic and a few thinly chopped rosemary leaves for a few hours.

– Boil the new potatoes in plenty of salted water and whilst boiling, mix together cider vinegar, rapeseed oil, English mustard and chopped mint to make a dressing.

– Once the potatoes are cooked, toss the still warm potatoes through this dressing. Remove the lamb from the marinade, sear it in a pan on all sides, then put it in the oven at about 1900C for 12 minutes for rare and up to 16 minutes for medium.

– Blanch the sprouting broccoli in boiling water for a minute and a half, drain and add a knob of butter and a sprinkling of salt.

Thanks Jan!

30
MAR

family, food, livingstone, London, menu, restaurants, Zambia

The Jolly Fisherman, London

For all you Zambian foody fans in UK here’s some good news for you in London!

The Jolly Fisherman, at 108 North St, Barking, Essex, the only Zambian owned pub in the United Kingdom has told UKZAMBIANS that they will be working together with Fredor (a Zambian owned restaurant) to offer Zambian food in the pub.

Bernard Chisanga, owner of The Jolly Fisherman said: “We have been talking to Ms. Mubiana for a while and now a mature agreement is in place to offer Zambian meals during the weekend at the Jolly Fisherman. This will make sure that Zambians and non-Zambians alike who come to enjoy our drink will also enjoy a proper Zambian meal (nshima, chibwabwa, ifishimi,etc) in one place. Our patrons will from this weekend onwards enjoy their drink and food with full Zambian flavor”.

In a separate interview, Ms. Dorothy Mubiana, owner of FREDOR, confirmed the new partnership as a way forward for Zambians demonstrating a model working partnership for Zambians living overseas. Ms. Mubiana said: “Zambians need to work together for the good of every Zambian, not running away from each other, particularly Zambians living abroad”. She said, they had discussed the partnership with The Jolly Fisherman for more than a year and she was very pleased that they had finally agreed the modalities. “We have done all the work and I am calling everyone out there to come with their friends and family to enjoy an authentic Zambian dish starting this weekend, 26th February and onwards every weekend Saturdays and Sundays”.

Ms Mubiana added that apart from selling Zambian cooked food, she has uncooked Zambian beans, peas, maize, peanuts, sweet potatoes, pumpkins leaves, smoked caterpillars, Kapenta, etc. She can be contacted on 07947 106 429.

We wish them the best of luck!

25
FEB

Africa, bestofzambia, development, food, London, management, marketing, menu, restaurants, Zambia

ZMusicTV

George Mukwita writes:

ZMusicTV is an online registered broadcasting entertainment company based in the London Borough of Greenwich, England – an area which has a large multi-ethnic population. Within the borough there are extremes of wealth and poverty, and Greenwich includes both typically inner-city and suburban areas. ZMTV aims to broadcast Zambian Music and Art as a way of engaging fellow Zambians, and others interested in Zambia who are actively online, promoting talents in people such as musicians, models, fashion designers and dancers as well as showcasing cultural events such as Zambian Independence Day celebrations.

Included in the focus is a desire to expand, using visual imagery. ZMTV’s overall passion is to develop the sense of belonging and to build the Zambian motto “One Zambia One Nation”, reaching out to as many fellow Zambians in the UK and around the globe via the internet as possible, to deliver an inspirational and positive message and share Zambian culture. ZMusicTV seeks to highlight, strengthen and re-enforce Zambian identity within Zambian communities, and project the same to non-Zambians in Europe.

In this age of globalization, cultural identity is crucial to the survival of communities and individuals. It will help people to connect with their home culture, and to connect Zambians to their communities which exist in Europe. From the outside, these communities don’t appear to be as close or as solid as other African communities e.g. in comparison to say, Nigerian and Somalian communities living and working in London.

ZMusicTV seeks to play a central role in bringing Zambians together, strengthening and reinforcing the Zambian communities which exist abroad by projecting Zambian music and culture into them. ZMusicTV can also be a bridge between Zambia and the non-African communities of Europe by promoting Zambian music and culture, creating an interest in Zambia, and encouraging people to visit the country, helping its economy through tourism etc.

George ends: Can’t wait for ZMusic TV to air my music videos lol.

20
FEB

Africa, art, entertainment, London, music, uk, Zambia

Dinner at The Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

A long, long time ago I did my bar training at the Hyde Park Hotel in Knightsbridge. It is of course now known as the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park (above) and is home to Dinner Heston Blumenthal’s latest restaurant. So, this piece in Hotel Chatter obviously caught my attention – more especially as my son Jan is the newly appointed Head Chef at The Penny Black restaurant in Fulham Road London, opening next week. We certainly hope his advance bookings are as good as Heston’s!

Heston Blumenthal’s new restaurant Dinner has already been named “best new restaurant in the world” by restaurant critic Giles Coren in The Times. London’s most eagerly awaited restaurant located in the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park only opened its doors last week but it’s already fully booked until the end of May.

Not surprising as the reviewers and bloggers have wasted no time gushing over the medieval menu which features Meat Fruit – a chicken liver dish shaped like a plastic mandarin, Powdered Duck, Spiced Pigeon and Tipsy Cake, a “spit-roast pineapple” (ooh-err). To see the full menu, head over to the restaurant’s website. Yes, a lot of it sounds pretty gross, but then, so did most of his molecular gastronomy stuff that we tried at the Fat Duck (his flagship restaurant in Bray, Berkshire), and it was nothing less than amazeballs. Plus, there’s always chips for those who like to play it safe.

The Telegraph’s critic rated it 10/10, Londonist agreed with Coren, Time Out gave it four out of five stars, and even the Guardian thought the food was worth paying for.

Which leads us on to the price. Dinner at Dinner isn’t cheap, but it’s not half as bad as we feared. Starters run from £12.50 and most main courses are around the £30 mark. Desserts are from £8, and sides are a ridiculously cheap £4. The wine’s not horrific, either: from £35 a bottle. As we said, not a night out for when the budget’s tight, but the prices are in line with other posh London restaurants. And by way of comparison, the famed 13 course tasting menu at the Fat Duck costs £160 per head.

But there’s an amazing deal if you can’t splash out on dinner: a three course set lunch for just £28. Yup, £28. Available Monday to Friday, 12-2.30pm. There are two choices for each course: lemon salad or “ragoo of pigs’ ears” to start, cured salmon or roast quail for your main, and chocolate wine or orange buttered loaf for dessert.

You need to plan ahead, though. According to the website, Dinner is now booked up until the end of May, and they’ll be opening up reservations for June on 1 March. If you need to get in before then, you can apply to be on the waiting list or, if desperation calls, you can buy other people’s rezzies on eBay. When we checked, the highest price was £62 although one sold last week for just short of £100.

18
FEB

family, hotels, London, restaurants, richard, training

Lusaka Lab In A Container

Don’t you just love creative innovation? I do! Check this from PlusNews

A tiny laboratory capable of doing big things is what Barry Kosloff, working with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, has created – a new type of high-tech, low-cost, tuberculosis (TB) lab in a shipping container. He walked IRIN/PlusNews through what it takes to build one.

“I don’t know if this is normal but it’s almost like I had a photograph of it in my head,” said Kosloff, who designed such a lab for the national reference laboratory in the capital, Lusaka. It is part of efforts by the Zambia AIDS-Related TB Project, a local NGO, to expand the country’s diagnostic capacity.

The facility is the first in Zambia to be equipped with infection controls that make it safe for staff to grow the TB cultures needed to diagnose HIV-positive patients, and to determine whether TB patients have successfully completed treatment.

London School Of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine? Now that stirs some memories in my foot!

6
FEB

entrepreneurship, infrastructure, innovation, London, Lusaka, medical

Penny Black Restaurant, Chelsea, London.

As you may have seen earlier in the week, my son Jan-Martijn has recently been appointed Head Chef at Penny Black Restaurant in Fulham Road, Chelsea. Opening is scheduled for the 3rd week in February, so you can imagine the hectic pace of his life at the moment. The photo of Chef doing dangerous things at Victoria Falls was taken some years back! I’ve been lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the menu and I’ve chosen the following to tickle your taste buds!

STARTERS
London Particular
As I haven’t a clue what it is!

Mussels & Cockles, Cider & Mustard Broth, Carrots, Kohlrabi & Cress
It reminded me of Sweet Molly Malone as she walked the streets broad and narrow – and the dish sounds thoroughly exotic

Pigs Head Terrine, Pear Chutney, Toast Brawn sounding favourite and I love pears – and chutney for that matter!

MAIN COURSES
Ginger Pig Sausages & Mashed Potatoes
Irresistable

Roast Lemon Chicken, Bread Sauce & Vegetables
A firm favourite, especially the Bread Sauce

Pigeon Pie, Bacon and Red Cabbage
Something I’ve never eaten but sounds very ‘London’

DESSERTS
Chocolate & Rum Cake, Vanilla Ice Cream
Just this thanks very much!

Made your mouth water? I bet it has!

29
JAN

2011, Africa, family, food, London, menu, restaurants, uk, victoriafalls

Jan-Martijn Chanter – Head Chef

I had this news the other day via Facebook and it’s congratulations to Jan-Martijn, one of my sons, on this exciting new appointment. Of course you might not know that Jan’s kitchen training started very early in his life and was conducted by his granny and his dad, as the above picture proves!

Congratulations Jan! Who wrote:

“Good news is that I have accepted a job as head chef at the Penny Black Restaurant. The owner is an old comrade from the days of the Atlantic Bar and Grill – Tony Ho. I’d noticed that he was opening a place and I messaged him that I’d be interested in sorting out the kitchen. He called me back and we have moved on from there. The food concept is British Seasonal.”

On further investigation I discovered that the restaurant is due to open in February, and here’s what I also found on the internet:

“The Penny Black Restaurant is a traditional British restaurant, evocative of fond childhood memories and creating a home from home on Fulham Road, Chelsea.

Traditional British long lost favourites such as; Beef Wellington, Toad In The Hole, London Particular, Braised Oxtail, Scottish Lobster, Cottage Pie, Grilled Dover Sole, Bread & Butter Pudding, Apple & Rhubarb Crumble and Arctic Roll are just a few of the nostalgic dishes on the wholesome and hearty menu. All are cooked in the indulgently classic style using the finest of ingredients from British farmers and producers.

The team behind The Penny Black Restaurant has over 30 years experience between them in the London restaurant scene having worked with legends such as Oliver Peyton on his eponymous and much missed ‘Atlantic Bar and Grill’. The comfortable yet opulent décor features original artwork from Simon Claridge the up and coming Washington Green artist whose work is currently on display at galleries worldwide.”

The restaurant is quite near Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC and Jan-Martijn as an Arsenal fan (it’s compulsory in the family) says he’ll have to ‘set aside his Chelseaphobia’ while at work.

He’s a wonderful chef and of course we wish him the very best of luck in this exciting new project!

26
JAN

2011, family, food, London, restaurants, uk

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