Ottolenghi: I Love You

A few months ago I embarked on a journey to the Borough Kensington and Chelsea to Notting Hill. Firstly to peruse the most famous markets in London, the Portobello Road Markets and secondly to try a very special food shop I had heard so much about, Ottolenghi.

http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/



Notting Hill's Ledbury Road Ottolenghi was set up in 2002 as the result of the collaboration of Yotam Ottolenghi, Noam Bar, Sami Tamimi and Jim Webb. There are now four shops in total, two take away shops with a communal table, one restaurant and one take away only. Ottolenghi also has two recipe books and a new one out in September. The team have now put their culinary talents together again and opened a new restaurant called NOPI (http://www.nopi-restaurant.com/)  which I definitely can't wait to sample!

We walked into the confined white space of the shop in Notting Hill and I was instantly transported to a food sancturary. One look at the culinary creations crowded onto the counter and the window and my mouth was drooling. I did not know where to start. I wanted it all!

Ottolenghi describes his food as "familiar and straight forward, yet highly innovative. It is made and served by a group of people who love preparing food as well as indulging in it, gorging on it, chatting about it endlessly. It is a way of life, somewhere between a healthy obsession and a bad habit we can’t kick." This fixation with food is something I can relate to. The experimenting with flavours and fresh produce to create a sensual, vibrant experience is something that excites me. From the bold salads with enticing colours and mixture of produce to the eye popping cakes and pastries this place was definitely my cup of tea.

My experience definitely lived up to the word on the street. Photos went straight to Instagram (@love_bites) and a check-in on Facebook at this special place was a must. I had died and arrived in Food Heaven. My friends and I decided to pick a dish each and share the gourmet treats between us. I went for a roasted aubergine salad caressed in pine nuts, with a herby, creamy green sauce, smashed red and yellow cherry tomatoes and garnished with basil. The other choices were a Mediterranean vegetable tart and a grilled pumpkin, red onion and caper salad, drenched in a oozy yogurt dressing, and accompanied by a warming coffee each.

We parked our eagerly awaiting stomachs on the bench outside the store as sure enough on a Saturday the back table was full to the brim. We charged straight into our treats and the taste sensation I felt when the aubergine and yogurt mix hit my buds was a melting experience.
The aubergine softened and melted in my mouth and combined with a hit of basil and crushed tomato, Ottolenghi had definitely hit the spot with this one. The tart was nothing to rave about but was still up to the culinary standards as expected, and the pumpkin ensemble also won me over with the polite mix of colours, with the accompanying saltiness of the capers which really made for a gourmet salad.

Despite not having enough room to fit in the gorgeous range of pastries and sweet selections on offer, I rested with the idea that this will be something to try for next time, and the time after that, andthe time after that. This is one place I will definitely be going back to, whether it be for catering, take away, dining in, or attempting to follow their recipes at home.  Ottolenghi: I Love You!