Copper and Ink – an English Gem and a Journey to Remember

There’s so much of the world to see and share that I often forget to tell you about the gems in my own incredible home city. London is most definitely home, and it’s a city that sprawls, so few travellers make it to some of the best bits (in my humble opinion) that require just a bit more exploration.

Copper and Ink is a restaurant in the stunning once-village of Blackheath. If you’re a foodie traveller and want to see some ‘real England’ on a trip to London, then I couldn’t recommend a visit to Blackheath, and this establishment, more. Whilst definitely being part of the London sprawl, Blackheath manages to maintain that village feel, and has numerous lovely pubs in which to enjoy a great British pint.

A view into Blackheath village, including the fabulous Hare & Billet pub

If you’re up for making your journey to Blackheath a real adventure, then a Thames Clipper trip from Westminster Pier to Greenwich will show you numerous of the best sites in town (think Tower Bridge, Tower of London, The Shard etc.) before depositing you for a glorious walk alongside the Cutty Sark, up through Greenwich Park (best view in the city), past the Royal Observatory, and straight to the famous heath itself. If I could only do one thing on a visit to London then this journey would be it for me.

A Thames Clipper cruising the river close to Greenwich

Copper and Ink itself is the establishment of flamboyant former-Masterchef contestant Tony Rodd and his partner, Becky. What they have created is a restaurant delivering the high-end, quality food you’d find at some of London’s more famous institutions, but in a relaxed neighbourhood setting. Not only are the food, wine and service divine, but the prices are far more reasonable than those you’d find an an equivalent restaurant in the heart of the city.

The seasonal, monthly-changing tasting menu and accompanying wine flight are really not to be missed. At just £70 for both at the time of writing, this is serious quality for the price. The five courses are creative and use locally sourced ingredients from independent suppliers, the wines provide a wonderful complement to the food, and if you’re fortunate enough to be seated downstairs then you can also enjoy the theatre of the open kitchen.

Potato ragu, braised leaks, crispy potato strings, crème fraiche and winter truffle

Espresso panna cotta, coffee & chocolate sponge, and dulche de leche ice-cream

All of this splendour is a 20 minute direct-train journey away from Central London (just use your Oyster or contactless card) when you’re ready for a quick journey to bed with your full stomach and happy heart.

London is so much more than the standard tourist trail so do get out and see the glory of what some of us are fortunate enough to call home. And if this is home for you, then make sure Copper and Ink is on your to-visit list.

Riverside Dining

In case I’ve not mentioned it (much!) before, my favourite place to be in Bangkok is by the river. In fact, this applies to my home city of London too, and pretty much to every city I’ve ever been to. If it’s not a river, any body of water will do. There’s just something I love about watching the inevitable activity that comes with water, and Bangkok has this in spades.

We’re back in Thailand for a couple of days before we head home and if we’ve not been by the pool (the water theme continues) then we’ve been by the Chao Phraya. Two locations in particular have enticed us, an old favourite and a new find.

The old favourite is Be My Guest, a riverside restaurant that we return to every trip, regardless of whether we’re staying at the Millennium Hilton (next to which it sits) or not. Neither this nor the new find is flashy. We’re talking friendly, characterful places here, selling the equivalent of street food at reasonably elevated prices to match their riverside locations. I’ve eaten much more expensively while I’ve been away but this was my favourite meal, watching the darkening sky reflected in the CAT building that my husband loves.

The menu at Be My Guest contains plenty of simple Thai favourites, plus a few dishes to test the more adventurous. We started with an appetiser of shrimp cakes while we enjoyed our first beer. I’ve never eaten anything quite like these donut shaped nibbles anywhere else, but they’re a good start for an evening on the Chang!

When we were ready to move on to food proper, it had to include the Wing Bean Salad. I’ve never seen one of these beans whole, and I have no idea if you can buy them back home, but I adore the variety of textures and the delicately balanced flavour of this gently spiced (by Thai standards) salad.

I was meant to order the red curry to avoid the strong Thai Basil that my husband dislikes but I got distracted and ordered the green curry instead. As predicted, it was indeed full of Thai Basil, and in my opinion was all the more delicious for that. Soft, plump prawns and chunks of small green aubergine in a heavily spiced, creamy coconut soup. Mmmmm. I have yet to find a green curry outside Thailand that comes close to this.

I went off-menu for the last dish because I had a craving! Chicken with garlic and pepper is one of my favourite Thai stir fries and the staff were very happy to make it for me. It totally lived up to my expectations and the husband loved it too, vegetables and all!

We crossed the Chao Phraya back towards our hotel before finding our newest riverside haunt, and also returned to it the next day for lunch. Jack’s Bar is a haphazard bar-come-restaurant that sits, in part, directly over the water. It’s busy with a mix of Thais and foreigners of all ages, and the staff are smiley and fun.

Lunch was an extended affair over a few beers, giving me time to just watch the river. The number and variety of boats that pass by is a constant source of amazement for me, and the occasional wetland bird floating by atop a piece of water hyacinth adds to the interest.

Thai fishcakes, flavoured with red curry paste and kaffir lime leaves, followed by fried rice and a puffy omelette is the simple lunch I remember from my working days living in the city. I love this food as much as anything more fancy and will miss it when we head home.

Cabbages and Condoms

A trip to Cabbages and Condoms, a quirky (now chain) restaurant that’s used to promote family planning and fund development projects, has become something of a tradition whenever we are in Bangkok. It’s my husband’s favourite place, in part because of the delicious food but also because of the cool, relaxed outdoor seating area.

Knowing that we had a big meal to come, we avoided eating properly for the rest of the day, instead relaxing by the pool with another staple when we’re in Thailand, the (no doubt sugar filled) yoghurt drinks that are available in every 7-Eleven. Somehow, being unable to read the labels, I can pretend to myself that they are healthy!

The downside of going to Cabbages and Condoms is that it means leaving my favoured riverside location and heading to Sukhumvit. I love Bangkok, but it can also be challenging and Sukhumvit puts under my nose many of the elements of the city that I prefer to avoid. My love of the city is based on life along the majestic Chao Phraya river and if I’m honest, that’s where I’d prefer to stay!

But for my husband, who had ‘saved’ his birthday meal to go to C&C, to Sukhumvit we went and were rewarded, as ever, by the ambience and food. Now, when I say quirky I mean it, and that includes numerous decorations made of condoms. Light fittings, life size human figures, even an after dinner condom in place of a mint. It’s a very entertaining concept!

If I’m honest, going to C&C with a larger group is preferable as the portion sizes and large and that means you have to resist ordering too much if you are a two. But everything is so good that what you really want to do is order everything on the menu! We have some old favourites, Pomelo Salad with Chicken and Prawns being my absolute favourite – it’s fresh, zesty and light, with deep fried garlic providing a rich little crunch. We also ordered Beef Massamun Curry, which is a favourite for the husband, but then wanted to try some new things too. So we started with Chaw Muang, purple little dumplings stuffed with slightly sweet chicken, and also ordered Deep Fried Cotton Fish with a Fresh Mango Sauce. I have no idea if we know Cotton Fish by another name, but it’s got lovely soft flesh and the hot, sour sauce made it delightful.

Climbing back on the very busy Sky Train from Nana Station to head back to Saphan Taksin, where we’d meet our hotel shuttle boat, was rather a shock after the tranquility of the restaurant and I was very glad to get back to my beloved Chao Phraya.