The Green Room - Colchester, England

Being limited on funds during our four month adventure in England meant we had to choose carefully if we were to experience some higher end eating, other than what we could produce ourselves from the fresh and high quality ingredients of the grocery stores backed with our culinary education. We managed three very nice restaurants, none of which we were disappointed with. While this restaurant was the first we visited, we ended up writing about another one we visited after it first, The Anchor of Rowhedge, a delightful little pub restaurant overlooking the River Colne.

The Green Room, located in the North Hill Hotel of picturesque Colchester, England, is a cosy yet spacious restaurant serving seasonal dishes made primarily with fresh, local/British ingredients (some exceptions may apply) created by Chef John Riddleton, and inspired by United Kingdom cuisine.


Starting the meal with two starters to share - we always share at least a little of our plates with James, and vice-a-versa; we ordered Warm smoked duck, baby gem, chicory,pomegranate, pickled walnut for ourselves, while James ordered the Scottish-inspired Haggis scotch egg and kohlrabi remoulade with crispy capers.


The first thing you'll notice when eating anything at The Green Room is the fresh ingredients. Being locally sourced with consideration, and chosen seasonally, means they are of top quality. The smoked duck of our starter was tender and perfectly smoky, the greens of the salad crisp and the pomegranate seeds delightfully juicy.


The best of the two, however, was the scotch egg. Traditionally a boiled egg wrapped in sausage, rolled in a bread coating and baked, these scotch eggs were made from local free range eggs surrounded, instead, by haggis, a mixture of offal (organs such as heart, liver, lungs, etc) and minced onion with oatmeal, suet (a type of hard fat), spices and seasoning. It was accompanied by a tasty spicy kohlrabi remoulade sauce that brought to mind the taste of horseradish, and sprinkled with perfectly salty, crispy capers to offset the slight richness of the scotch egg. The most remarkable thing about the dish was the perfectly cooked yolk of the egg. Not cut until just before serving, the cook had to have the utmost confidence in their ability to pull the egg from the simmering water, and cool it, at just the right time. It was soft, creamy, and a beautiful shade of yellow.

Warm smoked duck, baby gem, chicory,
pomegranate, pickled walnut

Haggis scotch egg, kohlrabi remoulade, crispy capers

Chilean MontGras deGras

Sauvignon Blanc.

The main course arrived and we were greeted with beauty, and as we started a second glass of an easy to drink bottle of Chilean MontGras deGras Sauvignon Blanc. 


James' favourite dish is Beef Wellington so naturally he chose the Baked pork fillet Wellington with an apple, Gruyère cheese & thyme stuffing, watercress and whole grain mustard cream sauce; while we opted for the more "adventurous" Roasted kangaroo rump with a green peppercorn brandy sauce, crisp potato cake, and wilted spinach.


The kangaroo rump was extremely tender and reminiscent of young high quality venison* (in this case specifically deer). Light in flavour yet rich on the tongue, it paired well with the brandy sauce and crispy on the outside potato cake. Honestly if offered the dish again we'd opt for other selections, but the dish was in no way disappointing. The wilted spinach added a nice touch and when brought together gave you the fresh and seasonal taste of winter.


The Pork Wellington that James ordered was amazing onto itself, with the melt in your mouth texture of a perfectly cooked pork loin cloaked in a delightful stuffing of apple, Gruyère, thyme and watercress, as opposed to the traditional pâté and mushroom duxelle (a mix of minced mushrooms, shallots and spices), then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. It was both flavourful and succulent, not at all dry as some Wellingtons can tend be, another indication that the Chef and cooks in the kitchen of The Green Room know what they were doing. The mustard cream sauce was both a natural and tasty accompaniment to the pork. 

Roasted kangaroo rump,
green peppercorn
brandy sauce, crisp potato cake,
wilted spinach

Baked pork fillet Wellington, apple,
Gruyère cheese & thyme stuffing, watercress,
whole grain mustard cream sauce

No matter how full we are there is always room for dessert; or, as the British tend to call it 'pudding', which is not to say a milk-based dessert but rather a general term for the sweet course of a meal.

From the menu of delicious dessert options we chose Warm mini doughnuts with chocolate sauce, vanilla custard and strawberry jam - easy to share, though with great reluctance. James chose a Classic custard and nutmeg tart with vanilla roasted rhubarb and home-made stem ginger ice cream. Obviously ours was the best, but that's simply a personal preference, as with anything.

We found the custard in James' tart to be too bland for our taste, it would have been even better with a stronger, or sweeter flavour, while the crust itself was good, neither too thin, or too thick. The rhubarb, a very common fruit in England, was roasted and flavoured nicely and did not have the tough texture you would expect to find in a length of it. The ice cream was made in-house and it was delicious on it's own. The texture and creaminess exactly what you want from ice cream.

Our mini doughnuts were puffy, light and sweet, as a perfect doughnut hole should be, and the sauces served with them called out for being licked clean of their dish (we probably didn't...but after a bottle of wine, we may have ran our finger around each little dish to spare not a drop).

Warm mini doughnuts, chocolate sauce,
vanilla custard & strawberry jam 

Classic custard & nutmeg tart, vanilla roasted rhubarb,
home-made stem ginger ice cream

Great for after a

big meal, James enjoyed a

Remy Martin XO (cognac) 

The presentations of all the dishes were simple and clean. The staff was knowldgeable and friendly, they neither bothered you at the table too much, or too little, and with a raise of a finger were there when you needed them. The atmosphere relaxing and quiet, and the prices were what you would expect for a meal of high quality with the main course averaging in price from £14-18 ($22-30 at the time of this writing) and desserts around £6 ($10).

With a menu that changes with the season, we had really hoped to make it back for one more experience, but alas, our funds were cut even shorter, as was our trip.

There's always next time. And there will be a next time.

For more information on The Green Room, in the North Hill Hotel, of Colchester, England visit: http://www.northhillhotel.com/Bistro.html

*Venison is a term that is often used to describe any variety of four legged wild game animals such as elk, bison, deer, moose, etc.

The Anchor of Rowhedge

This afternoon while out hunting down used cars, because James has decided we will get a car for the remainder of our time here, otherwise it will be more expensive, and limiting, to see much of England, we happened upon a small village.

Rowhedge, a small village in North Essex, is situated on River Colne, an estuary of the North Sea. It's easy access to the sea made the banks of River Colne a good place for the building of pillboxes, concrete guard posts dug into the ground, with holes for firing weapons out of, during World War II. The river is now used by sailboat owners, boaters and for events like the Rowhedge Regatta, an annual celebration with events such as rowing and canoe races and crabbing competitions. 

The area of Rowhedge, rumored to have been a hot bed for piracy and smuggling, is a quiet and picturesque village with a last documented population of less than 1,600 (in 2001). We arrived in early afternoon, when the tide was just starting to go out, meaning the waterway was still quite full. The weather, warmer than the average, was made all the more enjoyable by the blue sky and beautiful light being cast on the houses and trees in the area.

Along High Road in Rowhedge, High Road being the name for most main roads of business in England, is a small pub and restaurant called The Anchor. With a charming exterior and a great location on River Colne it is a beautiful location for a pint, a meal, or a coffee on the patio.

James knows the owners of the establishment, and being we were in the area looking for used car dealerships, we stopped in for a brief introduction and so that they could catch up family events. We sat on the patio and drank a cup of coffee, talking about the area and observing the people making use of the river.

We decided we would return for an early dinner. We had went into town to get sweets from a new sweets shoppe earlier in the day, and had spent several hours after that walking around local villages, so we were quite hungry. The menu looked promising and we were told that the food there was quite good, so we were excited to give it a try. We had been standing at the bar earlier eyeing up the desserts menu and had a craving for some homemade bread and butter pudding.

The main dining room, with its wooden tables and large windows is inviting and warm, and overlooks River Colne. The menu is tastefully displayed near the patio door on a blackboard with a both unique and traditional dishes. We sat in the bar instead of the dining room because they were setting up the main rooms for a function. The bar area sports a handful of wooden tables and chairs, situated near a brick wood burning fire place, among mostly tasteful decorations.

Orkney Herrings in Honey Mustard Sauce

We started our meal with Orkney Herrings in Honey Mustard Sauce served on a bed of salad with wholemeal bread. James opted for the Vegetable Samosas with sweet chilli sauce served on a bed of salad.

James' somosas were crispy and fresh, the sauce was fairly spicy and he seemed to enjoy the meal. We took a couple of bites but were focused on our starter. The the honey mustard sauce was a perfect pairing for the sour pickled taste of the fish. The herring was wonderful, as some pickled fishes tend to be chewy, this had been perfectly preserved and still had a fresh taste and texture. The salads on both plates were of high quality and made with fresh vegetables making the starters absolutely pleasing to the senses. We found the portion of the herring dish to be very generous for a starter.

We followed with mains of Steak and Guinness Pie, for James; and Lamb in a Redcurrant and Rosemary Gravy served with mashed potatoes and vegetables, for us.

The Steak and Guinness Pie was presented in a deconstructed manor, with the crust, a phyllo “bun” of flaky pastry that you could insert a fork into, and fill with bits of tender steak and thick Guinness spiked gravy, served atop the meat. Accompanying it was perfectly prepared English chips, crunchy on the outside with a creamy potato center, and peas that had been cooked to the perfect state of doneness.

Steak and Guinness Pie

Lamb
with Redcurrant and Rosemary Gravy

The lamb dish was served atop a mound of freshly mashed potatoes, with a gravy of redcurrants and rosemary. The meat was extremely tender and with each fork full the taste all of the individual ingredients, the sweet of the redcurrants, the aromatic rosemary and the meaty stock used to make the gravy, greets the mouth. On the side was a dish of carrots and savoy cabbage, both steamed to al dente and left naked of seasonings.

Bread and Butter Pudding with Custard

The meal was fantastic, ingredients fresh and well prepared; we forced ourselves to eat as much as we could, while saving space for dessert. Expressing to James our dissatisfaction with leaving leftovers on the plate, we asked him to eat as much of ours as he could. He joked saying we were going to be the reason for having a 300 pound boyfriend some day, but dutifully ate most of the remaining mash and lamb from our plate.

Dessert came next and was exactly what we had hoped for. We decided that we would share it with James, instead of getting two desserts, which is usually unheard of for us, especially in a place of such calibre. Before they could even bring the menu to the table we blurted out what we wanted.

For dessert we had Bread and Butter Pudding with Custard was simply and beautifully served in a white ceramic bowl; a generous chunk of bread pudding floating in a yellow homemade custard sauce. The raisins in the pudding plump and juicy, the cake moist and chewy, and the custard creamy and velvety. As we ate the bread pudding soaked up the custard, and with each bite left us wishing it was a bottomless bowl.

The service was of course excellent, but with our partner knowing the owners, we expected no less. However, we got the feeling that no matter who you are, upon arrival to The Anchor you would be greeted with the personality and charm of what you would expect of a small village pub in England.

As we left the tide had gone out and the water receded exposing the gray clay of the banks of the river, the sun was setting and the entire area went from one breathtaking view to another.

Interior photo of The Anchor

Interior photo of The Anchor

Interior photo of The Anchor

The patio of The Anchor at low tide

If you ever find yourself in Essex, and want to visit a sleepy little village, and eat a meal of superior quality, we'd highly recommend Rowhedge.

Photography of Rowhedge, Essex, England  © 2012 Frank et al

A Sausage, A Sausage, Our Kingdom For A Sausage

"A Sausage, A Sausage, Our Kingdom For A Sausage", a bastardized line from Shakespeare's Richard III that has nothing to do with sausage, or food...or anything else that will appear in this blog post, to be sure; but if you have a disturbing love for all things sausage, England is the place to be. While it may not be the proported birthplace of the cased-sausage concept, we're pretty sure the English love for it surpasses, or at least rivals, many a throbbing hearts for sausage, around the world.


The English have many commonly eaten dishes that involve sausage. Sausage and mash (or, bangers and mash, properly); SMB (sausage, mash and beans, sop common they have an acronym for it); sausage casserole; sausage rolls (a flaky pastry filled with sausage meat), a meal of sausage, egg & chips* (a breakfast meal; chips are what they call thick cut potatoes, similar to fries but far thicker), to name a few.

In general there are so many kinds of sausages in the world, from meat varieties, to casing type, and variations of spices and fillings (we won't even get into it you can find out more here: http://www.foodsubs.com/MeatcureSausage.html). You could eat sausages every night of the week and never grow tired of it, at least if you were in England.

We have been to two grocery stores so far in the city where we are currently staying, Waitrose and Tesco - Waitrose is a higher end grocery, and Tesco can be compared to, in price-point relation (not in quality), at least, to a Walmart or Target grocery store. We located it in an area outside of city-center, where we have been spending most of our time.


The grocery stores in England are full of all manor of sausage, from regular pork sausages to kinds stuffed with anything from sweet chili, chives, apricots, and other assorted fruits, mustards, and even bacon. Yes, bacon. Applewood, smoked, dry cured bacon. Which was the first of our pick of sausages, in an array of endless choices, to take home. A simple store brand (Waitrose) yes. A great prices, as you can see 2 packs for 5 (roughly $7.75 USD), each package containing 6 sausages. Really all you can say about them is that they are delicious, the bacon flavor is subtle, and blends well with the pork flavor of the sausage. There's nothing really to find to complain about.

This isn't your Johnsonville sausage, either. These sausages are fresh and short on salt and preservatives (as is much of the food produced by England), which means they won't be able to sit in the fridge for long - but who wants food that lasts "forever" anyway? Fresh is best...and the taste...is amazing.
The selection of food in the grocery stores in this modest city (location private until we depart) is outstanding...you can find so many different types of cheeses (types we've never even heard of - and we have a culinary degree!), yogurts (with flavor combinations, and variety, you just can't find in North America), and specialty foods that you would have to go to high-end stores for - like products made of goat, and ewe's (sheep) milk (cheeses, milks, yogurts), all types of breads and pastries, fresh from the bakery...you walk into the grocery and it's as if you are visiting butchers, and bakers, and cheese shops. The prepared food is even of quality and selection that's unheard of.

Let's just say we're obviously impressed with the food here, it's quality, it's variety; meaning we'll be writing a lot about it until we gather the funds to head to other parts of the city and write more about history, geography, weather (pretty sure it's always cloudy with a chance of imminent rain in the winter though). It's too bad we don't have a refrigerator (yet?), is it?

*what are chips then? They're called "crisps" in England. Weird, hey?