Description: Our recent day out in London included a walk round Spitalfields Market; we'd been thinking about a nice market hotdog but there were none to be found (typical!), so with rumbling tummies we turned to Canteen. I'd never heard of the place before but have since learned that there are four of their restaurants dotted around London, it was a really hot day and the open plan design of the place appealed so we wandered across and sat down to look at the menu.
It's exactly the kind of food you'd expect based on the stylishly trendy decor - meals that always have a twist, but are based on everyday dishes. The menu selection isn't huge but there's something for everyone, including a roast lunch that rotates between meats on a daily basis and is served in limited quantities each lunchtime. These are apparently very popular and I was almost tempted by the beef dinner I watched a lady tucking into as we walked in, the day was just too hot but it looked delicious with a large serving of pink beef and a fluffy cake-like Yorkshire pudding. I went for a warm smoked haddock salad which came with a softly poached egg and a smattering of crunchy croutons and Mark chose gammon and chips, served with a fried egg and pineapple. I was surprised he didn't go for the steak actually, he later admitted it was because he noticed on the menu that it was served with watercress and a random 'something' had been added to the mash. I suspect it would have been horseradish or some kind of mustard, but Mark was too cautious with his menu choice for me to find out!
Our food took around forty minutes to arrive, which I thought was a little excessive considering we'd both ordered reasonably basic dishes. The restaurant was busy but not so rammed with people, it annoyed me that they were quick enough to get drinks to us but the food was amazingly slow to arrive - I'd already had two drinks by the time my salad turned up and the waiter seemed anxious to hurry me to my third when our meals were served! It was worth the wait though, both our meals were absolutely delicious with portion sizes that were much better than I had been thinking they would be.
My salad was served in a shallow bowl (deep plate?) and beautifully presented; the smoked haddock was broken into chunks which were generous enough that I could cut them into halves again, as I'd ordered I was asked if I wanted my egg poached firm or left soft - I asked for it soft and it was beautifully done, the yolk covered by the merest hint of white and spilling over the mixed green salad as I cut into it. Delicious. Everything was so perfect; it hadn't been clear on the menu that sautéed leeks were included in the salad, it seemed a really odd addition but they complimented the peppery Rocket beautifully. It's actually testament to how superb this salad was that I cleared my plate - I'm not a fan of 'warm' lettuce and had been a bit miffed when my salad arrived and I realised the hot fish and egg had warmed the salad. I found the whole meal amazingly tasty, for once being glad I went for the lighter option when really I'd craved the beef roast!
Mark's gammon was, apparently, perfect. A thick steak with a tender texture, Mark likened it to gammon from a joint and said it was perfectly salty. I was surprised at how haphazard his meal was thrown on the plate actually, considering the fact that my salad was beautifully arranged! A particular thing that stood out was the (perfectly cooked) fried egg being piled on top of the pineapple - you expect either on the meat itself, not both! The pineapple was fresh and once he slid the egg onto the plate he announced the chips were delicious dipped in the runny yolk - I sampled one and can honestly say they were just about perfect. His was served with a small portion of grilled mushrooms and tomato, it was a very rustic looking meal but he too cleared his plate leaving only the thinnest piece of fat that had been on the meat.
We moved tables after our main course and decided to have a couple more drinks, after which of course I fancied a dessert. Mark wandered off and I found myself tucking into the most delicious toffee cheesecake, the slice was actually very small but it had such an amazingly rich flavour that you didn't need more. It was served with mounds of whipped cream (squirty cream, but quality stuff maybe?) that made the dessert look huge but once I'd scraped most of that off it was manageable! There were caramelised small pieces of nut in the cheesecake, this is made apparent on the menu for allergy sufferers but I honestly hadn't been expecting quite so many nuts - or for them to so tooth-achingly hard either! This was of gorgeous quality, patently freshly made and absolutely delicious. Mark couldn't manage a dessert, but opted for a Scotch Egg from the bar snacks menu after we moved tables to enjoy our drinks away from the large dining parties who had arrived as we were finishing our meals.
I can't fault the food in Canteen at all; admittedly the gammon dish wasn't presented in such an attractive way as my salad, but taste-wise it was perfect apparently so this is a somewhat minor consideration. As far as my food went I was impressed by both the main course and dessert, I wish I'd had a chance to sample Canteens's soup starter which is served with soda bread but that days soup (mushroom) wasn't to my liking - I'm not sure I'd have had room for that and dessert anyway so after tasting that delicious cheesecake I'm really glad I wasn't stuffed by that point. I was impressed with the portion sizes, leaving Canteen pleasantly full but not having eaten so much that I felt sick or uncomfortably full. I was a little surprised at the size of my salad actually as with the leeks, egg and large piece of haddock (chopped obviously, but I could tell there was a good sized piece in the salad) it made for a filling and satisfying meal. Mark's Scotch Egg wasn't overly huge but looked and tasted extremely fresh, served with a mound of vibrant piccalilli and a fresh poppy seed topped roll it is a very substantial snack and a lovely traditional looking plate of food.
Our food bill (minus our drinks) came to a little under £35, which I was happy to pay as the food was so perfect and it was a nice little treat to ourselves while spending time in the capital. My only complaint really was the length of time our food took to arrive at our table, and also how pushy the staff were while we were waiting for our meals - it felt like they were waiting for us to have an inch of drink left in our glass and then offering us another, it's no big deal I know but I did feel a little pressured at times and caught the odd look the waiter gave Mark when he refused a drink towards the end of our meal. Aside from this issue, I found both members of staff who dealt with our food order to be excellent - polite and conscientious, getting all aspects of our meal correct and checking back while we were eating to ensure we were happy with our food.
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