the modern pantry

so what is new zealand cuisine according to that all-knowing source, wikipedia, it is " a diverse british based cuisine, with mediterranean and pacific rim influences as the country becomes more cosmopolitan ".  so basically a bit of everything.  set up by new zealand raised anna hansen, the modern pantry has been pigeon-holed as serving new zealand cuisine (at least by my proudly kiwi roommate at work - all black flags a plenty in my office).  but a quick look at the menu shows it is so much more than that.  anna takes a bit of what she likes from around the world and fuses ingredients together to create bold new dishes. we headed along on a sunday lunchtime, the place packed with mid-twenty something professionals  regaling their tales of the night before.  the great thing about going at this time, though, is that you can take advantage of the two courses for twenty, three for twenty five, offer.  i started with the salmon sashimi and squid ink dressing, delicious. others had the

he modern pantry isn’t quite an english tea room, not quite a pantry, not quite rustic, not quite modern. in truth, it’s a twist of all four and honestly reminds me of a contemporary version of my grandmother’s own pantry (with a good polish and shine).

what i like most about the modern pantry is its ability to take ingredients native to opposite ends of the world and incorporate them in one unique and well-executed brunch menu. i greatly prefer it to the brunch menu at hansen’s previous project, the providores, where some of the combinations (grilled chorizo with sweet potato and miso mash, for example… i cringed just thinking about it!) don’t work. and, even if you end up hating the food, at least you will get a healthy dose of vitamin d!

i had an amazing breakfast here today- ricotta pancakes with poached rhubarb and a passion fruit smoothie. delicious, satisfying. great friendly service.

i’ll recommend it, for an innovative menu, great use of ingredients and chaming atmosphere, but i’ll allow you to make your own mind up on this one.

all in all despite a couple of flaws, this is fusion food that really works. we had a very enjoyable meal in a venue i would be happy to return too. with the modern pantry and the bruno loubets at the zetter, st johns square, clerkenwell is a developing into quite a foodie enclave, which can only be a good thing.

the tapas style starters really are amazing. we shared ‘okra, feta and turmeric fritters, currant compote, greek yoghurt’ and ‘chorizo scotched quail eggs, green pepper relish’. the aromatic flavours made my mouth water and the combination of the ingredients worked well. the yolk of the quail eggs was cooked perfectly and the flavoursome chorizo went well with simpleness of quail egg and the freshness of the relish.

we thought that a japanese mary would help us decide – what a delicious cocktail, comprising of vodka, yuzu, soy, tabasco, wasabi, szechuan pepper and a sake float.

it's a breath of fresh air amongst the behemoths of modern british food, and deserves a more ardent following than it's currently granted.

my mum loves coming down to london to visit every once in a while so i thought it would be nice to treat her to lunch at the modern pantry on mother's day. after all, this is the day to pamper her and show her just how grateful you are that she has put up with your endless tantrums over the years. anna hansen has gained a lot of column inches recently, especially after her recent pop up pantry at meza in soho, so as she was at the forefront of my mind, i decided to book a table at her full-time restaurant, the modern pantry in clerkenwell. the graceful historic georgian townhouses and laid back atmosphere of clerkenwell was a refreshing change to the horific crowds in central london that we had endured the day before - tempers frayed. in better moods, we arrived at the modern pantry and were shown to our table in the light and airy upstairs dining room. we were given the menu and i was surprised (pleasantly) to see that the three course meal was £23.50 and only a mere £11.75 for the

my neighbour seemed to really enjoy her dish of tea smoked salmon and poached eggs. i was allowed to sample a bit and was instantly quite envious! a very nice balance was struck between strong, smoky salmon and perfectly cooked eggs.

anna hansen is not a newcomer at london's food scene. she, along with peter gordon, at the providores has proved that creatively fused food is not just a novelty, a fad that will die down as time goes by. yet, while gordon invaded the west end late last year with the all-day dining cafe kopapa , anna has only brought along her modern pantry from the exclusive, grand-ish realm of tranquil st john's sqaure to soho's buzzing meza bar & restaurant. it is a pop-up, for four weeks only starting march 22nd. is this timely? no? the starters - chorizo scotched quail eggs, prune and caraway relish; chilli garlic snails, chestnut and nutmeg puree, red veined sorrel cress; and cornish crab rarebit - were solid food and much enjoyable. the fat infused heat of crusty chorizo scotched eggs was nicely cooled by the sweet relish. there was also heat but of a milder and much sweeter nature in the snail dish. was this chilli thai in their origin? if not, there was an acute similarity to thai sweet chilli

an alumni of the providores , anna hansen opened this little gem in clerkenwell in 2008. i love clerkenwell in general but i am particulalry fond of st john's square - the modern pantry sits opposite the zetter hotel (home of the much lauded bistrot bruno loubet ) and just around the corner from st john st so food lovers are spoilt for choice. i had a really great breakfast there last weekend - anywhere that serves soft boiled eggs and vegemite soldiers is a winner in my book. the coffee was decent, if a little weak (but hey, the majority of people seem to like it that way - sigh). i had always wondered what the beautiful stone arch was in st john's lane - across the other side of clerkenwell road and apparently it is the museum of the order of st john - charting the history of the order from the hospitaller origins to the current day incarnation as st john's ambulence. i plan to go and check it out next time i'm over there.

...two joining dining rooms, very clean and crisp and minimal. our table was right by the window and looking out into the london evening,

since "discovering" the modern pantry thanks to their amazing food at taste of christmas last year, i finally went to the restaurant itself to enjoy brunch with shun. the restaurant is in the heart of clerkenwell and getting seated on the ground floor it was bright, airy, yet cosy too. i opted for the savoury breakfast of two poached eggs and toast with grilled chorizo, plantain fritter, and slow-roast tomatoes and, because the menu was so tempting, shun and i also shared a danish potato & beer waffle , bacon, and maple syrup between us too. yes, we are gluttonous and proud of it! :d continuing on that theme we hit up dessert too with shun trying out the quince & pear crumble with vanilla mascarpone cream and i went for a coconut muscovado meringue , lime, grape fru