the modern pantry

stopped in here for a quick breakfast. staff were very friendly and attentive. themenuselection is great and very reasonably priced for a central london location. the service was quick. recommended!

it doesn’t look it at first instance but the modern pantry lives up its “modern” moniker. it offers an inventivemenuwith worldly flavours and contrasting influences. however, i didn’t quite enjoy my experience at the modern pantry as much as i was expecting. that’s not to say it was an unpleasant one. the very interestingmenudidn’t deliver the wow in the food, and the service was rather slow. i booked in for a weekday dinner catchup, and the modern panty is in a nice spot in a quieter part of clerkenwell. the space is light and airy, perfect for brunch (and that’s where they may shine). the eveningmenuis seasonal and ever-evolving. i had a sort of vegetarian quinoa risotto with silverbeet, vegetables and a fried shell. it sounded fine on paper, but seems a little wacky in retrospect. it’s a fusion that ended up feeling like it had muddied flavours, without any single element being memorable. service was warm and friendly over our time but there was a delay between starter and main that mildly irked. it’s a nice, relaxed setting at the modern pantry but i wouldn’t mind the fusion flavours calming down a bit.

the place is extremely modern. it offers fusion cooking. while i am not a fan of this cuisine, the result was fairly good. none of the items in themenuis everyday food, but it is worth trying.

i've admired the modern pantry from afar a few times whilst wandering around clerkenwell, which is becoming an increasingly hip part of london for food and drink types to head for. the coffee was strong, the service was fast, food was all very good and we both left absolutely stuffed for just under £40. the addition of fruit or vegetables to each course at least made these feel healthy and as a very late slightly hungover breakfast this absolutely kept me going until dinner time which is all i could ask. if i worked locally it’d be my spot of choice for meetings and breakfast which can often be a meal that’s difficult to inject life into – they really cracked it with themenuseeming both reassuringly familiar but with an injection of their own personality.

festive cheer is hewn into themenuwith steaming cinnamon cocktails whizzed through ground aromatics, chocolate orange twists to a espresso martini and pumpkin and gingerbread puddings with pomegranate molasses.

i just love meeting people that i click with automatically. it happens so rarely and when it does its just magic. this happened to me a few weeks ago, when i met the uber-talented, hilarious (and slightly bonkers) angelica malin, owner and chief of about time magazine.

a mutual friend introduced us… being a fellow foodie writer and budding entrepreneur, she got me, my goofy jokes and foodie chit chat from the get go.

 it also just so happens good and unexpected things happen when i hang out with jelly. it was in our first meeting, sitting in monmouth sipping on our frothy whites when we happened upon a meeting with the owner of chef magazine, peter marshall. bizarre that he should have been sitting on the next table and keen as mustard to take us for lunch to discuss our food writing pursuits. how could we say no?!

we settled on modern pantry, a bright, little hotspot in farringdon, with a fantasticmenuto boot. although built into an old town house, the place echoes a very california clean vibe. the white and bleu colour scheme injecting light into the place, complementing the fresh menu.

 we started with a selection of olives, nibbles and delicious spiced nuts. salty, laced with paprika and a hefty chilli kick.

we went straight on in for main course. 

peter went for the tempura battered soft shell crab, with a coconut laksa, vermicelli, rose, pickled daikon and thai basil cress.

jelly went for the pan fried grey mullet, golden beetroot, cauliflower ‘cous cous’, and a spring onion & almond pesto. it was a beautiful dish, with perfectly cooked fish. although, we both agreed, the cous cous was slightly lacking in flavour and seasoning.

i went for the ginger & white wine steamed mussels with saffron aioli. the mussels were plump and beautifully cooked but the liquor was unfortunately a little watery and lacking in flavour. much so was the aioli whose only dominant flavour was strong extra virgin olive oil, no hint of saffron flavour to be found.

we felt that the best way to redeem the meal would have to be pudding. it did not disappoint!

we opted for the cinder toffee affogato with espresso (which was so good i didn’t manage a photo), a raspberry and pink peppercorn sorbet and the olive oil & orange cake, with poached clementine, saffron cream, candied walnuts. the sorbet, fresh, fruity with a delicate peppery hint was doubtedly my favourite.

we opted for the cinder toffee affogato with espresso (which was so good i didn’t manage a photo), a raspberry and pink peppercorn sorbet and the olive oil & orange cake, with poached clementine, saffron cream, candied walnuts. the sorbet, fresh, fruity with a delicate peppery hint was doubtedly my favourite.

the cake had delicious flavour, but was slightly dry. the cream was a welcome addition to add rich creaminess.

to top it all off was my creamy, foamy, delicious honey-sweetened matcha latte. a perfect, anti-oxidant packed, coffee alternative to give me a bit of energy for an afternoon of meetings ahead. this one was a real knock of for the best ones in london, served at the good life eatery in south ken. hands down the best two matcha makers in london.

best breakfast ever!
came on a tuesday morning for a quick breakfast with a friend, and was amazed. it is not easy to make something delicious of a simple meal like breakfast but this blew my mind. 
the restaurant is very elegant, and you can spot the little elegant logo between two lightened trees. the morning was nice and sunny so we decided to sit outside. 

themenualready points out what is gluten free and what isn't making it very easy to order. i ordered the tea smoked salmon with two poached eggs and yuzu hollandaise on gluten free muffins, while me friend got the modern pantry bircher muesli, as well as the two fried eggs with smoked streaky bacon. we both absolutely loved everything about our meals, and the amazing big portions. the breakfast along with their smoothies filled us up for the whole day, and made us crave the modern pantry the next day too. 
the only negative thing was the service, as the waitress seemed very moody and even annoyed with the questions about the food. if not for that this place would definitely be a 5.0.  

tip- if you want to go for brunch book two weeks ahead, they get very full, very fast.

this time around, my café/restaurant to do list had ballooned out to colossal proportions. patiently waiting,  the modern pantry had been hanging in there since 2012 - it was a long time coming. anna hansen and her team's modern diner flickered on my radar with their take on delicious seasonal eating. luckily during this trip i found myself in clerkenwell time and time again. the  lure of coffee  most certainly had something to do with it. pretty as a picture, right? hands down, dessert of the trip i.e. perfection on slate. the blood orange curd tart that pulverises the competition, seriously. this café definitely signals the good things to come for london. reminiscent of bills for it's all-day dining versatility, modern pantry prides itself on amenuthat changes daily reflecting the best produce on offer. speaking of which, themenuis a complete tome with a 2 course daily special also on offer. several visits are probably in order, or just show up with a big bunch of friends so you

i have been to modern pantry once before for dinner, a few years ago, but i was googling best places in london for brunch and it came up so i suggested we go there with my friends lasma and luke for brunch.   modern pantry is located in clerkenwell, in st john’s square, which is a great little square and it was so nice to sit outside in this little square in the sun, on the very warm day which we had. modern pantry tries to “please and excite the palete by fusing everyday cooking with modern ingredients” which they did achieve during this brunch. i found themenuvery exciting. it had cool alcoholic cocktails (like the passion fruit bellini lasma was drinking), exciting looking mixed juices and smoothies, pastries, yoghurt and granola type of breakfast, cooked breakfast and also lunch dishes. we all chose to have something from their cooked breakfa

i get the fried egg on mince and my cousin has the eggs benedicts. it's ok. my dish has far too much mince relative to the one small (possibly organic) lightly fried egg on top. themenuhad indicated it would be asian fuelled; but it was neither sweet nor spicy. i am thinking it perhaps had a pretty shoddy oyster sauce behind the sort of bland and almost overcooked experiment. but i was far too underwhelmed to vcare.

...take your date if you want to impress and don’t mind spending a bit. it’s well worth because the food, light and bright atmosphere and the staff are just fantastic. i highly recommend this place if you want to be cheered up from the wintery blasts of wind.  london! why you so cold? btw….it was the 12th of march. i had a great coffee whilst we waited for the lunch hour. the staff were very accommodating with the gluten free aspect and went out of their way to substitutemenuitems that would suit the dish. i was very impressed with that. za’atar spiced lamb rack, kalonji and potato rosti, cime de rapa, celery and preserved lemon salsa £21.50 ($au31.40) plus side of pink firpotatoes £3.20 ($au4.67)   this was a fricken unbelievably lush cuisine that such a work of art. i felt reluctant to eat it and took as many pictures as possible because there was no way i was gonna save tidbits wrapped in napkins in my purse. taking

their brunchmenuhas got some really interesting items above the usual egg-based things – including a prawn and spring onion omelette with smoked chilli sambal, and rendang mince on toast. the raspberry and ricotta pancakes with berry compote and crème fraiche looked beautiful, and i will try to recreate at home in the meantime before i next go back. maybe i'll pick up a croissant for my dad then too.

i had very high hopes for this place when i decided to take my partner for a special brunch. as it was only a short walk away from where we lived at the time it seemed like the perfect choice. i did a lot of research and picked modern pantry over a few reputable breakfast specialists in the area.

when i first got in i was really impressed with the interior and the atmosphere. it looks exceptionally nice and neat. i had prepared myself for an expensivemenubut the prices were just on another level. i thought this is meant to be a special brunch so i went all out and ordered a mixture of hot and cold food as well as juices and drinks. i was very excited while ordering but when it came and i tried them all, i have to say i was rather disappointed.

it was all okay and nothing more. yes the place is special but that is it. i don't mind paying a bit extra for a high quality meal but modern pantry, in my opinion, does not offer this.

i feel my rating is probably slightly lower than it should be, but in my defence, it is only a reflection of how i felt after leaving the place. paying £30+ for not a lot of very average breakfast does not make you feel very good.

on bright days when the sun is at least half visible, i love spending time at the modern pantry. the georgian townhouse at clerkenwell has tons of natural lighting shining on white tables spread across 3 floors. in summer, outside seating overlooks the square with lovely sunshine. there is a mixed sense of modern and home here, stairs squeak as you walk up but the relaxed layout and warm colours set a comfortable living room scene that you just want to stay and chat without ever looking at the time. for sunday brunch, themenuis one of the healthiest in london with modern takes on traditional breakfast. compared to traditional english breakfast that’s dense and heavy with oil, the plate here is complete with pan-fried haloumi with slow roasted tomatoes and your choice of poached, scrambled or fried eggs. lovely change to get away from massive dollops of hollandaise

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 themenushows 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