Our Catherine heads down to a Chinese New Year inspired supperclub in Woolwich Arsenal. She’s here to try the genre bending foods of sohMarie / Marie Soh – a woman who eschewed a career at Vogue for ‘Cooking and feeding without rules’…
Rating:
Cuisine:
It varies – every month SohMarie features a different cuisine from around the world. This month was inspired by Chinese.
Appeals To:
Fans of the supper club style of dining…so those who have no problem sharing tables with other guests, adventurous eaters (coffee in a stir fry!), hungry types who relish in eating five courses.
People with an interest in fusion food
The Ambiance:
Held in a cosy café candle-lit supper club, I took a pew at one of the two long communal tables which dominate the room. Themed place cards indicate my seat and a buzz of friendly chatter lingers in the relaxed environment. I am seated by a couple who live just down the road from the cafe, but who are soon to emigrate to Singapore. As the the evening progresses and the mood relaxes further, we learn more about each other, and what brought us all here.
The Food:
Marie, a self-taught cook, stands at the top of the table and openly admits she loves experimenting with food, bringing in strong flavours by way of aroma, taste and texture, or cooking with no limits as she likes to say.
With five courses ahead of me – I arrive hungry.
The evening starts with crispy fish, coconut cracker and shredded rainbow salad served on oriental pancakes. This combines a delicious healthy crunch with delicate flavours of fish coming through. Far less sickly than the duck variety normally available.
If I had to pick a star of the menu it is Marie’s take on fried rice – steamed tomato and olive rice topped with shredded tofu, edamame, kale and delightfully accompanied by a truffle sauce. Tofu, for me, is completely tasteless and takes flavour from the items around it. The strong taste of the truffles infuses the tofu dramatically, while the kale and edamame lend texture.
The following course intrigues me the most – it has coffee as an ingredient. This version of a traditional stir fry saw beef combines with mushroom, almond and coffee, served on crunchy noodles. I like coffee (a lot) but will I like it in stir fry format? A resounding yes. The beef is tender and the flavours marry well to give just a shot of coffee on the palate.
Next, my least favourite dish – steamed tofu with spicy chilli prawns and mushroom broth. The broth itself is excellent – warming and with a hefty kick from the chili. My bug bear is the tofu, which is the silken variety – and sadly I am not a fan of the texture. It doesn’t really taste like anything.
Much more satisfying is the dessert of yellow split pea pudding with crispy dough, white chocolate sauce and pistachio nuts. I’m normally not a dessert fan, but this manages to perfectly combine sweetness with lightness (not being overpowering in either). And the lightly salted crispy dough bits proved to be a welcome inclusion.
The Verdict:
Despite my scepticism about certain flavour combinations, I am pleasantly surprised. Marie’s supper club is welcoming, serves delicious food at reasonable prices and you can BYOB. Add good company and what more do you need for a night out?
‘Cooking without limits’ may be stretching it a little – Marie has still chosen to confine herself to a certain region style of cooking (not that this is a bad thing by any means). But who knows what the next cuisine theme will bring?
More Info:
This supperclub usually takes place at The Conerstone Café, 9 Major Draper Street, SE18 6GD