Hello followers, non-followers, fellow foodies and mere passers by,
I appreciate this is A. a belated post and B. the latest of only four posts since starting this back in January! I have been a bad blogger, but my quarter year resolution is to pick-back-up the blogging habit.
To start, here is a mini re-cap of a few foodie adventures from the last couple of months...
1. Attempted home cooked Eggy B with two different shop brought Hollandaise sauce. Conclusion: average.
2. Lunch at Hibiscus for special birthday treat. Conclusion: amazing.
3. Retreated to The Diner for post-royal-wedding-party cure. Conclusion: appauling service but consistently good food made the wait worth it. (I am fully aware however that this place is always pretty good because I tend to be there on hangover days, the curing powers of Eggy B and hash browns can make my mind turn a little gooey).
So, now onto what you have come here for... A critique of the buzzing Folly on Gracechurch Street, and I am pleased to say it was a pleasant surprise. In short, the best bits, it was light and uncomplicated. The bad bits, no-where near enough hollandaise, it was delicious.
Unusually for me, this was not only my first breakfast visit (in two years) to a place near my Monday-Friday job but I also ate early; at 9.30am my colleague Shirley and I (who had taken me here as a belated Birthday present) rocked up to an almost empty restaurant. No trouble getting a table at that time of day, come midday you are fighting to be first through the door, as this relatively new City haunt has fast become one of the chicest places to dine for lunch and meet friends and colleagues for post-work drinks.
We started with tea and coffee and how fabulously presented it was. I particularly liked the glass mug as I could add my own milk and get the colour just right (i.e. proppa cuppa builders tea)!
It didn't take long for the food to arrive and our host was very sweet and attentive. Eggs benedict here came with ham and spinach, but I asked for just ham. Classico.
Again well presented on a wooden board (this I feel must be there signature style) it looked good. Light, and almost healthy (yes, I am trying to kid myself) I've got to say that whilst it looked good and the yolk was perfectly runny inside, for my taste they were still a little too runny. (I realise I am sounding like Goldilocks – tres fussy). The white of the egg looked a bit rare and I was put off, so this was scraped to the side.
The ham was thinly sliced and sat on top of a brioche roll. Not quite the English muffin I was craving but the light and fluffy texture of this made it easy to eat and did not leave me feeling too sluggish. Slightly on the sweet side though, so if like me you prefer something more savoury in the morning, you need to add plenty of salt and pepper, as it was low on seasoning.
The hollandaise: This was light, creamy, hint of lemon, hint of vinegar but not overpowering in the slightest. My only gripe - there was not enough! Although, aesthetically pleasing this dish was served on a quirky wooden board, it did not allow for much sauce, and so for eggs benedict, they may want to consider serving on wooden boards with a lip, to ensure you get no wastage, as any more on its current plate set-up would have had it sliding off into my lap!
The Folly overall is a really pleasant place to eat. Quiet in the mornings (but that is to be expected for a City bar - with the exception of a spattering of business breakfast meetings). The Price: I didn't pay for this one (which of course lends itself to a complete bargain!) but for two meals (Shirley ate scrambled eggs on toast with a coffee, and we both had a smoothie to finish) it came to just under £30. Not bad.
Would I go back? Yes, although I would probably try something else on their menu. Eggy B has firmly ticked The Folly of its list and was happy with the results but I think their imaginative decor, drinks list and presentation far outweigh the standards of the food itself.
Signing off.
B.x.
