Dads deserve a lot more credit than we give them. Mine has been there looking after me from day one - from taking me all the way to school in first year, texting me anxiously to make sure I reached school in the years that followed, and always happy to give me and my sister lifts to this day rather than have us walk home alone in the dark. Father's Day is a way for us kids to thank him for all the hard work he's done over the last 20-odd years. This year he got taken out for a special brunch at Chiltern Firehouse.
We ordered a couple of bellinis on arrival (because that's just what you have to do at brunch!), then sat down properly and eyed up the menu.
Chiltern Firehouse is smokin' (yeah, I went there) at the moment. It's near impossible to get a table for dinner - apparently they're booked up solidly until September at the moment. Luckily it's much easier to be fitted in for lunch or brunch! Not to mention cheaper...
I think the building itself is super cool. As the name suggests, the restaurant is housed in an old fire brigade station. The building's original function can be discerned from architectural remnants like this fireman's pole!
For starters I went for the mushroom and vegetable hash with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce. Rich, comforting and a little bit spicy - the way I wish I could start every morning!
My sister was in Barcelona so A came along in her place. He plumped for smoked salmon on a herbed potato cake, topped with a poached egg.
We ordered French toast for the table. For me, this was the knockout dish of the meal. The French toast was creamy, pulling apart easily and complemented perfectly by the maple butter and smoked bacon. Probably the best French toast I've ever had.
Pa and Ma Lim.
An interesting take on an Italian classic. This crab linguine was given an Asian twist with Thai basil and belacan. Possibly a little bit too spicy for me, but a nice surprise!
After lunch we headed for a spot of coffee across the road at the Monocle Café. Monocle happens to be my father's favourite magazine, so it figures that this café would be one of my parents' preferred hangouts in central London.
There's a definite Japano-Scandinavian vibe to the place thanks to the overall design and the Japanese-style cakes and drinking vessels on offer here!
A got excited over this improvisation book we found in the back room.
Coffee: the perfect full stop to the end of a lovely meal. Happy Father's Day, Dad!
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