Fay Maschler's week in food: from Keralan fried chicken to Chinese takeaway

The Evening Standard's restaurant critic details the culinary highlights of her week

Just the Kricket: Keralan fried chicken

Fay Maschler1 February 2017

1. Happily, Keralan fried chicken has accompanied Will Bowlby and Rik Campbell to their second branch of Kricket in Soho. Discs of pickled mooli are so slick, as is butter garlic crab with seaweed papad.

2. After tasting Elizabeth Allen’s fabulous maltagliati, lamb sweetbreads, brown butter, cabbage and Perigord truffle at a Carousel pop-up, I’m longing for the opening of her permanent restaurant Shibui.

3. There’s peace and plenty upstairs at my sister’s pub The Wells in Hampstead. I choose a new item on Greg Smith’s menu: sticky barbecue short rib with sweet chilli and bok choi.

4. Instead of roasting, poach. At home, whole chicken is brought to a brief simmer then the heat is turned off. An hour later, served with chive velouté, it’s artfully good.

5. Sunday takeaway from Oriental Dragon, W1, for a low-key Chinese New Year dinner, includes copious, ungrudging Singapore rice noodles.