Entropy – At last, fine dining in Leicester!

Seafood Soup and Pig Cheeks

I shouldn’t say ‘at last really as Entropy has been around for at least 10 years on Hinckley Road in a rather salubrious area of the city which happens to be on my doorstep! I’ve never eaten there but did try their venture on Dover Street near the Little Theatre in the city centre which sadly failed and was closed down. From what I remember, the food was pretty good but the room was absolutely empty and made the eating experience sombre and rather disappointing.

Fancying a neighbourhood nibble the other week me and Rich met up at Entropy which was surprisingly busy for a midweek seven o’clock sitting. The staff are wonderful and explained that one of the chefs was not in that evening so service may be a little less speedy. In the end it was fine and allowed for chatting. Great bread that was baked onsite was brought to us and we ordered. I had pigs cheeks as a starter and Rich had seafood soup. We both had steak and oyster pie for main course. My cheeks were absolutely delicious and unctuous and came with a sauce gribiche and small salad. Rich’s soup was beautiful, rich seafood broth with a small pile of seafood in the centre. Interestingly, the soup was half served and the rest came in a small jug so you can dilute as you wish.

The pie was absolutely heavenly and certainly the best pie I have eaten in recent memory. Packed with beef and oysters with a rich buttery flaky topping. Small servings of carrots, french beans and mashed potato were served alongside but they were dead on as the pie was so filling. It was all just fabulous.

There was no debate on dessert as there was absolutely no room for it. Urbanspoon rocks.

Masterful Steak and Oyster Pie

I really can’t wait to find an excuse to go back as the food is just amazing and I’m excited about what the chef has up his sleeve.

Score 9/10 Would I go back? Hell Yes!

Entropy

42 Hinckley Road

Leicester LE3 0RB

Viva Cantina Laredo

Salsa at Cantina Laredo

9.95 for a Margharita!

My, my, there has been a lot of negativity spoken on the interweb about Cantina Laredo. Not put off and urged on by the promise of hand prepared guacamole I wandered round Covent Garden trying to find the place. There was a buzz around Upper St Martins Lane as the Indian Tapas joint ‘Dishoom’ had just opened and there was a small queue outside a branch of Jamies Italian.

There were a lot of staff front of house, you were greeted as enthusiastically as you would expect from a branch of an American franchise and we were shown quickly to a table outside. Rich checked for the table being wobbly and promptly shook the pepper pot onto the floor where it smashed. Shortly, a cleaner appeared from nowhere and removed the debris with a smile replacing the pepper pot from another table. Two very good fresh salsas were offered with good substantial tortilla chips. No flimsy Doritos here.

Drinks orders were quickly taken and we both fancied margaritas. Flustered and failing to find them on the menu I just ordered the house margharitas on the rocks as the frozen variety give me an ‘ice cream headache.’ I was asked if I wanted the premium tequila but I declined. This was fortunate as shortly after sipping I read that the margaritas were  £9.95 each and it was another £7.50 for the premium spirit. Ouch!

Guacamole at Cantina Laredo

We ordered the guacamole which was cutely prepared tableside. I make a pretty damn  good guacamole myself and have rarely had better in a restaurant. Possibly at Rosa Mexicana it was equal where it was also prepared table side in a stone bowl and cost about £20 I think so £6.95 seemed a bargain. Interestingly they used garlic powder rather than fresh which is probably a good idea as its not nice to come across a chunk of raw garlic. The guacamole was cubed from the shell using the hedgehog method slicing both ways across the flesh before scooping out. I made a mental note to start doing that from now on as the I liked the chunkiness. The guacamole was pretty good, in fact it was close to excellent. Really we should have stopped there as it was quite filling but we went on to have chicken fajitas and beef tacos which were pretty good but perhaps not worth the amount they charge.

Most of the criticisms charged at the restaurant are around cost and I concur re the margaritas which weren’t particularly good for the money. It was packed with big ice cubes so was rather unwieldily and the liquid was somehow tepid even though it had so much ice in it. But the food is not that bad value and its the first mexican meal that I haven’t started regretting eating part way through starting. I definately will go back for the salsas and guacamole.

Score 7/1o Would I go back? Yes

Cantina Laredo

St Martin’s Courtyard
10 Upper St Martin’s Lane
London, UK WC2H 9FB
0207 420 0630