Moro

One of my bestest friends invited me along to Moro to help celebrate her birthday and it was the least I could do to accept her invitation! It was an excellent food-loving crew to go eating with (including a chef) which made the evening even better. Since Moro's in Exmouth Market in the heart of Clerkenwell, I was expecting an uber-trendy place, with people there to be seen. I was delighted to find that actually it wasn't like that at all. It was actually a buzzing local restaurant full of people enjoying each other's company and excellent grub.

Moro seems to be based on a traditional French (Parisian even) bistro from the heavy curtains around the door and the amazing smells that assault you once the curtains are breached to the big open kitchen at the back of the dining room and the long zinc bar along the whole of one side.

The menu changes weekly and I'd been wondering all day about what to choose. In the end I went for:

Chopped spiced duck hearts with wilted herb salad and preserved lemon

This was amazing. I made myself a similar salad a few weeks ago but this was a cut above. The hearts were finely hand-chopped and beautifully tender and moist. The wilted herbs were great accompaniment. My only slight grumble was that the cumin was too strong.

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Charcoal grilled scallops with fennel and almond purée and fino sherry

I had three or four whole scallops (including the roe) which is almost unheard of in a London restaurant. The sweetness of the scallops was complemented perfectly by the bitter char-grilling. The fennel purée was subtle. Incredibly the garnish of chopped peanuts which, as well as adding a welcome crunch, served as a great compliment to all the other ingredients. was possibly the most important ingredient on the plate. The scallops were served with a side of purple sprouting broccoli. I say a side , it was more like it had been unceremoniously dumped on the side of the plate; tasty though!

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Torta de Barros, Carpuela and Pics de Europa cheeses with membrillo

I couldn't resist the cheeses which were sublime. I wasn't sure what membrillo was and when I found out that it was a quince jelly, I was disheartened. I've never enjoyed any square/slice/blob of this terrible jelly where ever I've had it. I was delighted to find that this quince concoction was in a different league to anything I've had before; a perfect foil to the cheeses. Together with a fantastic sesame cracker, this was a perfect plate of cheese. (Not so sure about the recommended sherry though...)

I think we ordered almost all the dishes on the menu and thanks to the great company I got to taste them all. I can safely say that there wasn't a single duff offering.

Moro is a great, friendly, restaurant. Especially if you enjoy eating seasonal, well cooked and original food. I'd go back like a shot.

Sorry about the lack of photos, I'm afraid but that's because I was too busy enjoying myself and forgot my blogging obligations.

P.S. A birthday's not a birthday without a birthday cake, so I made my friend an individual Victoria sponge, which I think she appreciated.