A day out with Food at 52

Great way to spend a Saturday

It started with a little trepidation and ended with fond farewells. I walked through the an empty City of London and made my way through from Bank to Clerkenwell. I also like a stroll through the ECs on the weekend because there are only a few people about and you generally see much more stuff on the way that the normal hustle and bustle of daily city life prevents. I was on time at the venue and not knowing what to expect there was just a teeny bit of nerves. However none was necessary and on arrival, I was warmly welcomed by our host, John and ushered downstairs to take up my place at the table.

There was an eclectic crowd eagerly awaiting their tuition in preparing (and eating) some fine Thai staples. Green seabass curry, freshwater shrimp, duck in a red curry sauce were all on the menu. Duly armed and instructed by some knowledgeable instructors we set about chopping and preparing the fundamentals - lemongrass, shallots, chillies and some of the lesser-known ingredients. Hands up who has heard of white papaya?

To break down a few barriers plenty of wine was bought out at the right moments and the loosening effect on tongues had the prescribed effect. Teams of choppers and wok-ers all got along famously and the day began to melt away. The food itself was something of a victory for the common man (and woman) and each of us served up something that was highly palatable with flavours that just kept coming.

If you like something foodie-based, highly relaxed, entertaining and very, very sociable - this is it. This may have been my visit but certainly will not be my last. I even learned something. Did you know that the fat in a can of coconut milk is a force for good?