small plates at caravan

i am writing this post a bit late in the day. o and i had been to caravan for brunch before but hadn't tried their all day menu. i had wanted i to try it out so it worked perfectly to meet there before making our way to sadler's wells to see bourne's cinderella before christmas. 

i left the ordering up to i and o. i, who was visiting her hometown london from uganda sighed and exclaimed over pretty much all the small plates. eventually o and i settled on four small plates: curried cauliflower, falafel, scallops and butternut squash. the waitress presented us with the chef's compliment which was a curried crab soup. it was perfect for a wet and cold december evening as the curry had the warmth and heat of a chilli without the blistering, a hint of turmeric and crab flavour.

the small plates at caravan are made up of innovative combinations and remind me of the flavour profiles at the modern pantry and the providores. the scallops were soft and juicy and enriched by a delicate sauteed leek cream sauce. the falafel was freshened up by the addition of an apple and pepper relish and the sharpness of a near unadulterated tahini. i absolutely loved the butternut squash with shaved fennel, a sharp goat's curd, a pomegranate dressing and pine nuts. all together, the ingredients gave texture and contrasting flavours of sweet and tart and nuttiness. the curried cauliflower was really good too. unfortunately i don't recall what the dressing was but the cheesy crouton that topped it was really good.

i definitely want to go back to try the cured salmon, seared onglet with miso and squid pancake. the large plates sounded really interesting too. 

till the next time...