Mother
First review
Expletives are a fascinating component of the English language. These tend to usually be associated with body parts, derogatory slang referring to objects or religious references. They can be used to emphasise how bad things are. In the alternative, they can convey the superlative. I’m sure you can name plenty of examples of the top of your head.
At other times, naming family or religious figures can also fulfil the same need. Although, depending on the word used and the surrounding situation, it might lead to harsher than expected retribution. Ranging from a disgusted look to a public stoning. Such were the thoughts running through my mind when I arrived at Mother. A pizza joint started in the Nordic regions.
Sparse, industrial and clean lines greeted us when we arrived.
Located under railway arches, the industry effect seemed fitting. The heavy wood use mixed with gleaming metal finishing screamed a better kind of minimalist design, then other chains I know. We settled in the corner to see what Mother would serve up.
Focaccia with fresh oregano and garlic. Light and airy with a hint of char. An excellent way to start and complimented with delightful sides.
Antipasto misto – Italian charcuterie, roasted & pickled vegetables. Two different types of ham, egg plant, fennel and onion. It was the eggplant that needs special note. It was exceptionally soft and full of flavour, a delight to offset with the humble (and excellent) bread. The rest was not bad.
Burrata (100g) oven dried tomatoes & fresh oregano. In a flattened ball shape, it hinted at lush taste inside. Once you broke though it was creamy and smooth on the tongue, a great dish.
Baccalá fritto – deep fried battered salted cod. Fish and chips, without the chips. It was alright. Probably the weakest of the starters.
Suppli’ “al telefono”. A ball of rice made with beef and cheese. First time for us to try and definitely something to hunt for in the future. The rice, cheese and beef made a most excellent mixture. The closest comparator would be a risotto bake but this was so much better with crunchiness all the way round.
Capricciosa – tomato, mozzarella, ham, mushrooms, artichokes, olive, egg. As one of the diners pointed out, it is the dough which makes or breaks a pizza and all the toppings are merely distractions. The base was excellent, not too airy, not too heavy but just right. Goldilocks would be proud. Furthermore, if all distractions were like the ones on this pizza, I would like to be more easily disturbed.
Prosciutto – tomato, mozzarella, prosciulto di Norcia, rucola, pesto. Perhaps the healthiest (or at least the greenest) dish of the day, a lighter dish but pleasant nonetheless.
Burning Love – mozzarella, potatoes, fried onions, røget spæk. A slightly weird combination, this was potatoes on pizza. A carb overload. As for whether it burned me with love, I’m not so sure about that. It was rather good but I wouldn’t go that far in saying that it was all that I could ever yearn for. Instead, perhaps the name is reference to how it is made. With burning passion. That, I could agree with.
Calzone ricotta e nutella. A chocolate lover’s delight. Or perhaps I should rephrase, my delight! I do love nutella and encased in this most distinguished dough, a joyful combination.
Tiramisu. According to one of us, this was the best tiramisu since sliced bread. While spooning this delicious dessert with reverent care into his mouth, the beatific expression when the spoon was in his mouth said it all. Perhaps a reason to travel all the way to Battersea. Just for this.
Latte. To fortify me for my long (18 minutes) trek to the nearest tube (Sloane Square), I needed a bit of a pick me up and to add some wings to my feet. It was a good way to end the meal and leave with a sweet taste in my mouth.
As I stood up to leave, I glanced back to the modern background, bustling community, stripped back furnishing. I enjoyed my time here and perhaps unnecessary hyperbolic words aren’t needed. Instead, perhaps what best describes this place is good, honest, homecooked food. Just like mother used to cook. After all, as I’m sure you all have heard, mum knows best.
A quiet eating 8/10.
We were invited to review. Estimated cost of dinner (3 courses) was GBP25 excluding drinks and service.
Second review
I was surprised recently by a message in my inbox. An invitation for a second visit. Usually one visit by me is enough for a restaurant. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I am a one trick wonder but usually single exposure is usually enough for marketing purposes. I guess maybe it is just my winning personality that makes them want to invite me back.
Given how much I enjoyed my last visit, when this second opportunity dropped into my lap, I just had to go. After all, my mother always said to be mindful of my manners. Turning down a good meal would be the height of rudeness.
Lemonade. I’m not one to usually talk about the beverage offering, so I’ll keep it brief. This was a good sugary start to the meal. Not too sweet and with enough tang to wake up the taste buds.
Elderflower. My companion, who you can see busily reading my previous post, said it was good.
Antipasto misto – Italian charcuterie, roasted & pickled vegetables. The pork products were good, intensely meaty and avoiding excessive fat. Yet, it was the courgettes which stole the show. Creamy, soft yet with bounce, I could eat these everyday. Pumpkins and onions were good too although somewhat diminished compared to the courgettes.
Focaccia. My dining companion though this was naan. After he had had a bite, he exclaimed that this was the best naan that he had ever had. I was somewhat sorry to disabuse him of this notion, correcting him that this was focaccia instead. Yet he didn’t really mind as it tasted that good.
Marinara – tomato, anchovies, grated parmesan, black olives, oregano & olive oil. A classic and a hit. Intensely rich tomato flavour from the paste and fresh additions made this great. The base was good too.
Capricciosa – tomato, mozzarella, ham, mushrooms, artichokes, olive, egg. Here, I must comment on the egg as one of the best additions. You have heard the phrase the icing on top when applied to cakes. Well, perhaps this is the start of something else. If the phase, the egg on the pizza catches on, remember you heard it here first. The delightful yolk only heightened the taste of the rest of the ingredients. A much better addition to pizza then sliced pineapples. I have seen Italians moved to frothing rage on account of such desecration.
Calzone ricotta e nutella. Pizza with nutella and cheese to finish. Creamy and full, the rich chocolate filling with succulent dough. A great finale.
As we waddled off happily into the dusk, we thought that there was little else to worry about. Even if life isn’t going that well, sometimes a bit of homecooked food by mum is what is needed to make things right again. What better place to get that, than at Mother?
A quiet eating 8/10.
We were invited to review. Dinner (3 courses) estimate was GBP25 per person excluding drinks and service.
Circus West Village, 188 Kirtling St,
London SW8 5BN