Week beginning May 13th - Darwins Barberry Blossom & Alexandra Road Estate

Last week's raw-based menu turned out to be a lot more popular than first expected, especially the raw vegan lasagne. I knew we had an audience for raw food, but I also expected many people to turn their noses up and ask for a toasted foccacia instead. The floor staff reported some amazing, well received feedback which is a great compliment, thank you.

Perhaps the most amusing antidote from last week's raw menu was a visit from a representative from Westminster council last Friday. They've had a complaint from an anonymous neighbouring local claiming pungent cooking smells were coming from our extractor fans all week around 11:30 am-12:00 pm. I explained to the officer it clearly was not us. Firstly we don't use an extractor and secondly we haven't been cooking all week due to our raw-themed week. Once the officer realised the bad smells weren't coming from Kaffeine, he apologised and said it's probably coming from a near by cafe.

This week's menu is back to cooking over a stove-top, but I will devise another raw menu shortly. In the meantime English asparagus is at its peak and best eaten during the month of May. We will be lightly roasting the asparagus in red miso paste and serve it with brittle and very healthy linseed crisps famously served in Noma and Fäviken. The asparagus and linseed crisps are then garnished with foraged Darwin's barberry blossom. These bright saffron-coloured flowers have the most amazing citrus flavour with a powdery texture. I've included a photo of these bright beauties so you can go forage them for yourself. You won't have to look far as they grow all around us even in the most urban areas. This picture was taken next to one of London's most populated and famous council estates: Alexandra road estate, which is also a grade II listing building due to its unconventional design (think Noah parting the red sea). I even saw these blossoms growing outside my local supermarket in the middle of a car park. I must warn you: once you start looking to the ground for foraged items, you can't stop. It's a highly addictive hobby.

We also devised some interesting new sandwich combinations in honor of the 251st anniversary of the invention of the sandwich, courtesy of John Montague, 4th Earl of Sandwich. Kaffeine is a previous winner and nominee of the UK Sandwich Award and for that we take pride in pushing the boundaries in what can be considered as a filling. This week you'll find all sorts of interesting ingredients from poached rhubarb to creamed fennel to rock samphire.

Come get caffeinated and while you're at it, satisfy your hunger pains.

Please enjoy.

Jared Bryant
Lead Chef
Kaffeine
@redjar50


Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.50
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passionfruit, peach) 3.70 (add 30 p for granola or yoghurt)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Croissant with gruyere cheese and plum tomatoes 4.00
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with homemade preserves 1.70
Coffee, cherry and walnut toast 2.30
Banana bread 2.40

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissants 1.80
Pain au chocolat 2.40
Almond croissants 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet Muffins: Raspberry and passion fruit 2.20
Savoury Scone: Chilli jam and cream cheese 2.20
Damson and melilot friands 2.20
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 1.80
Chocolate chip cookies 1.80

French retro baguettes 4.90
Bresaola beef, creamed fennel, gem lettuce, red onion jam
Tuna and capers with rouille and rocket

Foccacias 5.00
Ham, poached rhubarb, brie, spinach
Mixed heritage tomatoes, rock samphire, taleggio, oregano

Salads: 5.50/6.50
Parma ham, maple syrup, cornmeal balls pickled rainbow radish
Cucumber spaghetti with pesto, fresh peas and sea arrow grass
Miso roasted asparagus with linseed crisps and darwin's barberry blossom

Tart: 4.00 or 7.50 with salad

Goats cheese pie with gooseberry marmalade