Mozzarella & more

Last Friday, I went to check out Mozzarella & more on King's Road, the latest opening from 'Made in Italy', a family-run group sharing their love for southern-Italian cuisine. The restaurant was made up to look like a traditional trattoria, with their fresh fish proudly displayed in the window and their vegetables and meats hanging over a deli counter filled with delicious-looking food. It was very popular, with a good buzz of people, and the charming staff made for a great atmosphere.

I was pleased to have some proper olives, boquerones and good bread to whet my appetite, before tucking into an amazing platter of mozzarella, burrata, ricotta, caponata, artichokes and Parma ham. The cheeses are made locally, at a kitchen in Battersea, so they were wonderfully fresh - I loved the creamy burrata especially. The bread was great topped with caponata and rich ricotta, or simply dipped in olive oil and balsamic.

Crispy prawns and squid were well done, with a nice, light batter and a chilli mayo, but I wasn't so keen on crunching through the prawn shell.

The highlight of the meal were ravioli stuffed with crab and Amalfi lemon ricotta - the subtle lemon aroma really complimented the fresh Devon crab meat. They were served with a beautiful cherry tomato sauce and fennel for a nice crunch of texture.

Dessert was a tough choice, with a mouth-watering array of cakes and puddings - a different selection every day, depending on what the chef felt like making! I went for the 'caprese al limon', a fantastic lemon cake with a distinct almond flavour and soft spongy texture - very good.

Everything on the menu sounded tasty, so I hope to go back try some more of their homemade pasta, local cheese and fresh fish. Delizioso!

TOTA

I recently checked out TOTA, a restaurant which is very local to me, in Tooting Broadway. The head chef and owner, Gary Doherty, has cooked on cruise ships all around the world and as a private chef, but has decided to bring his skills to South London and open his own restaurant!

There was a lot on the menu that appealed to me, but in the end I opted to start with some butternut squash ravioli. The pasta was very good, with a flavoursome filling and I liked the accompanying goats' curd and fresh tomatoes but I felt that the pasta was slightly too al dente and the dish was a little oily.

I also managed to taste the crab cakes which my mum chose. They were very good, bursting full of crab meat, and with a crisp finish.

For mains, I couldn't resist a wild mushroom risotto. It was certainly intense, with a penetrating truffle aroma and rich sauce. Like the pasta, I found it too oily, although it was still delicious!

I finished off the very enjoyable meal with a decadent berry pavlova, creamy and fruity with an excellent light meringue.