If you’re invited to a supper club, especially one of the first ones in Britain, you would be stupid to say no.
UPDATE: In November 2011, after this review had been up on my blog for nearly 9 months, and after Ms Rodgers herself had read and commented on the post, I received the following astonishingly rude e-mail from her:
I’ve just discovered that you have plastered my address on the internet in your ‘review’. Please take it down immediately. I’m really upset. How dare you. You know perfectly well that this is a secret address. Why would you want to put myself and my daughter in danger like that?
What is your problem exactly?
Take it down .
Kerstin Rodgers
Sent: 23 November 2011 16:44
Interesting that she should wait for months to “discover” the address “plastered” on the post that she had ostensibly read. Interesting that she describes her address as “top secret” despite having invited literally hundreds of people to eat at her home, each of whom may already have told their shady friends where Ms Rodgers lives. And interesting that she feels the need to take such an excessively unpleasant and aggressive tone with a blogger when she owes a large chunk of her success to bloggers like me who have created masses of free publicity for her since the start of the Underground Restaurant.
So do visit the Underground restaurant if you wish – but beware the wrath of the owner if you inadvertently break her rules. And rest assured – you won’t find me sitting at your table.
Kerstin Rodgers, A.K.A. Ms Marmite Lover is one ballsy lady. In 2009 she decided to invite strangers into her home and feed them. Her business venture was an instant success and since then she had celebrities dining at her garden flat in Kilburn, London. After her supper club popped up, dozens of others followed in her footsteps. Last year she was named as one of London’s thousand most influential people.
The beauty of running your own guestaurant is that you can chop and change the menu as you please. Each supper club evening Ms Marmite Lover has a particular theme and that night it was all about Eat Pray Love whose DVD and Blu-ray launched in February.
Based on a true story the movie is divided into three parts. It’s about a New Yorker whose marriage had failed and wants to escape her life and go travelling to discover herself. ( I’m sure a lot of women can relate to that.) She starts off in Italy where she gorges on fantastic food, followed by India where she prays for an answer and lastly finds love in Indonesia. Overall it is quite a girly movie and although Julia Roberts is considered by some to be over the hill, she is still a joy to watch. Fans of James Franco and Javier Bardem are in for a treat too. If you’d like to know what happens in between her travels you’ll just have to watch the DVD!
Due to the bad lighting conditions in the living room I took all the photos in the charming kitchen.
First off we visited Italy and nothing can be more classic than pizza. Her AGA did a better job at making the pizza crusty than my conventional oven ever had to date. The dough was a bit on the heavy side and admittedly I was irked that my pizzette (mini pizza) was almost half the size of my fellow diners’. I have a feeling I missed out on olives and globe artichokes for toppings too… The oak smoked tomatoes were a nice touch and the plethora of artisan cheeses (delistation, goat, gorwydd and stichelton) divine.
Our Indian main course was two curries: fruit, nut & aubergine and an egg & coconut. The accompaniments were dill rice, cucumber salad and homemade lime pickle. Due to the curries having the same colouring and the dark living room I couldn’t discern between the two. The dill in the rice got lost in the jumble of other strong flavours of the meal and the pungent, yet masochistically enjoyable lime pickle overwhelmed any other food that was in my mouth. Being a complete fool for coconut milk based curries I was very happy with both curries and especially appreciated the raisin and cashew surprises. What I especially adored was the fresh, toasted coconut shavings on top for that extra sweet and nutty crunch. Of course, the cucumber salad cooled down and refreshed the tongue between bites.
We ended up in Bali for dessert which was a grilled quarter of a pineapple served with coconut and rum ice cream. The sweet, juiciness of the fruit was well balanced with mellow ice-cream tainted with toasted coconut flakes. After a relatively heavy meal, this was an excellent light ending.
Eat Pray Love is rated 15 and now available for £19.99 for the DVD and £24.99 for the Blu-ray.
P.S. A special thanks to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment for the lovely evening.
Quick Overview
Food
7/10: Consistency is not its forte but kudos for imagination.
Value
6/10: Although I didn’t pay for my meal prices usually start at around £30 per person which I find quite steep considering the meal was completely vegetarian.
Service
8/10: Since it’s not a conventional restaurant, this is harder to judge. At no point did I feel as if I needed anything and glasses were always proactively topped up.
Toilets
7/10: All good.
Ambience
5/10: Since about 30 people get crammed into a smallish living room it can get somewhat claustrophobic not to mention loud.
Recommend
7/10: If you’re looking for a completely new dining experience, this is it.
I always love reading about Ms Marmite’s supperclubs. She’s such a ‘doer’ and a real inspiration.
I have to take issue with you though in describing Julia Robert’s as ‘over the hill’ – especially as I hate being put in the position of defending someone I feel neither here nor there about anyway, but what are you thinking?
Should Hollywood actresses over 40 be put out to pasture to make way for younger models? Don’t be daft. Her acting hasn’t got old, she looks great. Don’t fall for that sexist media driven rubbish x
I agree with you about Ms Marmite Lover.
Regarding Julia Roberts, I wrote “some” might consider her over the hill, which doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m included. I do think Natalie Portman has taken over the title of America’s sweetheart.
Thanks for your lovely review. Great pictures!
A few points: Stella McCartney has never been to my restaurant I’m sorry to say. But you never know…
I loathe this ridiculous word guestaurant. There is no such word and it’s pathetic. Argh, ban it! At the very least, please don’t apply it to my home restaurant.
As guests didn’t pay, how can one possibly decide it was £30 a head? Furthermore it is not wise to compare a home restaurant with a high street restaurant. We do not have economies of scale. It’s a whole evening’s entertainment, no table turning, for a very reasonable price. My ingredients are the best. I often lose money on meals actually. Most restaurants do not make money on food but on drink, mineral water and coffees; as I can’t sell drink that puts me in a difficult position. Also good vegetarian food which contains expensive cheeses is not cheaper and requires infinitely more prep than simply slinging a piece of dead flesh in the oven. In fact when I cook fish, I mostly do so because it’s so bloody easy and effortless compared to cooking vegetarian.
If you wanted another pizza, you are welcome to ask…we had plenty left over and people can ask for seconds.
My mistake has been removed. Somehow I remembered the Stella McCartney thing from our trip to Lille. I must have misheard.
Guestaurant has been removed, it was simply listed on Wikipedia as a synonym. I guess you feel the same way about the word than I do about “foodie”.
People have told me that a good vegetarian restaurant is hard to find and other restaurants do a shoddy job offering vegetarian options (think El Cantara). You have proven that night that eating vegetarian can be very satisfying and I didn’t miss meat at all. However, I’m trying to put myself in the “man on the street”‘s shoes. “£30…..for a bunch of vegetables?!?” After your explanation I can appreciate the effort that goes into veg cooking but on first impression the guy next to me won’t.
As for using quality ingredients; I think you need to enlighten your guests to give that feeling of …. specialness!
Great article, fab photos. So interesting to hear about msmarmitelover a girl after my own heart. I think what she is doing is superb, giving people the opportunity, to taste and experience, food and hospitality in a unique setting. I loved the themed dinner concept, and the planning to the exact detail this entails.
I’m trying to create a similar concept in the Rural mountains of Andalucia. A challenge, but an interesting one. I think msmarmitelover is an inspiration.
Kicking myself I didn’t take pictures in the kitchen! I was too scared I’d be shooed out!
Every time I see your pics I think I MUST buy a new lens.
Great review. x
Buy the lens Sarah! Michelle – what camera kit do you use?
I took no photos as I knew I would be disappointed!
TAKE MY ADDRESS DOWN NOW.