About The Bon Oeuf

Hi!

I’m Poppy. I created the Bon Oeuf for people who, like me, love chatting about food.

here is Me interviewing myself…

What is your go-to recipe when you have to cook for other people?

When I have people coming over for supper, that’s when I like to experiment and make something interesting. I love cooking for people; I think it’s a good way to show them you love them. I do try and cook something that requires the least amount of time in the kitchen, though. A ragu, or a roast chicken – something I can take my eye off. My go-to recipe at the moment is crispy chicken thighs with lemon and basil, served with black rice and salad. I think I know what most of my friends like and dislike or can and can’t eat, so it’ll change depending on who I’m cooking for.

What do you cook when you can't be bothered to cook? 

I’d probably go for a boiled egg and soldiers. Ready in 5 minutes, 10 seconds. Or noodles with a quick peanut sauce and whatever vegetables are lying around.

Who taught you how to cook?

I’ve picked things up from all over the place. My parents cooked for us all the time when my sisters and I grew up, so I learnt a lot from just watching them and asking questions. I read a lot about food - cookbooks, interviews, recipes – usually while I’m eating, so I can combine my two favourite things. I watch food-related shows too - Parts Unknown, Masterchef, The Chef Show, and Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat are my faves. I’m learning all the time and I love it. I like to challenge myself and experiment a lot. If I eat something that I love at a restaurant, I’ll try and recreate it at home.

What would your last meal be?

This question is actually really hard! My instinct is to say steak frites. Probably bone marrow with toast to start – super indulgent. I can’t resist it if I see it on a menu. I’d start with an extra dirty vodka martini, for sure. For pudding, it would probably have to be apple crumble with vanilla ice cream.

What is your favourite restaurant in the world?

My absolute favourite restaurant in the world is in Paris, called Le Petit Marché. When I lived there, I went there all the time. I go back there any time I’m in Paris, without fail. It’s French/Asian fusion, which sounds unusual, but it’s incredible;  amazing steak tartare with soy sauce and beansprouts, raw tuna mille-feuille with crispy wontons, and Chinese chicken salad. It’s tiny and always packed. I actually worked a shift as a waitress there once, but I didn’t get asked back…

What is your go-to restaurant in your city at the moment?

I’m living between Beijing and London at the moment. In Beijing, there is a restaurant called Country Kitchen in The Rosewood hotel that my boyfriend and I love. We go there more than we should; luckily, it’s only a 10 minute walk away from our apartment. It’s an open kitchen, so you can watch the chefs making noodles, steaming dumplings, and cooking skewers over hot coals. It has really cool décor and the food is phenomenal. We always order the claypot aubergine with pork (which I copy at home a lot now), Mongolian lamb skewers, and spicy chicken wings. They’ve just really got it right there. It’s also been a bit of a haven for us, because our Mandarin is very poor and everyone speaks English! There’s also an amazing pizza place called Bottega, in the famous Sanlitun district, for when we crave something Western.

In London, I love Eat Tokyo for Japanese food and a place in Earl’s Court called Kappa Sushi. I love Bao, Barrafina, Kitty Fisher’s. Dukes for a martini – they’re expensive, but you only need one!

What can't you cook that you wish you could?

Bread. I’ve had way more failures than successes. I’ve almost nailed focaccia but it’s still hit and miss. Baking, in general, is not my strong suit. It requires precision and I’m not great at that. I’m practicing though.

What is your favourite cuisine?

I think I could eat Japanese food every day. Having said that, pizza is one of my favourite things in the world to eat. Almost everyone says Italian when I interview them, but I think it’s because it encompasses a lot of popular foods.

What have you had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner today?

For breakfast, I had an iced coffee, a green smoothie, and a boiled egg with soldiers. For lunch, it was gazpacho and tuna salad. For supper, pappardelle with kale pesto. I always try to get at least 5 of my 5 a day but it doesn’t always work out that way. I’m no stranger to a McDonald’s…

Is there anything you won't eat?

It used to be oysters because I had such bad food poisoning from one once, but I recently tried them again and survived! I’m quite adventurous with food; I’ll try anything once. In China, I’ve eaten a lot of things that I’ve never eaten before and, some of it, I’m still not certain of what it was. I’m not a big mushroom fan, but I can eat them to be polite. I reckon I could eat anything to be polite… Also, I think taste buds are always changing and developing, so I like to revisit things rather than write them off. Lots of things I eat now, I might not have eaten years ago.