Brawn Awards

Brawn Restaurant Review:

The dining scene in London is definitely moving eastward, and for some innovative cooking, albeit often in quirky surroundings, you need to visit places like Hoxton, which first came to public attention via its artists and galleries. Brawn in Columbia Road, known for its Sunday morning flower market, is an offshoot of popular Terroirs in the West End. It brought another trend to the area --- London’s love affair with all things offal. Brawn, known as “head cheese” in the U.S., is a terrine made from the tongue, nose and cheeks of a pig’s head. Like its parent, Brawn is good for small plates --- charcuterie from France, Italy and Spain; confit rabbit leg; mogette cassoulet; grilled duck hearts with parsnip purée and the like. The place is just right for the area and the customers, an industrial-style space in two rooms with casual wooden tables and chairs, a lack of tablecloths and sans pretension. Service is friendly; the wine list has a good range of organic labels; and the prices are not outlandish.