Plaquemine Lock

Overlooking a canal In Angel, Plaquemine Lock is a pub-cum-jazz bar that serves creole and cajun food in a very relaxed atmosphere - I was fortunate enough to dine while a blues guitarist provided background music. With the service, the music, the food and the decor (trumpet lampshades, framed maps of the bayou) , the restaurant does a fine job of evoking a sense of place.

My only experience of creole and cajun food comes second hand, through exposure to documentaries and the odd recipe; I don't have much of a reference point for this type of food, so was throughly looking forward to trying some staples of the cuisine.

I started with what seemed like a mountain of Fried Eggplant (aubergine in the UK), that came with a dusting of sugar and a small tub of hot sauce. The eggplant was incredibly soft, the fried casing nice and crunchy - a great start.

I followed this with Eggs Sardou, a Louisiana dish made with poached eggs, creamed spinach, artichoke bottoms and hollandaise sauce, all on fried cornbread. It would be simple enough to adapt this dish from Eggs Florentine (similar to Benedict) - a dish that the British are probably, if not well-acquainted with, at least aware of; replace the muffin with cornbread, cream the spinach with bechamel sauce and a smidgeon of tabasco, and include artichoke bottoms baked in an oven prior to assembly. The Eggs Sardou that Plaquemine Lock provided were excellent - I initially feared that the cornbread was overdone, the crust being very tough and brittle. But no, the interior was soft and delicate, the crispness of the exterior adding a nice textural component to the otherwise very soft ingredients.

I finished off with pecan pie, accompanied by cane sugar ice cream. The ice cream was nothing to write home about, but the pecan pie was close to perfection. My only gripe was that the shortcrust pastry was very tough to break through on the bottom, but the flavours (especially the maple syrup) were all there. A fitting end to a very enjoyable meal.

Value for money? £30 for three courses and a cream soda (which everyone should try once in their lives). Good value for money.

Would I return? Absolutely. I would recommend it for a hearty brunch.