Pssst... Want to know a great place to go to stuff yourself with good, cheap-ish food?
Head over to the Cologne Christmas Market on South Bank near the London Eye. This market is chocka full of food with hog roasts, burgers, French crepes, German waffles and pancakes, sweets, paellas and of course, German sausages. The mulled wine is blended to perfection and the view of the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben is just beautiful when it gets dark.
The Vitals
Cologne Christmas Market
South Bank (near London Eye)
Nearest tube: Waterloo or Westminster
Saturday, 28 November 2009
Friday, 27 November 2009
tastelondon card!
Hurrah! Some food God somewhere has obviously heard my cry as I am the lucky recipient of a free tastelondon card, worth a fabulous £70! This is far more exciting than any golden ticket and a chocolate factory.
A bit about tastelondon: it's definitely one of the best restaurant sites in London in my opinion.
They have 1000+ restaurants on their database and their card allows so much choice that it's foolish not to get one. Indeed, I was planning on getting the parents to buy me one if I hadn't won. £70 sounds like a lot but if you think about it, you'll have saved more than it cost within 7 meals at the most.
Chain restaurants also use this site: pizza express, prezzo, strada and gourmet burger kitchen are amongst a few of them. Other more exclusive restaurants also use the site and its easy to use guide shows if you must ring first, if it's a one-time only deal, if you can book on Saturday or not and still use it. Really really useful.
So come all ye faithful, give a loved one a fabulous present for Christmas and get them the tastelondon card subscription!
Website: http://www.tastelondon.co.uk/
A bit about tastelondon: it's definitely one of the best restaurant sites in London in my opinion.
They have 1000+ restaurants on their database and their card allows so much choice that it's foolish not to get one. Indeed, I was planning on getting the parents to buy me one if I hadn't won. £70 sounds like a lot but if you think about it, you'll have saved more than it cost within 7 meals at the most.
Chain restaurants also use this site: pizza express, prezzo, strada and gourmet burger kitchen are amongst a few of them. Other more exclusive restaurants also use the site and its easy to use guide shows if you must ring first, if it's a one-time only deal, if you can book on Saturday or not and still use it. Really really useful.
So come all ye faithful, give a loved one a fabulous present for Christmas and get them the tastelondon card subscription!
Website: http://www.tastelondon.co.uk/
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
Banana Wharf, Ocean Village, Southampton
So a bit of a diversion maybe but I thought I'd tell you about this fabulous restaurant that I go to every time I'm in Southampton. My dad calls it 'the office' considering he's in it so often and it's owned by a friend of his who is a bit of a restaurant magnate in ye olde Southampton.
Banana Wharf is a friendly, busy place that serves some excellent food. It's contemporary, has a great view of Ocean Village and is child-friendly and adult-friendly (considering my dad, that's a must!). The bar staff are quick and efficient, the waitresses know their stuff and Kerry, the goddess who runs the show, is very organised and more importantly: friendly.
I'd like to point out that whilst we take friendliness for granted in restaurants, we often shouldn't. Some staff are rude, others are abrupt, and some are so busy that any attempts at niceties come off as completely false. It's not always their fault: busy kitchens and a packed restaurant does not always mean that staff have the time to take a lot of care over their customers but I really think that this is exactly the issue. Staff should have time to make a customer feel welcome, especially when they're parting with a lot of money for the experience. Why should I pay £50+ a head when the staff are rude little shits? This might sound a bit extreme but I assure you it isn't; some restaurants have the attitude that you should feel lucky to have gotten a table there and it's just not the right message to send.
Anyway, back to the review. Banana Wharf thankfully has some great staff working there who are friendly, will relate messages on dietary requirements back to the kitchens and who are very knowledgeable about what they're serving. They've been trained well!
The menus are varied, with plenty of choice. There's fresh seafood, shellfish, pasta, oriental dishes, burgers, steaks and a multitude of pizzas and yummy starters. All the food is fresh, delicious and leaves you feeling full. I've tried a few things now and my favourite starter still has to be the chicken liver parfait which comes with warm bread & a side-salad. The steaks are beautiful and my knife always cuts through them like butter.
They also have a fab Sunday lunch (which isn't for the faint-hearted!). Kerry can tell you on the day or a couple of days before what the roast will be and it tends to be a shoulder of lamb which is so tender it falls off the bone with hardly any effort. Although I'm not a fan of bones or playing with my food, I have often made an exception for this culinary delight. It's too nice to turn down!
The prices aren't bad either. Although it's not a huge value-for-money establishment the prices are reasonable, the damage to the wallet is justifiable and the food is so nice that you won't care by the time the bill comes anyway. A starter is between £5-8, a pizza is about £9 and a good-sized fillet steak is £20. Like I said, very reasonable.
It's somewhere to head to for a gathering of girls, a family meal, a breakfast the morning after the night before (I believe most of the Ocean Village family have visited at one point or another!) or a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary. The food is of a high quality, the service matches this and it's always a pleasure to eat there. So the next time you're in Southampton, head to Banana Wharf at Ocean Village to eat - You won't be disappointed!
The Vitals
Banana Wharf (Ocean Village)
Ocean Village, Southampton, SO14 3JF
Tel: 023 8033 8866
Website: http://www.bananawharf.co.uk/southampton/restaurant/home/
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Boulevard Dining Room, Soho, London
Tonight's restaurant was somewhere I've been wanting to try for quite some time. The Boulevard Dining Room on Old Compton Street has had consistently good reviews from toptable and as it's just around the corner (practically!) from Haymarket where the theatre was, there seemed no better time to try it!
Although we booked in for the £15 for 3 courses and a Bellini deal - by the way to anybody who is reading this? GO. Go NOW - we arrived late and by the time the whole table was sat, we only had 30 mins until we had to leave to go and see Breakfast at Tiffany's. Because of this we went for a main meal and didn't have the wonderful deal. Alas!
The restaurant itself is pretty split up, there's several areas and it stops you from feeling crowded in. At the same time, it appears busy and there seems to be a careful seating arrangement to make sure that a happy, chatty ambiance is maintained at all times. It's very neutral; dark wood tables, beige leather boots, light beige walls with a smattering of terracotta. The staff were very patient with us and were happy to accommodate some of our needs, i.e. changing off of the toptable deal, getting one bill separate to the other diners, arriving late.
Food-wise I thought it was pretty good. Four of us ate and we had the following: 8oz Donald Russell chopped steak burger, Monterey Jack cheese with fresh cut fries; Texas three egg omelette with chorizo, sauté potato and red peppers with fresh cut fries; Californian chardonnay risotto with enoki mushrooms & Blackened tuna steak with a rocket and cherry tomato salad. It was all very nice but the burger - my meal - was nothing particularly special in comparison to Jamie's Italian which was around the same price.
I would go back there again with a friend as it's a central location, quite cheap and it's got a good vibe about it. However, I would definitely look for somewhere else to go first and fall back on it as a reserve if my first choice was booked out.
The Vitals
Boulevard Dining Room
57-59 Old Compton Street, Soho, London, W1D 6HP
Tel: 020 7287 0770
Website: http://www.boulevardsoho.com/
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=2361
Nearest tube: Piccadilly Circus / Leicester Square.
Although we booked in for the £15 for 3 courses and a Bellini deal - by the way to anybody who is reading this? GO. Go NOW - we arrived late and by the time the whole table was sat, we only had 30 mins until we had to leave to go and see Breakfast at Tiffany's. Because of this we went for a main meal and didn't have the wonderful deal. Alas!
The restaurant itself is pretty split up, there's several areas and it stops you from feeling crowded in. At the same time, it appears busy and there seems to be a careful seating arrangement to make sure that a happy, chatty ambiance is maintained at all times. It's very neutral; dark wood tables, beige leather boots, light beige walls with a smattering of terracotta. The staff were very patient with us and were happy to accommodate some of our needs, i.e. changing off of the toptable deal, getting one bill separate to the other diners, arriving late.
Food-wise I thought it was pretty good. Four of us ate and we had the following: 8oz Donald Russell chopped steak burger, Monterey Jack cheese with fresh cut fries; Texas three egg omelette with chorizo, sauté potato and red peppers with fresh cut fries; Californian chardonnay risotto with enoki mushrooms & Blackened tuna steak with a rocket and cherry tomato salad. It was all very nice but the burger - my meal - was nothing particularly special in comparison to Jamie's Italian which was around the same price.
I would go back there again with a friend as it's a central location, quite cheap and it's got a good vibe about it. However, I would definitely look for somewhere else to go first and fall back on it as a reserve if my first choice was booked out.
The Vitals
Boulevard Dining Room
57-59 Old Compton Street, Soho, London, W1D 6HP
Tel: 020 7287 0770
Website: http://www.boulevardsoho.com/
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=2361
Nearest tube: Piccadilly Circus / Leicester Square.
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Leicester Square, London
Hello my lovelies... What delicious dining experience do I have to tell you about this time?
This is actually a bit of an oldie but I've been waiting for my camera lead to be sent to me because I took actual photos on my real camera, not my iPhone. Shocker! Me and la belle Elaine headed to a lovely little French restaurant called l'Atelier de Joel Robuchon which is about a five minute walk from Leicester Square tube station.
This restaurant is 2 Michelin-starred and definitely deserves its reputation. A doorman lets you into a dark reception, all black, red and glass. Two women stand on the reception and take your coats before leading you into frankly, the most trendy French restaurant I've ever stepped foot into. Again it's black, red and glass and everything oozes style and sophistication. Ooh la la!
The restaurant itself is tiny. I really cannot stress this enough. Most of the 'tables' are side-by-side along the bar which faces into the restaurant. Think sushi without the revolving food. There are about 10 other tables, for 2 or 4 people, and it's fabulous. One of the walls is a hedge and the other walls are mirrors, making the restaurant look much larger.
Elaine and I went for the Toptable/pre-theatre dinner menu which is 2 courses for £19 or 3 courses for £25. Being the piggies we are, we went for 2 courses and ended up having 3 out of sheer greediness! The courses aren't huge - it's not a huge course kind of place - but what you get is exceptionally good.
Most importantly, the food:
For starters, we both had wild boar and foie gras terrine, sweet and sour oyster mushrooms and cranberries. The terrine was really delicate and lovely flavoured, not too game-y and not too heavy. I didn't eat the mushrooms but Elaine told me that they were gorgeous and I'll take her word for it.
We decided to go for separate dishes for the main. I had chicken stew served with seasonal vegetables which was very, very tasty. The flavours were - again - very delicate and it was light and refreshing instead of stolid. It would have been nice to have had a little more of it but it was beautifully flavoured. Elaine had pan-fried hake, parsley roots puree & crunch hazlenuts which was fabulous. I tried some and the flavours exploded on the tongue; the puree was also absolutely lump-free and perfect. I definitely think that Elaine had the better choice here!
For dessert, we once again mix and matched, having the cheese of the day (comte) and the dessert of the day (some sort of chocolate/caramel pudding with lemon ice-cream). We felt a little cheated by the cheese which is the French equivalent to cheddar but it was nice nevertheless. The pudding was delicious and not too rich, perfect for ending the meal.
All in all, it was a great experience even if we had serious food envy for the couple next to us who were having the very special tasting menu (£185 each with prestige wines!). Watch out with the drinks - £12 for a glass of the house champagne! - but otherwise definitely visit. It's a great place to go to, the atmosphere is very sophisticated and buzzy, and the staff are only too willing to help. Upon asking for a menu, I received a little envelope with our menu as well as the other menus inside. Very nice touch!
The Vitals
L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon
13-15 West Street, London, WC2H 9NE
Tel: 020 7010 8600
Website: www.joel-robuchon.com
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=4346
Nearest tube: Leicester Square
Monday, 23 November 2009
Golden Dragon, Chinatown, London
It's a grey Monday morning at work after the most horrible & rainy weekend but at least I have some tea & a pain au chocolat to cheer me up! Well that and Kirsty, who has just returned from a trip to Oslo. Note to all: it's dark and expensive.
So on Saturday - hellishly rainy day that it was - I met my friend Michaela for dinner. We were supposedly going to eat at hers but one thing leads to another and before we knew it, we were headed towards China Town near Leicester Square.
Now a word about China Town: it's a new concept to me. There isn't one in Leicester or Plymouth and apart from very good (and expensive) Chineses or all-you-can-eat buffets, I've never been exposed to good, cheap eats. You still have to be careful where you go to, of course, but on the whole it's a safe bet that no matter what you eat, it will be edible.
We went to the Golden Dragon on Gerrard Street which always seems to get mixed reviews. The reason we chose it was that it was busy (we only had to wait for 10 mins for a table on a Saturday night however) and there was plenty of choice on the menu. Once at the table the staff were very kind and although it was a bit rushed at times, they were generally nice people.
The decor/inside is what you'd expect of most Chineses. A bar, round tables, Chinese panelling/wallpaper, some portraits. It's not upscale or posh but it has a good atmosphere and is buzzy and chatty. The menu is quite varied and although some of the dishes were basic, they had a good selection of shellfish/seafood dishes and plenty of variation on the noodles, rice and beancurd.
So the food we had. For starter, we had 1/4 crispy duck & pancakes, vegetable spring rolls (tasted a bit fishy!) & a deep fried crab claw. For main course, we had beef satay, chicken with ginger & spring onion & egg-fried rice. We also had a couple of glasses of wine and a few soft drinks which pushed the bill up to £50. The chicken tasted more like garlic chicken, the vegetable spring rolls did taste of shellfish (I'm allergic so that wasn't a good thing!) and it wasn't the cheapest food in the world but it was good and I'd probably go back again but stick to the crispy duck which was ace.
China Town is a great place to wander around if you're hungry and fancy a nice bite to eat. You can eat in a lot of the restaurants for about £10 and there's a few gems hidden down Gerrard Street and in the surrounding area.
Vitals
Golden Dragon
28-29 Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JW
Tel: 020 7734 2763
Nearest tube: Leicester Square
So on Saturday - hellishly rainy day that it was - I met my friend Michaela for dinner. We were supposedly going to eat at hers but one thing leads to another and before we knew it, we were headed towards China Town near Leicester Square.
Now a word about China Town: it's a new concept to me. There isn't one in Leicester or Plymouth and apart from very good (and expensive) Chineses or all-you-can-eat buffets, I've never been exposed to good, cheap eats. You still have to be careful where you go to, of course, but on the whole it's a safe bet that no matter what you eat, it will be edible.
We went to the Golden Dragon on Gerrard Street which always seems to get mixed reviews. The reason we chose it was that it was busy (we only had to wait for 10 mins for a table on a Saturday night however) and there was plenty of choice on the menu. Once at the table the staff were very kind and although it was a bit rushed at times, they were generally nice people.
The decor/inside is what you'd expect of most Chineses. A bar, round tables, Chinese panelling/wallpaper, some portraits. It's not upscale or posh but it has a good atmosphere and is buzzy and chatty. The menu is quite varied and although some of the dishes were basic, they had a good selection of shellfish/seafood dishes and plenty of variation on the noodles, rice and beancurd.
So the food we had. For starter, we had 1/4 crispy duck & pancakes, vegetable spring rolls (tasted a bit fishy!) & a deep fried crab claw. For main course, we had beef satay, chicken with ginger & spring onion & egg-fried rice. We also had a couple of glasses of wine and a few soft drinks which pushed the bill up to £50. The chicken tasted more like garlic chicken, the vegetable spring rolls did taste of shellfish (I'm allergic so that wasn't a good thing!) and it wasn't the cheapest food in the world but it was good and I'd probably go back again but stick to the crispy duck which was ace.
China Town is a great place to wander around if you're hungry and fancy a nice bite to eat. You can eat in a lot of the restaurants for about £10 and there's a few gems hidden down Gerrard Street and in the surrounding area.
Vitals
Golden Dragon
28-29 Gerrard Street, London, W1D 6JW
Tel: 020 7734 2763
Nearest tube: Leicester Square
Thursday, 19 November 2009
Jamie Oliver's Italian @ Canary Wharf, London
So I'm already bored with the formatting - Not a surprise to anybody who knows me as I can't ever write anything unless I like the font I'm writing in.
Yesterday me and a fellow co-worker headed to Jamie Oliver's Italian @ Canary Wharf which happens to be just outside our work place. Note to all going there: get there early. They don't take bookings and the lunch rush is, to be frank, manic. We got there just before 12 and were seated immediately which meant we were fed & watered just in time for a 1pm meeting.
This restaurant - one of the chain which boasts 7 restaurants around the country - is the only one in the City and is pretty funky decor-wise. Organic market meets grafittied ghetto with a dash of city slick style would describe the feel of the place. Proper dishtowel napkins and food served on wooden boards make it feel like a proper eaterie and the unpretentious waiters & waitresses make it a great dining experience.
Jamie's strapline on his website is: Jamie Oliver's first independent restaurant venture brings what's best about casual dining to the high street and to an extent, I'd agree. The menu is mostly uncomplicated and everything that came out of the kitchen make my stomach rumble.
Food-wise, I went for the CHARGRILLED CHOP STEAK BEEF BURGER - Served with fontina cheese, spicy coppa, soft lettuce, pickles, gherkins and my crispy fried onions in our own fennel crusted bun with mayonnaise which at £10.95 was a steal! I also had some POSH TRUFFLE CHIPS INSANELY GOOD WITH TRUFFLE OIL AND PARMESAN which were amazing and I'd recommend. The truffle oil made them crunchy and utterly delicious.
My colleague had a tried & tested favourite - although she does have a half-Italian boyfriend so she knows her pasta - and ordered BEAUTIFUL BUCATINI CARBONARA - Crispy fried smoked pancetta with ribbons of courgettes, tossed with eggs, thyme and parmesan cheese. Again this was a very reasonable £7.95 and was more than enough for a lunch time.
It was a great lunch, the food was fantastic and we didn't feel rushed nor that we had to hurry to leave in time for work. The burger was cooked medium like I asked for, they took off the gherkin and pickle (I'm a gherkout, people!) and were happy to accommodate that.
It's somewhere I'd definitely go to again, with friends or family. I think with starters it has the capability to become a little price-y but for a burger or pasta dish with a great atmosphere and more importantly great flavour, you can do a lot worse than visit Jamie Oliver's Italian @ Canary Wharf.
The Vitals
Jamie Oliver's Italian,
Unit 17, 2 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5RB
Tel: 020 3002 5252
Website: http://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/
Nearest tube: Canary Wharf (DLR / Jubilee)
Yesterday me and a fellow co-worker headed to Jamie Oliver's Italian @ Canary Wharf which happens to be just outside our work place. Note to all going there: get there early. They don't take bookings and the lunch rush is, to be frank, manic. We got there just before 12 and were seated immediately which meant we were fed & watered just in time for a 1pm meeting.
This restaurant - one of the chain which boasts 7 restaurants around the country - is the only one in the City and is pretty funky decor-wise. Organic market meets grafittied ghetto with a dash of city slick style would describe the feel of the place. Proper dishtowel napkins and food served on wooden boards make it feel like a proper eaterie and the unpretentious waiters & waitresses make it a great dining experience.
Jamie's strapline on his website is: Jamie Oliver's first independent restaurant venture brings what's best about casual dining to the high street and to an extent, I'd agree. The menu is mostly uncomplicated and everything that came out of the kitchen make my stomach rumble.
Food-wise, I went for the CHARGRILLED CHOP STEAK BEEF BURGER - Served with fontina cheese, spicy coppa, soft lettuce, pickles, gherkins and my crispy fried onions in our own fennel crusted bun with mayonnaise which at £10.95 was a steal! I also had some POSH TRUFFLE CHIPS INSANELY GOOD WITH TRUFFLE OIL AND PARMESAN which were amazing and I'd recommend. The truffle oil made them crunchy and utterly delicious.
My colleague had a tried & tested favourite - although she does have a half-Italian boyfriend so she knows her pasta - and ordered BEAUTIFUL BUCATINI CARBONARA - Crispy fried smoked pancetta with ribbons of courgettes, tossed with eggs, thyme and parmesan cheese. Again this was a very reasonable £7.95 and was more than enough for a lunch time.
It was a great lunch, the food was fantastic and we didn't feel rushed nor that we had to hurry to leave in time for work. The burger was cooked medium like I asked for, they took off the gherkin and pickle (I'm a gherkout, people!) and were happy to accommodate that.
It's somewhere I'd definitely go to again, with friends or family. I think with starters it has the capability to become a little price-y but for a burger or pasta dish with a great atmosphere and more importantly great flavour, you can do a lot worse than visit Jamie Oliver's Italian @ Canary Wharf.
The Vitals
Jamie Oliver's Italian,
Unit 17, 2 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5RB
Tel: 020 3002 5252
Website: http://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/
Nearest tube: Canary Wharf (DLR / Jubilee)
Friday, 6 November 2009
Palm Court Brasserie, Covent Garden, London
The Sitch
So after going into work and having a drink at The Saint (near St Pauls, a great place for an after-work drink!) at about 6:30pm, my lovely partner-in-crime - Vicki - and I decided that we should go for food to combat the torrential rain which London was experiencing and the bitter cold. Note to self: buy a new coat.
After trying to book Mango Tree - and quel horreur, no meal deal! - we decided to go to the Palm Court Brasserie, deciding that 3 courses for £19 and a free glass of Kir Royal through Top Table was really far too good to pass up.
The Place
After a very easy trip to Covent Garden, the place was very easy to find and thankfully uncrowded when we arrived. We were placed on the table next to the door - great for me because I'm a ridiculously nosy person - although some might not have liked the slight draft nor the fact that people are standing around them.
The restaurant is very French-looking, booths on the side, rattan chairs and dark wood throughout. It probably does need a bit of freshening up but we didn't seem to notice anything amiss and the restaurant was set out in a way which meant that the staff weren't having to weave through tables and the diners weren't disturbed.
The Food
Starter:
- Chicken Liver & Foie Gras parfait - toasted sourdough and red onion marmalade
- Goat's cheese on foccacia
Main course:
- Roast salmon fillet with crushed garlic new potatoes and hollandaise sauce
- Beef bourguignon and mash
Dessert:
- Classic crème brûlée
- Duo of dark chocolate and white chocolate terrine with raspberry coulis
The food was absolutely bloody lovely to keep it short. It was tasty, good and the service was very prompt. We were in and out within about an hour and a half which I think is very good for a quick-ish dinner. My foie gras was delicate and not too overpowering; I should think that even non-foie gras fans would have been hard-pressed to slate it.
Personally I think you get a decent amount of food for the price but I wasn't too hungry. I would perhaps have had a side dish if I had been hungrier (only £3.25 so not bank breaking!) and there was a great selection of those.
The Decision
I'd definitely go back - even without a meal deal because the full-price portions are huge and you probably wouldn't need more than the one course. The staff were friendly but not pestering, the food was really good and the price was even better.
Palm Court Brasserie is the perfect place to nip into after a hard day's shopping or a long day at work when you want decent food quickly at a great price and I'd advise anybody and everybody to go there at least once.
The Vitals
Palm Court Brasserie,
39 King Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8JS
Tel: 020 7240 2939
Website: http://www.palmcourtbrasserie.co.uk/
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=1259
Nearest tube: Covent Garden
Monday, 2 November 2009
Awana, South Kensington, London
The Sitch
So I picked this restaurant because it's had such consistently good ratings on Toptable.com and after looking at the menu, I was practically salivating at the thought of eating most (read: any) of the food which wasn't a good thing considering I had a day of work to get through... Argh!
I went out tonight with my darling Emily, a childhood friend. We used to have holiday homes next to each other in Puerto Banus and even though she moved down the road, we still remained fab friends. We meet up once a month, go out and generally act like toddlers in a restaurant. As you can imagine: staff love us a ridiculous amount although we were really quite good this time. There was no chilli ice-cream thrown across the table.
Again we used the 50% food offer which is becoming quite near and dear to my heart. I don't think I'm ever going to be able to eat without this offer to be honest.
The Place
So Awana is freaking cool although a bit romantic. Very nice and quiet although for the life of me I can't understand why they put us on a table next to a couple enjoying a date when there was literally an entire restaurant available to sit in. I would say that it's a later-night eatery; we were there at 7.30 and people didn't really start getting there till 8.30-9.
It's all wooden floors, comfy banquettes and candles, very chic and sophisticated. They also have a TV screen showing the chef in the kitchen although - worryingly - he didn't seem to be there very often!
The Food
Starter:
- Mixed asian vegetable spring rolls served with sweet chilli sauce
- Barbecued beef strips in oyster sauce and palm sugar, mixed with salad in sambal sauce
Main Course:
- Poussin marinaded in soy and coriander (supposed to be a curry, definitely wasn't!)
- Mixed seasonal vegetable and cashew stir fry
Dessert:
- Selection of desserts: Chocolate cake, banana cheesecake, lemongrass and chilli sorbet, star anis and blood orange sorbet, sweet coconut filled pandan pancake, chocolate sauce
I was a bit cheesed off with the food to be honest. They brought over three menus for the table and as we ordered stuff, kept taking them away! We went for the full a la carte firstly and ordered some tasty food before they then informed us that we weren't allowed that with our deal. They then told us to look at this tiny menu with four choices which was the toptable rewards menu. We once again ordered and then they said that that was the one for free meals, not us. We then got an in between menu which mainly consisted of chicken and vegetarian meals, nothing particularly inspiring.
The starters were lovely flavoured but the mains and desserts were quite average to be honest. I'm still not convinced that the poussin I received (photo 2) was what I ordered considering it was supposed to be a curry and definitely wasn't!
The Decision
I definitely won't be going back any time soon. Whilst we had a good night, I think it was mostly down to the gossip we were sharing rather than the food. The staff were pleasant, the decor was great but I think the food let this place down. If I hadn't had the 50% offer I would have been most distressed at the thought of paying full price! I suppose I would have gotten a better selection of food but I really don't see how they can just limit the menu so much and expect people not to think that they're getting what basically amounts to the kitchen scraps, price and ingredients-wise.
Awana was a bit of a let-down: I think there's probably similar restaurants at a better price with better food.
Still let's look on the bright side: I gave them feedback in return for a chance to win a return flight to Malaysia (Jesus Christ I hope the food is better!) so I might get something more out of this trip?!
The Vitals
Awana - Chelsea
85 Sloane Avenue, London, SW3 3DX
Tel: 020 7584 8880
Website: http://www.awana.co.uk/index.php
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=2587
Nearest tube: South Kensington
So I picked this restaurant because it's had such consistently good ratings on Toptable.com and after looking at the menu, I was practically salivating at the thought of eating most (read: any) of the food which wasn't a good thing considering I had a day of work to get through... Argh!
I went out tonight with my darling Emily, a childhood friend. We used to have holiday homes next to each other in Puerto Banus and even though she moved down the road, we still remained fab friends. We meet up once a month, go out and generally act like toddlers in a restaurant. As you can imagine: staff love us a ridiculous amount although we were really quite good this time. There was no chilli ice-cream thrown across the table.
Again we used the 50% food offer which is becoming quite near and dear to my heart. I don't think I'm ever going to be able to eat without this offer to be honest.
The Place
So Awana is freaking cool although a bit romantic. Very nice and quiet although for the life of me I can't understand why they put us on a table next to a couple enjoying a date when there was literally an entire restaurant available to sit in. I would say that it's a later-night eatery; we were there at 7.30 and people didn't really start getting there till 8.30-9.
It's all wooden floors, comfy banquettes and candles, very chic and sophisticated. They also have a TV screen showing the chef in the kitchen although - worryingly - he didn't seem to be there very often!
The Food
Starter:
- Mixed asian vegetable spring rolls served with sweet chilli sauce
- Barbecued beef strips in oyster sauce and palm sugar, mixed with salad in sambal sauce
Main Course:
- Poussin marinaded in soy and coriander (supposed to be a curry, definitely wasn't!)
- Mixed seasonal vegetable and cashew stir fry
Dessert:
- Selection of desserts: Chocolate cake, banana cheesecake, lemongrass and chilli sorbet, star anis and blood orange sorbet, sweet coconut filled pandan pancake, chocolate sauce
I was a bit cheesed off with the food to be honest. They brought over three menus for the table and as we ordered stuff, kept taking them away! We went for the full a la carte firstly and ordered some tasty food before they then informed us that we weren't allowed that with our deal. They then told us to look at this tiny menu with four choices which was the toptable rewards menu. We once again ordered and then they said that that was the one for free meals, not us. We then got an in between menu which mainly consisted of chicken and vegetarian meals, nothing particularly inspiring.
The starters were lovely flavoured but the mains and desserts were quite average to be honest. I'm still not convinced that the poussin I received (photo 2) was what I ordered considering it was supposed to be a curry and definitely wasn't!
The Decision
I definitely won't be going back any time soon. Whilst we had a good night, I think it was mostly down to the gossip we were sharing rather than the food. The staff were pleasant, the decor was great but I think the food let this place down. If I hadn't had the 50% offer I would have been most distressed at the thought of paying full price! I suppose I would have gotten a better selection of food but I really don't see how they can just limit the menu so much and expect people not to think that they're getting what basically amounts to the kitchen scraps, price and ingredients-wise.
Awana was a bit of a let-down: I think there's probably similar restaurants at a better price with better food.
Still let's look on the bright side: I gave them feedback in return for a chance to win a return flight to Malaysia (Jesus Christ I hope the food is better!) so I might get something more out of this trip?!
The Vitals
Awana - Chelsea
85 Sloane Avenue, London, SW3 3DX
Tel: 020 7584 8880
Website: http://www.awana.co.uk/index.php
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=2587
Nearest tube: South Kensington
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)