Wow. I really ended up abandoning this. I'm sorry, foodie followers, but a pesky thing called real life got into the way more than it should have done. However, I'm back with more reviews, more deals and more advice ... I hope!
So last week I ended up at Le Bouchon Bordelais, a restaurant I have wanted to try for quite some time. I'm a fan of French food - I lived there for a year - and so the idea of good, French food at affordable prices ticked every box and then some.
Toptable has some great deals to start with - 50% off food on most nights, a complimentary cocktail, toptable Tuesday (50% off no matter what time you eat). It's really worth taking a look on there. They also have some great set menus and it was this that we chose for our culinary expedition.
The restaurant is French, from the posters on the wall to the slightly knackered looking dark wood furniture. It all comes together to remind you of a Parisian brasserie and it does this very well. When I rang, the person taking the bookings spoke to me in French - don't worry, he does speak English! - and it made me look forward to the evening ahead. Upon arriving, I saw a big, scrubbed wooden table with lots of cheese on (winner!) and got escorted to a lovely table near the front.
The food is good. No photos this time - I was so hungry I didn't pause to take photos - and the set menu was really good. French onion soup with gruyere cheese & a crouton for starter, chicken brochettes with frites & salad for main and a delicious - and large! - creme brulee for dessert. It was all very tasty, the only criticism I would have is that the chicken was slightly undercooked on the skewers and this made one of my friends very uncomfortable.
We did get overcharged on the bill - we drank tap water not bottled - but they were very quick to remove it and apologise. All in all, a great meal with friends! The food was served quickly and piping hot, the staff were delightful and the atmosphere in the restaurant was enough to make conversation flow easily. Apart from food envy for the couple eating the chateaubriand, I couldn't have expected anything more for £20.
Vitals
Le Bouchon Bordelais
5 - 9 Battersea Rise, Battersea, London, SW11 1HG
Tel: 020 7738 0307
Website: http://www.lebouchon.co.uk/index.php
Nearest tube: Clapham Junction Station
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Tuesday, 20 April 2010
Frank - New York
So one of New York's best restaurants is a well-kept secret hidden between 5-6 St, 2nd avenue. Curious? I sure was and so me and a few others headed there the night after Brasserie on the recommendation of a native New Yorker who used to live down in Soho.
The neighbourhood isn't the best, admittedly, but the food was delicious. Frank is a small restaurant which, from the outside, is pretty forgettable. It's like a little osteria plonked in a huge, vibrant city and yet oddly enough, it works. Opened over a decade ago, it's still going strong and judging by the crowd there on a Thursday night, it's a people pleaser whatever the night.
So the food... What's it all about? Good, honest Italian nosh is the only answer I can give you. It's not poncy, it's not twiddled about with. It's fresh pasta, melt in your mouth pasta in fact, and the sauces are rich and infused with so much flavour it makes your taste buds tingle. We sat on a table with a couple of other diners and yet didn't feel like we were being fobbed off, the big scrubbed wooden table, low lighting and casually dressed staff only added to the experience.
First off was some bruschetta which was delicious although there was a tomato overload on my plate. Next (and this was the niggle, I'd barely eaten two bites of my starter before the mains came) was 'Uncle Tony's' gnocchi with 'tomatoes, basil and parmigiano'. Honestly the best gnocchi I've ever ever had, probably because it was fresh, spongy and full of goodness. I finished it all even though we had to stay there for ages to allow me to do so. Others tried the penne with mushrooms, a chicken dish (daily special) and the gnocchi like me. All of us were in consensus: Great Food.
The damage was also minimal: Less than $40 inc. tip and wine. Brilliant value and we were all extremely happy customers when we finally left and found a cab back uptown. Frank is somewhere I'd definitely take people to - Happily take people to in fact!
Vitals
Frank
88 2nd Avenue, New York City
Tel: + 00 1 212 420 0106
Website: http://www.frankrestaurant.com/
The neighbourhood isn't the best, admittedly, but the food was delicious. Frank is a small restaurant which, from the outside, is pretty forgettable. It's like a little osteria plonked in a huge, vibrant city and yet oddly enough, it works. Opened over a decade ago, it's still going strong and judging by the crowd there on a Thursday night, it's a people pleaser whatever the night.
So the food... What's it all about? Good, honest Italian nosh is the only answer I can give you. It's not poncy, it's not twiddled about with. It's fresh pasta, melt in your mouth pasta in fact, and the sauces are rich and infused with so much flavour it makes your taste buds tingle. We sat on a table with a couple of other diners and yet didn't feel like we were being fobbed off, the big scrubbed wooden table, low lighting and casually dressed staff only added to the experience.
First off was some bruschetta which was delicious although there was a tomato overload on my plate. Next (and this was the niggle, I'd barely eaten two bites of my starter before the mains came) was 'Uncle Tony's' gnocchi with 'tomatoes, basil and parmigiano'. Honestly the best gnocchi I've ever ever had, probably because it was fresh, spongy and full of goodness. I finished it all even though we had to stay there for ages to allow me to do so. Others tried the penne with mushrooms, a chicken dish (daily special) and the gnocchi like me. All of us were in consensus: Great Food.
The damage was also minimal: Less than $40 inc. tip and wine. Brilliant value and we were all extremely happy customers when we finally left and found a cab back uptown. Frank is somewhere I'd definitely take people to - Happily take people to in fact!
Vitals
Frank
88 2nd Avenue, New York City
Tel: + 00 1 212 420 0106
Website: http://www.frankrestaurant.com/
Brasserie - 53rd St, New York
A couple of weeks ago, I had the awesome opportunity of going State-side and, naturally, I answered with a 'hell yes, when and what do I need to pack?'. Soon enough we were headed across the pond and landed in a sunny New York just shy of midday.
After a bit of a disorientating time (still being up at 11pm EST when your body knows it's 4am is murder!) I'd soon settled in and with a cup of Earl Grey and a bagel, I was a New Yorker by 8am the next day and looking forward to dinner by that night. Brasserie was the destination we had in mind and after a short cab ride, we were soon at the rather understated entrance.
It's like a big white cave, that's the only way to describe it. You're underneath a building and it's a huge space yet it still feels cosy and achingly chic with white chairs, very suave waiters and a long white bar filled with glamorous folks sipping at their Cosmopolitans. Way to feel like a hick! The restaurant has been there since 1959 and I'd love to see past decors to see how it's changed over the last fifty years.
Luckily I soon got over it and settled down with my fellow diners to peruse the French-fusion menu which offered a hell of a lot of choice ... Fantastic! I opted for the Foie Gras au Torchon followed by a 10oz Filet Mignon with chips (sorry, fries!) and a red wine jus. The Foie Gras was pretty vile; whatever they had done to it had diluted the taste completely and made it taste like putty. I didn't enjoy it at all and the waiters, noticing this, took it away and brought me a gazpacho soup instead which was delicious if a little strange as gazpacho isn't for everybody!
My steak was one of the best I've ever eaten. The knife slid through it like butter, the fries were super crispy and the sauce was smooth, rich and a perfect accompaniment. Especially with the garlic undertaste which complemented the steak and how it had been cooked (medium-rare). Everybody else at the table seemed to have a great main course too; there was tuna, branzino, chicken paillard and mountains of chips and a lot of 'mmm' and 'delicious!' from our table.
The experience was great and for those who had dessert, it didn't end at the main course. The sorbets were fantastic, deemed 'perfect' by somebody if I recall correctly. All in all, the meal was great, the experience was brilliant and the staff should be commended for their attentiveness. Neither wine nor water glass ever reached empty until we reached the end of our meal. They also didn't rush us so we had plenty of time to talk and catch-up, something I wasn't expecting in the Big Apple.
If I was going there again, I don't know if I'd go again but merely because I want to experience as much of New York as possible. I'd like to go to all of the hot spots and the known classics because when it comes to food, variety is the key. A favourite restaurant is all well and good but why not branch out and go elsewhere every once in a while?
Brasserie is a great place for a date or a group catch-up, however, and therefore if you head NY-way, stop by and have a great meal. I didn't pay so I don't know what the damage was but I'm guessing about $80/head including the tip.
Vitals
Brasserie
100 East 53rd St, New York 10022
Tel: +00 1 212 751 4840
Website: http://www.patinagroup.com/restaurant.php?restaurants_id=55
After a bit of a disorientating time (still being up at 11pm EST when your body knows it's 4am is murder!) I'd soon settled in and with a cup of Earl Grey and a bagel, I was a New Yorker by 8am the next day and looking forward to dinner by that night. Brasserie was the destination we had in mind and after a short cab ride, we were soon at the rather understated entrance.
It's like a big white cave, that's the only way to describe it. You're underneath a building and it's a huge space yet it still feels cosy and achingly chic with white chairs, very suave waiters and a long white bar filled with glamorous folks sipping at their Cosmopolitans. Way to feel like a hick! The restaurant has been there since 1959 and I'd love to see past decors to see how it's changed over the last fifty years.
Luckily I soon got over it and settled down with my fellow diners to peruse the French-fusion menu which offered a hell of a lot of choice ... Fantastic! I opted for the Foie Gras au Torchon followed by a 10oz Filet Mignon with chips (sorry, fries!) and a red wine jus. The Foie Gras was pretty vile; whatever they had done to it had diluted the taste completely and made it taste like putty. I didn't enjoy it at all and the waiters, noticing this, took it away and brought me a gazpacho soup instead which was delicious if a little strange as gazpacho isn't for everybody!
My steak was one of the best I've ever eaten. The knife slid through it like butter, the fries were super crispy and the sauce was smooth, rich and a perfect accompaniment. Especially with the garlic undertaste which complemented the steak and how it had been cooked (medium-rare). Everybody else at the table seemed to have a great main course too; there was tuna, branzino, chicken paillard and mountains of chips and a lot of 'mmm' and 'delicious!' from our table.
The experience was great and for those who had dessert, it didn't end at the main course. The sorbets were fantastic, deemed 'perfect' by somebody if I recall correctly. All in all, the meal was great, the experience was brilliant and the staff should be commended for their attentiveness. Neither wine nor water glass ever reached empty until we reached the end of our meal. They also didn't rush us so we had plenty of time to talk and catch-up, something I wasn't expecting in the Big Apple.
If I was going there again, I don't know if I'd go again but merely because I want to experience as much of New York as possible. I'd like to go to all of the hot spots and the known classics because when it comes to food, variety is the key. A favourite restaurant is all well and good but why not branch out and go elsewhere every once in a while?
Brasserie is a great place for a date or a group catch-up, however, and therefore if you head NY-way, stop by and have a great meal. I didn't pay so I don't know what the damage was but I'm guessing about $80/head including the tip.
Vitals
Brasserie
100 East 53rd St, New York 10022
Tel: +00 1 212 751 4840
Website: http://www.patinagroup.com/restaurant.php?restaurants_id=55
Monday, 19 April 2010
Bengal Tiger, St Paul's, London
A boozy shopping trip turned into dinner for three at the Bengal Tiger towards the end of March. I had Indian food on the brain and as soon as somebody suggested dinner, I was the first to put forward an Indian as an option! Thankfully it was 2 against 1 and we were soon walking (or weaving) our way to Bengal Tiger, an establishment not far from St Paul's.
The waiters were very solicitous and took no time in sitting us down at a nice table which wasn't too noisy and allowed us to talk without having to lean in to hear what the other was saying. Menus and poppadoms quickly followed and we all decided to have the set menu as it seemed a reasonable price and, even better, allowed plenty of choice. I always find with a set menu that I'll either like the starter or the main, never both, and therefore I was overjoyed to find that all three of us liked everything on the set.
Our platter of starters came first with Onion Bhajee, Paneer Tikka and Chicken Tikka. As we had a vegetarian amongst us, we gave her first dibs on the veggie offerings and stuck in to all of it. It was truly delicious and I particularly liked the delicate currying of the Bhajee. All too often it's just deep fried with too much curry and it tastes like fried curry powder. Yuck! However, these starters were great and my favourite was probably the Paneer Tikka, something I would never usually pick.
For main, two of us had a chicken tikka masala and the other had a vegetarian curry. I never have vegetarian dishes but hers was brilliant; I suppose I forget that in India, a vegetarian curry can quite often be more the norm than a meat curry. It was all truly delicious and although I found my chicken tikka a bit bland & the curry sauce more fruity than creamy, it was still tasty and I enjoyed it enough not to make a fuss. The bombay aloo was my favourite part and was incredible; the potato was really soft and the flavours were blended just enough to make it spicy but not 'hot'.
We didn't have pudding - far too full! - and the bill was reasonable; about £20 each if memory serves me correctly. This isn't a Brick Lane cheap eat but the food is far superior to Brick Lane (watch out for my next review!) and the service/clientele was also much better. I enjoyed it immensely and would go back if I wanted a curry near the office.
Vitals
Bengal Tiger
62 - 66 Carter Lane London, EC4V 5EA
Tel: 0207 248 6361
Website: http://www.bengaltiger.org.uk/
Nearest tube: St Paul's / Bank
Carthage - Covent Garden, London
So it feels like forever since I last updated! However I have still been out and about, eating away, I've just not had much time to spend uploading photos and writing reviews.
First on the list is a little Greek/North African place in Covent Garden called Carthage. After watching the Woman in Black, a group of us were absolutely starving and after walking along for a bit, spotted this little restaurant. As most places were busy with it being a Saturday night, we were overjoyed (well, our stomachs were!) to hear that they indeed had a table although we weren't expecting to be led into what was effectively a rather cramped cellar!
The waiters were of mixed quality; some didn't speak any English, which, whilst great if you were Greek, wasn't if you weren't. One waiter did speak English (hurrah) and after a struggle to get the menus and a drink, we had ordered some food and were waiting expectantly.
The girls who were with me had also been to Crete with me earlier in the year and so we got bitten by the Greek food bug whilst there. Moussaka, Kleftiko, Gyros, stuffed vine leaves... We were practically drooling in preparation for what might come! The hummus was middling at best and the odd tasting sausage chilli sauce was... Well, odd. However, we were starving by this point – it had taken a long time to arrive – and therefore were dipping our breads in the dips left, right and centre.
We were rather miffed to order more bread and then have it delivered to the next table. We had to actually ask them to take it off the bill; they'd put it on ours at the end despite our complaints! The main courses came quite quickly – whilst we were still eating the starters if I recall correctly – and they got one order wrong and so the plates were delivered at random times and we couldn't all truly eat together.
I had a very yummy dish which was basically diced pitta bread, tender grilled lamb and chicken with a tomato & garlic sauce on top. I'm not sure how they came up with it but it was utterly delicious and the portions were huge! I started to regret having that starter as soon as I tucked in...
My friends fared differently. Two girls had moussaka which was really quite tasteless and, as there was so much of it, really hard to stomach. Our other friend had calamari which apparently tasted delicious; she finished the lot and said that it was really fresh and had lots of flavour.
All in all, it isn't somewhere I'm dying to go back to. The food was okay but with other restaurants around Covent Garden, I can think of plenty of places to go to before I have to think of Carthage. I think if they have more multi-lingual staff, a better understanding of their own menu (are they Greek? Are they North African?) then they'll fare a lot better and have more repeat business.
Damage: ? About £20/person for a shared starter, main & an alcoholic drink.
Vitals
Carthage
9A King Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8HN
Tel: 020 7240 5178
Nearest tube: Covent Garden
Friday, 12 March 2010
Barcelona Tapas Bar - Bank, London
Wednesday equalled tapas and I was ridiculously full on 4 days worth of dining out by that time. Argh! However, I rallied and after a cheeky few drinks in Apt (raspberry bellinis = yum) we headed to the hidden away Barcelona Tapas Bar which is situated between Bank and St Pauls.
Emma, organiser extraordinaire, had booked us in for the toptable deal with allows 2 for 1 tapas with the cheapest being free. Obviously we rejoiced at this and then proceeded to order more than we probably needed... But we wanted it anyway! The restaurant is in the basement/cellar and is brightly decorated in reds, blues and yellow with tiling on the walls and lovely tiled floors. As soon as I smelled the food my stomach started to rumble and I got myself in the mood for some serious tapas eating!
So what did we eat? I'll put down what I remember! There were 8 of us and we all had 4 dishes each so we had a great choice food-wise.
- Cabrales (Cabrales cheese is a natural cheese made in the artisan tradition. Aged from two to six months in natural caves in limestone mountains.)
- Croquetas de jamon iberico (Exquisite, bite size croquettes of Iberico ham. Tasty and very, very Moorish.)
- Albondigas a la Barcelonesa (Fresh homemade beef meatballs with peppers, onions & tomatoes.)
- Pincho Cordero (Pieces of tender lamb infused with spices from Andalucia and then grilled on a skewer.)
- Patatas All-i-oli (Deep fried potato cubes with a tasty Catalan garlic mayonnaise.)
- Boquerones en Vinagre (Fresh anchovies (not salty) cured in oil, vinegar & garlic.)
- Chorizo en vino (Spanish spicy sausage cooked with wine.)
- Chorizo iberico
- Samfaina (A pisto of slow cooked tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, courgettes and onions. A delicious accompaniment to meat or fish.)
Most of the food was really amazing and the only criticism is that it took a long time for different things to arrive. Then again, with 30 odd dishes and a busy restaurant, this wasn't a huge problem. There was also a very strange and horrible pork and chips dish... We're not sure why it was was on the table or what it was but it didn't seem to be what was ordered!
I'd definitely go again. It's a great way to try new things, a brilliant way to have fun with food and it was very much enjoyed by all of us.
And the damage? £17 each with some having wine. Not bad at all!
Vitals
Barcelona Tapas Bar
13 Well Court, Off Bow Lane, London EC4M 9DN
Tel: 0207 329 5111
Website: http://www.barcelona-tapas.com/
Nearest tube: Bank
Emma, organiser extraordinaire, had booked us in for the toptable deal with allows 2 for 1 tapas with the cheapest being free. Obviously we rejoiced at this and then proceeded to order more than we probably needed... But we wanted it anyway! The restaurant is in the basement/cellar and is brightly decorated in reds, blues and yellow with tiling on the walls and lovely tiled floors. As soon as I smelled the food my stomach started to rumble and I got myself in the mood for some serious tapas eating!
So what did we eat? I'll put down what I remember! There were 8 of us and we all had 4 dishes each so we had a great choice food-wise.
- Cabrales (Cabrales cheese is a natural cheese made in the artisan tradition. Aged from two to six months in natural caves in limestone mountains.)
- Croquetas de jamon iberico (Exquisite, bite size croquettes of Iberico ham. Tasty and very, very Moorish.)
- Albondigas a la Barcelonesa (Fresh homemade beef meatballs with peppers, onions & tomatoes.)
- Pincho Cordero (Pieces of tender lamb infused with spices from Andalucia and then grilled on a skewer.)
- Patatas All-i-oli (Deep fried potato cubes with a tasty Catalan garlic mayonnaise.)
- Boquerones en Vinagre (Fresh anchovies (not salty) cured in oil, vinegar & garlic.)
- Chorizo en vino (Spanish spicy sausage cooked with wine.)
- Chorizo iberico
- Samfaina (A pisto of slow cooked tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, courgettes and onions. A delicious accompaniment to meat or fish.)
Most of the food was really amazing and the only criticism is that it took a long time for different things to arrive. Then again, with 30 odd dishes and a busy restaurant, this wasn't a huge problem. There was also a very strange and horrible pork and chips dish... We're not sure why it was was on the table or what it was but it didn't seem to be what was ordered!
I'd definitely go again. It's a great way to try new things, a brilliant way to have fun with food and it was very much enjoyed by all of us.
And the damage? £17 each with some having wine. Not bad at all!
Vitals
Barcelona Tapas Bar
13 Well Court, Off Bow Lane, London EC4M 9DN
Tel: 0207 329 5111
Website: http://www.barcelona-tapas.com/
Nearest tube: Bank
Gigalum, Clapham, London
After a busy night of house viewing - no joy! - me and my prospective new housemates + a boyfriend headed to Gilgamun to debrief, destress and eat. We walked in on a whim and it was very nice inside. Busy, with live music and a very chilled out atmosphere which was much needed at the time!
The cocktails are on 241 (make sure you ask exactly which ones!) and I was informed that the mojitos were somewhat scrumptious. My bellinis were bubble-tastic and very nice flavoured. So nice that I had two!
Whilst we were there, we decided to eat once we saw the '2 courses for £9.90' sign. I sadly couldn't take a photo of the food as it was pretty darn dark in there but trust me, it was quite delicious.
- Pan Fried Calamari w/ Olives, Chorizo, Rosa tomatoes
- Brie wedges w/ onion relish
- Gnocchi in a gorgonzola sauce with gran panado & rocket
- Spicy chicken burger with avocado and salsa
The food was delicious, well-needed and came quite quickly. The staff also didn't bat an eyelid at us eating in the bar at nearly 9pm which was great considering nobody else was eating.
One gripe was the bill. We were told it was 2 courses for £9.90 and yet they tried to add an extra £4 to our bill and then after being told 'you'll have to wait, I'm doing other things' when we complained about the bill, he then tried to tell us we hadn't paid enough when we didn't pay the - and may I say it again - optional service charge. It put a damper on an otherwise lovely meal which was such a shame!
Damage: £26 for my two bellinis & two courses
Vitals
Gigalum
7-8 Cavendish Parade, Clapham Common South Side, SW4 9DW
Tel: 020 8772 0303
Website: http://www.gigalum.com/
Nearest tube: Clapham South
The cocktails are on 241 (make sure you ask exactly which ones!) and I was informed that the mojitos were somewhat scrumptious. My bellinis were bubble-tastic and very nice flavoured. So nice that I had two!
Whilst we were there, we decided to eat once we saw the '2 courses for £9.90' sign. I sadly couldn't take a photo of the food as it was pretty darn dark in there but trust me, it was quite delicious.
- Pan Fried Calamari w/ Olives, Chorizo, Rosa tomatoes
- Brie wedges w/ onion relish
- Gnocchi in a gorgonzola sauce with gran panado & rocket
- Spicy chicken burger with avocado and salsa
The food was delicious, well-needed and came quite quickly. The staff also didn't bat an eyelid at us eating in the bar at nearly 9pm which was great considering nobody else was eating.
One gripe was the bill. We were told it was 2 courses for £9.90 and yet they tried to add an extra £4 to our bill and then after being told 'you'll have to wait, I'm doing other things' when we complained about the bill, he then tried to tell us we hadn't paid enough when we didn't pay the - and may I say it again - optional service charge. It put a damper on an otherwise lovely meal which was such a shame!
Damage: £26 for my two bellinis & two courses
Vitals
Gigalum
7-8 Cavendish Parade, Clapham Common South Side, SW4 9DW
Tel: 020 8772 0303
Website: http://www.gigalum.com/
Nearest tube: Clapham South
La Parisienne - Romsey
On Saturday night I had the pleasure of playing designated driver to mum, dad and friends and headed to Romsey for a birthday dinner at La Parisienne, a restaurant which locals from Southampton and the nearby areas have all heard of. It's a French restaurant which has been in the area for 15 years and, unlike many of its pretenders, actually has French staff. Hurrah!
The restaurant is a bit Frenchified inside with French posters/pictures framed on the walls and dark wood tables. There's a bar part with tables - you can eat there - and then a small restaurant in the back. It's actually a very small restaurant with about 10 tables but the staff work quickly and are charming and attentive to detail.
As there were 11 of us, this was particularly important and they didn't get anybody's order wrong - a bit mixed up at times but that was easily sorted out! I didn't get to taste everybody's meals but everything I did try was fantastic and the food was flavoured perfectly and delicately, something that can be difficult when you're dealing with tricky ingredients.
We began with bread and butter and then hot garlic snails. I don't like snails and never have done but I did eat one... I didn't change my opinion! However, they seemed to go down a treat with everybody else and they were soon gone.
Meal-wise it might just be easier to jot down what I tried as the menus aren't available online and I can't remember 22 meals. I had a galette of salmon, boursin cheese and sauteed potatoes which was delicious and came with a lovely side-salad. I also tried some fine onion tart - it was crumbled perfection - and saw that the fish cakes were also fantastic. My dad very much enjoyed his fish soup and the other starters went down a treat.
For main course, most people had steak, myself included. My fillet steak with gratin potatoes and pepper sauce was amazing and cooked just right. Don't have a bad thing to say about the meal and now I'm writing about it, I want it again! My dad's veal with an apple/Calvados sauce was delicious and a haddock risotto was also very very tasty.
Dessert was a big chocolate cake courtesy of the birthday boy's family who had brought it in to the restaurant. So you won't find it on the menu but a few options are lemon sorbet, creme brulee and several other desserts.
It was a great night and the staff really looked after us well. We were late arriving but they never complained, never made a fuss and made sure that Chris's birthday was as perfect as possible. All the guests enjoyed the meal and we had a great time.
Damage: I'm not sure as I never saw the bill but I'd guess for two courses + wine = £45 if you have a fillet steak
Vitals:
La Parisienne
21 Bell Street, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 8GY
Tel: 01794 512067
Website: http://www.la-parisienne.co.uk/index.shtml
The restaurant is a bit Frenchified inside with French posters/pictures framed on the walls and dark wood tables. There's a bar part with tables - you can eat there - and then a small restaurant in the back. It's actually a very small restaurant with about 10 tables but the staff work quickly and are charming and attentive to detail.
As there were 11 of us, this was particularly important and they didn't get anybody's order wrong - a bit mixed up at times but that was easily sorted out! I didn't get to taste everybody's meals but everything I did try was fantastic and the food was flavoured perfectly and delicately, something that can be difficult when you're dealing with tricky ingredients.
We began with bread and butter and then hot garlic snails. I don't like snails and never have done but I did eat one... I didn't change my opinion! However, they seemed to go down a treat with everybody else and they were soon gone.
Meal-wise it might just be easier to jot down what I tried as the menus aren't available online and I can't remember 22 meals. I had a galette of salmon, boursin cheese and sauteed potatoes which was delicious and came with a lovely side-salad. I also tried some fine onion tart - it was crumbled perfection - and saw that the fish cakes were also fantastic. My dad very much enjoyed his fish soup and the other starters went down a treat.
For main course, most people had steak, myself included. My fillet steak with gratin potatoes and pepper sauce was amazing and cooked just right. Don't have a bad thing to say about the meal and now I'm writing about it, I want it again! My dad's veal with an apple/Calvados sauce was delicious and a haddock risotto was also very very tasty.
Dessert was a big chocolate cake courtesy of the birthday boy's family who had brought it in to the restaurant. So you won't find it on the menu but a few options are lemon sorbet, creme brulee and several other desserts.
It was a great night and the staff really looked after us well. We were late arriving but they never complained, never made a fuss and made sure that Chris's birthday was as perfect as possible. All the guests enjoyed the meal and we had a great time.
Damage: I'm not sure as I never saw the bill but I'd guess for two courses + wine = £45 if you have a fillet steak
Vitals:
La Parisienne
21 Bell Street, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 8GY
Tel: 01794 512067
Website: http://www.la-parisienne.co.uk/index.shtml
Belgo - Clapham
I've been to the Belgo in Covent Garden but this time I headed to the Clapham North branch with some work mates for a bite to eat. It's on the high street and is, inside, completely different to the German feasting hall that is Covent Garden's Belgo. I was quite shocked!
This is very metropolitan, busy due to the great dinner deals and is lovely and warm - Not a fact to be sniffed at considering the weather! They needed more staff on and to listen to orders more carefully but otherwise the service was about what I would expect and the menu was yum-tastic.
Fancying a burger as I hadn't eaten all day, I went for the burger with swiss and bacon which was over-mustardy/peppered when it finally arrived. They got my order wrong due to the Beat the Clock menu which is a favourite and as I was already in a rush, I wasn't much impressed by the taste once it had come.
My friends had a lovely meal however! They all went for the Beat the Clock option which is a must. From 5-7pm every night you order a meal and pay a price depending on the time. i.e. 6pm = £6 for the meal. It's a great way to grab a cheap and tasty meal.
The Beat the Clock dishes ordered were:
- Bowl of Marinièremussels served with frites
- Pork and leek sausages with stoemp mash and berry jus
From what I could see, they looked lovely and I wish I'd had the sausages/mash combo! Oh well!
Damage? Not bad at all. About £10 each with some wine.
Vitals
Belgo
44 - 48 Clapham High Road, London, SW4 7UR
Tel: 0207 720 1118
Website: http://www.belgo-restaurants.co.uk
Nearest tube: Clapham North
This is very metropolitan, busy due to the great dinner deals and is lovely and warm - Not a fact to be sniffed at considering the weather! They needed more staff on and to listen to orders more carefully but otherwise the service was about what I would expect and the menu was yum-tastic.
Fancying a burger as I hadn't eaten all day, I went for the burger with swiss and bacon which was over-mustardy/peppered when it finally arrived. They got my order wrong due to the Beat the Clock menu which is a favourite and as I was already in a rush, I wasn't much impressed by the taste once it had come.
My friends had a lovely meal however! They all went for the Beat the Clock option which is a must. From 5-7pm every night you order a meal and pay a price depending on the time. i.e. 6pm = £6 for the meal. It's a great way to grab a cheap and tasty meal.
The Beat the Clock dishes ordered were:
- Bowl of Marinièremussels served with frites
- Pork and leek sausages with stoemp mash and berry jus
From what I could see, they looked lovely and I wish I'd had the sausages/mash combo! Oh well!
Damage? Not bad at all. About £10 each with some wine.
Vitals
Belgo
44 - 48 Clapham High Road, London, SW4 7UR
Tel: 0207 720 1118
Website: http://www.belgo-restaurants.co.uk
Nearest tube: Clapham North
Tayyabs - Whitechapel, London
A couple of weeks ago, a few us of headed to the many-reviewed Tayyabs, an Indian restaurant which sits between Aldgate East and Whitechapel. As I was in charge of organising the restaurant and we all wanted some curry, I looked around and a few of my favourite blogs as well as some encouraging word-of-mouth made me book the place on the spot.
Firstly? It's a bit of a trek to get to and it's quite hidden away. Make sure you know exactly where you're going and how to get there because Aldgate East isn't the best place to get your iPhone out to check you've gone the right way. Secondly? Book! It was so packed when we got there, there must have been an hour long queue and it made me very glad I'd booked weeks in advance.
The restaurant is split over two floors and is quite funky with music pumping through the restaurant. The service is incredibly quick - too quick in my opinion as I don't like having my starters and mains come at nearly the same time - but they were courteous and did everything we asked. One small gripe is that they said they didn't serve tap water and yet when we were leaving, another table had a big pitcher of tap water. Wasn't happy!
A nice touch is that they had poppadoms on the table ready for when we sat down. The mint yoghurt and fresh onion/tomato mix was delicious and the poppadoms, although spicy, were lovely. It was nice to have something to snack on whilst we read the small menu.
Tayyabs don't do many dishes but they're all very cheap and very tasty. One of our party didn't enjoy his meat biryani or peshwari nan but the rest of us did enjoy our meals and said that we were all nicely full. I didn't feel absolutely stuffed which was great as we headed out for drinks afterwards and the last thing I needed was to be utterly bloated! The food was fresh and strangely light, really yummy.
So what did we have? Not too much but enough to keep us munching! I'd heard a lot about the lamb chops and so we had a portion of those along with some Seekh kebab, all of which were really tasty, spicy and hot. The tandoori lamb chops are a must!
Main courses were pretty similar. We had some garlic nan, peshwari nan, pilau rice, meat biryani x 2 and a couple of special chicken tikka masala type dishes which were very nice. Portions were quite small although for the price, I couldn't complain. However, I was very glad I had starters + a curry, rice and nan. I think I would have been hungry otherwise.
One other important thing to state: there is no alcohol at this restaurant. It wasn't something I'd thought about but when we got there and went to order wine only to find out that it was a dry restaurant, it was something we perhaps should have considered!
However, we did make up for the lack of alcohol after dinner, don't fear!
I'd definitely go back to Tayyabs in the future as I thought their dishes were very nice and I think I'd gorge even more on the starters when I go again. The damage was also very reasonable; £14 each for two courses.
Vitals:
Tayyabs
83-89, Fieldgate St. London E1 1JU
Tel: 020 7247 6400
Website: http://www.tayyabs.co.uk/
Nearest tube: Whitechapel / Aldgate East
Firstly? It's a bit of a trek to get to and it's quite hidden away. Make sure you know exactly where you're going and how to get there because Aldgate East isn't the best place to get your iPhone out to check you've gone the right way. Secondly? Book! It was so packed when we got there, there must have been an hour long queue and it made me very glad I'd booked weeks in advance.
The restaurant is split over two floors and is quite funky with music pumping through the restaurant. The service is incredibly quick - too quick in my opinion as I don't like having my starters and mains come at nearly the same time - but they were courteous and did everything we asked. One small gripe is that they said they didn't serve tap water and yet when we were leaving, another table had a big pitcher of tap water. Wasn't happy!
A nice touch is that they had poppadoms on the table ready for when we sat down. The mint yoghurt and fresh onion/tomato mix was delicious and the poppadoms, although spicy, were lovely. It was nice to have something to snack on whilst we read the small menu.
Tayyabs don't do many dishes but they're all very cheap and very tasty. One of our party didn't enjoy his meat biryani or peshwari nan but the rest of us did enjoy our meals and said that we were all nicely full. I didn't feel absolutely stuffed which was great as we headed out for drinks afterwards and the last thing I needed was to be utterly bloated! The food was fresh and strangely light, really yummy.
So what did we have? Not too much but enough to keep us munching! I'd heard a lot about the lamb chops and so we had a portion of those along with some Seekh kebab, all of which were really tasty, spicy and hot. The tandoori lamb chops are a must!
Main courses were pretty similar. We had some garlic nan, peshwari nan, pilau rice, meat biryani x 2 and a couple of special chicken tikka masala type dishes which were very nice. Portions were quite small although for the price, I couldn't complain. However, I was very glad I had starters + a curry, rice and nan. I think I would have been hungry otherwise.
One other important thing to state: there is no alcohol at this restaurant. It wasn't something I'd thought about but when we got there and went to order wine only to find out that it was a dry restaurant, it was something we perhaps should have considered!
However, we did make up for the lack of alcohol after dinner, don't fear!
I'd definitely go back to Tayyabs in the future as I thought their dishes were very nice and I think I'd gorge even more on the starters when I go again. The damage was also very reasonable; £14 each for two courses.
Vitals:
Tayyabs
83-89, Fieldgate St. London E1 1JU
Tel: 020 7247 6400
Website: http://www.tayyabs.co.uk/
Nearest tube: Whitechapel / Aldgate East
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Pizza East, Shoreditch, London
Another rainy day! When will it stop?!
Tonight was a trip to Shoreditch to go to the up and coming Pizza East near Liverpool Street Station. After my friend Fliss's cousin saw Gordon Ramsey eating here (and no fear kiddos he wasn't filming a Kitchen Nightmare!) we thought it was good enough for us to try it if somebody as sophisticated as he could eat there.
It's incredibly busy so book and get there early. You miss out on a bit of the atmosphere perhaps but when it gets to 8pm you can barely talk to your co-diner in the booth type area. The restaurant is ridiculously huge though, covering a warehouse-type area. There's a big square bar in the centre of the room as well as a pizza bar just behind reception. It's decked out in wooden chairs, rustic tables and it's very urban-chic with lots of wood, brick walls, concrete and a general state of uber fashionable decay. Very modern, very poser-ish and very, very dark! I tried to take photos of the food but I could barely see my pizza, let alone get a picture of it with my iPhone.
The food was good with a small menu so the staff can conserve their energy. The menu is very simple, on a single sheet and ranges from hot and cold antipasti to pizzas to meat dishes.
- Tomato bruschetta
- Speck, tomato, mozzarella, rocket (pizza)
- Spinach, tomato, goats cheese, pine nuts (pizza)
(the best picture I could get of the bruschetta!)
The bruschetta was chunkier than I like normally but warm and the tomatoes were oozing with goodness. They had been cooked till they were soft and it was the best tomatoes on toast I've ever had! It was a small starter for the two of us but the warmth of it and the chunky tomatoes made it a nice taster of what was (hopefully!) to come.
Like I said, it was dark. And honestly? It was hard to see the pizzas. However the cooks had helpfully pre-quartered our pizzas so at least we could cut it quite easily. My speck pizza was fantastic and somebody had - brilliantly - drizzled olive oil on it which made it much tastier and much easier to eat. Fliss's goats cheese was to die for but without the olive oil, it was quite dry.
This is my criticism: it is dry. The dough is over-cooked to the point of crunchy roughness which was hard to eat. I bit my cheek, Fliss scratched the inside of her cheek and we both felt a bit woebegone by the end of the meal! The pizza toppings were original and looked lovely but we felt they were a bit difficult to eat with the texture which was a shame because they were so tasty topping-wise.
I'd go back but I'd ask to sit in a better-lit part of the restaurant. I'd also make sure to book because Pizza East is not the type of place to go into on a whim. It was only mid-week but hugely busy.
Damage: £15/person with wine for one of us
Vitals
Pizza East
Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JJ
Tel: 0207 729 1888
Website: http://www.pizzaeast.com/
Nearest tube: Old Street / Liverpool Street
Tonight was a trip to Shoreditch to go to the up and coming Pizza East near Liverpool Street Station. After my friend Fliss's cousin saw Gordon Ramsey eating here (and no fear kiddos he wasn't filming a Kitchen Nightmare!) we thought it was good enough for us to try it if somebody as sophisticated as he could eat there.
It's incredibly busy so book and get there early. You miss out on a bit of the atmosphere perhaps but when it gets to 8pm you can barely talk to your co-diner in the booth type area. The restaurant is ridiculously huge though, covering a warehouse-type area. There's a big square bar in the centre of the room as well as a pizza bar just behind reception. It's decked out in wooden chairs, rustic tables and it's very urban-chic with lots of wood, brick walls, concrete and a general state of uber fashionable decay. Very modern, very poser-ish and very, very dark! I tried to take photos of the food but I could barely see my pizza, let alone get a picture of it with my iPhone.
The food was good with a small menu so the staff can conserve their energy. The menu is very simple, on a single sheet and ranges from hot and cold antipasti to pizzas to meat dishes.
- Tomato bruschetta
- Speck, tomato, mozzarella, rocket (pizza)
- Spinach, tomato, goats cheese, pine nuts (pizza)
(the best picture I could get of the bruschetta!)
The bruschetta was chunkier than I like normally but warm and the tomatoes were oozing with goodness. They had been cooked till they were soft and it was the best tomatoes on toast I've ever had! It was a small starter for the two of us but the warmth of it and the chunky tomatoes made it a nice taster of what was (hopefully!) to come.
Like I said, it was dark. And honestly? It was hard to see the pizzas. However the cooks had helpfully pre-quartered our pizzas so at least we could cut it quite easily. My speck pizza was fantastic and somebody had - brilliantly - drizzled olive oil on it which made it much tastier and much easier to eat. Fliss's goats cheese was to die for but without the olive oil, it was quite dry.
This is my criticism: it is dry. The dough is over-cooked to the point of crunchy roughness which was hard to eat. I bit my cheek, Fliss scratched the inside of her cheek and we both felt a bit woebegone by the end of the meal! The pizza toppings were original and looked lovely but we felt they were a bit difficult to eat with the texture which was a shame because they were so tasty topping-wise.
I'd go back but I'd ask to sit in a better-lit part of the restaurant. I'd also make sure to book because Pizza East is not the type of place to go into on a whim. It was only mid-week but hugely busy.
Damage: £15/person with wine for one of us
Vitals
Pizza East
Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High Street, London, E1 6JJ
Tel: 0207 729 1888
Website: http://www.pizzaeast.com/
Nearest tube: Old Street / Liverpool Street
The Loft, Clapham North, London
The Loft managed to get the lofty position of restaurant of the week a couple of months ago back on tastelondon and ever since then, I've wanted to go. The positive reviews about the place have only spurred me on and so me, along with the lovely Elaine, finally got our feet pointed in the direction of The Loft on Tuesday night.
The Loft is really cool inside. Leather seats with arms, black glass tables, glassware, big bar, lovely staff. It looks like a big warehouse and when you're there, you could easily think you're in New York. It's split into two: with a big bar/seating/chill-out area and a small-ish restaurant and yet you don't feel like it has a split personality. It works well and you don't hear the bar noise which is great when you're mid-conversation.
They had a great 2 for £12 deal on when we went and also 241 on cocktails. This made the night super affordable and with only a £3 surplus for a humongous steak or £2 for gorgeous pork belly, it was well worth it!
- Cocktail: Passion of the Loft (Passionfruit, Zubrowka vodka, Calvados, green chai tea sugar syrup, a hint of peach and apple juice)
- Garlic ciabatta
- Homemade chicken liver pate, served with puy lentils, toast and onion marmalade
- Spiced parsnip soup with a drizzle of herb oil
- Fillet steak, 21-day hung, on a bed of spinach, served with a red wine and shallot jus and
chunky chips
- Gloucester Old Spot pork belly on a potato and celeriac gratin, served with apple chutney
and winter greens
The food? Oh god, the food. It was absolutely scrumptious and hit the spot after a terrible tube trek down to South London. The chicken liver pate was smooth and garlicky and spread onto the bread just brilliantly. The onion chutney was also thick and spread brilliantly, it was lovely tasting too.
I had a sip of the soup and that was sweet & spicy. It was nice and hot and perfect on a cold rainy night and considering the bowl was very empty at the end, Elaine enjoyed it greatly!
My steak was one of the best I've had in a while. A thick, juicy fillet, it was cooked to perfection and my knife sliced through it with no resistance. A great bit of meat and with the chunky chips and the red wine jus, I was in heaven. I have to admit it defeated me - The veg was really kind of surplus after so much food but it made me feel healthy to eat a piece of broccoli.
Elaine's pork belly was also delicious; great-flavoured with crackling on top and a superb dauphinois kind of arrangement consisting of potato and celeriac. It was obvious that the chef had put a lot of attention into creating the menu and the dishes showed both his skill and his attention to detail.
It was a great meal and I couldn't have asked for anything more. I felt happy to pay £20 and although I felt around a stone heavier, it wasn't an 'I feel ill' feeling, more 'I really want more and can't possibly fit any more food in my stomach'. It was really a great experience and a great meal and I would love to go back as soon as I can.
Damage: £20/person
Vitals
The Loft
67 Clapham High Street, London, SW4 7TG
Tel: 020 7627 0792
Website: http://www.theloftclapham.com/
Nearest tube: Equidistance between Clapham North & Clapham Common
Wagamama, Victoria, London
One of my best friends came home from China for a visit last month and Monday night was the first time I was able to see her. She always tends to drag me to Asian restaurants - despite the fact that all she bloody eats is noodles in China - and so although Ping Pong was on the cards, we actually ended up in Victoria's Wagamama.
I've avoided this place thus far just by location - Leicester got their Wagamama not long after I left and Devon's never heard of it! So I was a little intrigued, a little reticent to go but with Giulia by my side, I was happy enough to trot along and trust her.
The restaurant is pretty basic and clean decor-wise, much like I imagine the rest of the restaurants look. Long, low bench-like tables, an open kitchen which you can see into, staff working very quickly. Our waiter wasn't particularly helpful and I was lucky to have Giulia who knew the menu inside out or I probably would have taken an hour to find something on the menu without shellfish in.
Food:
- yasai katsu curry (sweet potato, aubergine and butternut squash deep-fried in panko breadcrumbs, served with a curry sauce and sticky white rice. garnished with mixed leaves and red pickles)
- yaki soba minus prawns (teppan-fried soba noodles with egg, chicken, shrimps, onions, green and red peppers, beansprouts and spring onions. garnished with mixed sesame seeds, fried shallots and pickled ginger)
- Chocolate fudge cake
- Coconut ice-cream with mango sauce and coconut flakes
Honestly, I wasn't sold. However Giulia's tasted lovely and I think I just ordered the wrong thing. I like sauce with my noodles and (foolishly) assumed there would be some sort of sauce on them. I ate everything on my plate because I was starving but I didn't truly enjoy the main.
My pudding was delicious, however. The coconut ice-cream was lovely and creamy with a tantalising hint of coconut but none of the roughness of shredded coconut. The flakes were crunchy and went excellently with the mango sauce. The entire thing was the perfect finish - Refreshing and very good for the digestion.
The chocolate cake with wasabi sauce was also very yummy - The wasabi did something strange to the chocolate which was odd but worked (luckily!). Despite Giulia's protests that she wasn't hungry, she scoffed the lot which was testament both to her appetite and the taste of the fudge cake.
I think I would go back to Wagamama's again but I'd always prefer to go to an independent restaurant was opposed to a UK-wide chain. However, it was the great place for a chat and a chin wag and wasn't too busy so you didn't feel hemmed in.
Damage: £15/person
Vitals
Wagamama
Roof garden level, Cardinal place (off Victoria street), London, SW1E 5JE
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7828 0561
Website: http://www.wagamama.com/
Nearest tube: Victoria
I've avoided this place thus far just by location - Leicester got their Wagamama not long after I left and Devon's never heard of it! So I was a little intrigued, a little reticent to go but with Giulia by my side, I was happy enough to trot along and trust her.
The restaurant is pretty basic and clean decor-wise, much like I imagine the rest of the restaurants look. Long, low bench-like tables, an open kitchen which you can see into, staff working very quickly. Our waiter wasn't particularly helpful and I was lucky to have Giulia who knew the menu inside out or I probably would have taken an hour to find something on the menu without shellfish in.
Food:
- yasai katsu curry (sweet potato, aubergine and butternut squash deep-fried in panko breadcrumbs, served with a curry sauce and sticky white rice. garnished with mixed leaves and red pickles)
- yaki soba minus prawns (teppan-fried soba noodles with egg, chicken, shrimps, onions, green and red peppers, beansprouts and spring onions. garnished with mixed sesame seeds, fried shallots and pickled ginger)
- Chocolate fudge cake
- Coconut ice-cream with mango sauce and coconut flakes
Honestly, I wasn't sold. However Giulia's tasted lovely and I think I just ordered the wrong thing. I like sauce with my noodles and (foolishly) assumed there would be some sort of sauce on them. I ate everything on my plate because I was starving but I didn't truly enjoy the main.
My pudding was delicious, however. The coconut ice-cream was lovely and creamy with a tantalising hint of coconut but none of the roughness of shredded coconut. The flakes were crunchy and went excellently with the mango sauce. The entire thing was the perfect finish - Refreshing and very good for the digestion.
The chocolate cake with wasabi sauce was also very yummy - The wasabi did something strange to the chocolate which was odd but worked (luckily!). Despite Giulia's protests that she wasn't hungry, she scoffed the lot which was testament both to her appetite and the taste of the fudge cake.
I think I would go back to Wagamama's again but I'd always prefer to go to an independent restaurant was opposed to a UK-wide chain. However, it was the great place for a chat and a chin wag and wasn't too busy so you didn't feel hemmed in.
Damage: £15/person
Vitals
Wagamama
Roof garden level, Cardinal place (off Victoria street), London, SW1E 5JE
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7828 0561
Website: http://www.wagamama.com/
Nearest tube: Victoria
Breads Etcetera, Clapham High Street, London
(in memory of the lovely Cyd - above - who is back off to Canada on Sunday!)
So what's it all about?
Basically, as the name would suggest, bread. But that's not all - They have a menu with about fifteen different breakfasts, ranging from the basic (toast + a side dish) to the delicious (fried egg in white sourdough bread with spicy onion sausage, 2 rashers of bacon and baked beans) and everything in between. All the breakfasts have one great thing in common: DIY toast.
It might seem a bit odd but this restaurant feels a bit like a country kitchen with your own Dualit toasters on the table and big flagons of tap water. In fact, it's the best thing ever. There's a big bread bar at the back of the shop where they have 5 or 6 types of bread to choose from and all the condiments you could ever possibly want (we had lemon curd, victoria plum, rhubarb jam, peanut butter & good old butter). You chop off some bread - again as much as you want - and take it back to the table to toast as you want, ensuring that the food is hot when you want it and exactly what you want! Perfect!
As we were six, we had a varied range of breakfasts:
- 2 DIY toasts + scrambled eggs
- 1 muesli breakfast (as you can see from the pics, lots of fruit and yoghut - yum!)
- 1 french toast
- 1 super duper huge omelette with gruyere, bacon and peppers (any guesses as to who ordered that?)
- 1 soft boiled option (egg + toast)
We also had delicious smoothies and coffees that made us feel revitalised and generally like super healthy people despite the calorific content of our meal.
Would I go back? Um... YES. Bread etcetera is a great, chilled out place where you can hang out with friends, go on that morning after breakfast or just scoff to your heart's content. It's a pretty quick turnaround and they don't want you to linger that long but it's worth the trek down to South London. Two thumbs up from this blogger!
Damage: between £5.50 - 10/person
Vitals
Breads Etcetera
127 Clapham High Street, Clapham, London, SW4 7SS
Tel: 020 7720 3601
Nearest tube: Clapham Common, Clapham North
Strada, St Pauls, London
A Friday lunchtime, a lack of energy, a hard day at the office. What does it mean? Lunch at Strada, of course. I had a craving for pizza, luckily my friend Emma did too and so we ambled over there for a quick bite to eat.
Strada's a chain so I only expect so much. However the staff were brilliant and very attentive despite the lunch rush. We had our drinks in five minutes, our orders in within ten minutes and our food within thirty. Not bad!
There isn't much of an atmosphere but then it's typically Strada-like in decor, much like you'd expect to see. Quite chic, modern and clean - Nothing to write home about.
Food was above-par although the pizza was a bit undercooked for my friend who prefers it crispier. It was rather soggy and I would have preferred for them to have cooked it a couple of minutes more.
The ingredients tasted lovely and fresh and the rocket was peppery and went really well with the ham. The dough was fresh but like I said before, too soggy with the topping, which made it really hard to cut.
- schiacciatella (Basket of hand stretched pizza bread ) with pesto and tomato
- Speck pizza (Slices of northern Italian smoked mountain ham, gorgonzola, tomato, mozzarella and rocket)
- Parma pizza (Tomato and buffalo mozzarella finished with slices of Parma ham, rocket and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil)
All in all it was a decent lunch but wasn't anything special. The service was probably the best part along with the schiacciatella which was lovely but filled me up far too much before my pizza.
Damage: £30 for two
Vitals
Strada St Pauls,
4 St Pauls Churchyard, London, EC4M 8AY
Tel: 020 7248 7178
Website: http://www.strada.co.uk
Nearest tube: St Pauls
Strada's a chain so I only expect so much. However the staff were brilliant and very attentive despite the lunch rush. We had our drinks in five minutes, our orders in within ten minutes and our food within thirty. Not bad!
There isn't much of an atmosphere but then it's typically Strada-like in decor, much like you'd expect to see. Quite chic, modern and clean - Nothing to write home about.
Food was above-par although the pizza was a bit undercooked for my friend who prefers it crispier. It was rather soggy and I would have preferred for them to have cooked it a couple of minutes more.
The ingredients tasted lovely and fresh and the rocket was peppery and went really well with the ham. The dough was fresh but like I said before, too soggy with the topping, which made it really hard to cut.
- schiacciatella (Basket of hand stretched pizza bread ) with pesto and tomato
- Speck pizza (Slices of northern Italian smoked mountain ham, gorgonzola, tomato, mozzarella and rocket)
- Parma pizza (Tomato and buffalo mozzarella finished with slices of Parma ham, rocket and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil)
All in all it was a decent lunch but wasn't anything special. The service was probably the best part along with the schiacciatella which was lovely but filled me up far too much before my pizza.
Damage: £30 for two
Vitals
Strada St Pauls,
4 St Pauls Churchyard, London, EC4M 8AY
Tel: 020 7248 7178
Website: http://www.strada.co.uk
Nearest tube: St Pauls
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Hungry House - Holy Cow, Bhan Thai, Hiro & Sarracino
Today I thought I’d take a bit of a restaurant detour and talk about that favourite British activity; ordering a takeaway. Whilst it can sometimes be a bit of a pain – not having enough cash, restaurants not taking cards – there’s a site I use which makes everything that little bit easier.
What’s it called?
www.hungryhouse.co.uk
Now admittedly there’s probably a few reasons I like it. Firstly diners can review their meals, a great way to get an unbiased look at how the restaurant really is. Secondly you can pay on card which means you don’t have to go through the whole ‘have I got enough cash dilemma?’ after ordering a takeaway. After all, who wants to scrape down the back of the sofa looking for coins?
What does it do then? Essentially hungryhouse is a half-way house between you and the restaurant. You order from the menu on the site and once you’re done and paid-up, it conveys the order over to the restaurant. They then have the choice to either accept or reject your order and will deliver according to when you want it (either ASAP or choose a different time). You can split items on the bill; add special requests and pretty much have an entire phone conversation without having to pick up your mobile. If anything it’s clearer because it’s in black and white on a screen! I have a few favourite takeaways. North-West London has some great takeaways and I’ve eaten some awesome dishes from quite a few. So in no particular order: my top takeaways near me.
Holy Cow – This is an amazing Indian takeaway which is just around the corner from me. If you go in to collect your meal you get free poppadoms (always a plus) but the meals are of a good-size, always hot and it tastes fresh. Plus if you live nearby, sometimes you’ll see David Mitchell from Peep Show. I’ve seen him in there twice now!
Bhan Thai – I love this little Thai place and it’s pad thai jay with beef is amongst the best I’ve ever eaten. Their thai green chicken curry is also good and their starters are excellent – I particularly like the pork wontons and chicken satay skewers. Bhan Thai always delivers really quickly and their food is normally piping hot and doesn’t need microwaving. Brilliant!
Hiro – I’m kind of ‘meh’ about this one as of late but normally they are right on the ball when it comes to their food. Their duck noodles are wonderful, beef satay is fantastic and their prawn crackers are tasty and crunchy. I had their beef in Peking sauce the other day and it was pretty vile – sickly, bright orange and tough beef – and wouldn’t have that again. They’re sometimes quite slow to deliver but most of their food is delicious and they have a large variety of dishes and duck which is something not enough do in my opinion!
Sarracino – This Italian has delicious pizzas and the best arancini I’ve ever tasted. Just go. Go now. It was delivered quickly and tasted fantastic. My only gripe is that they didn’t take the cherry tomatoes off the pizza as I’d asked and that they only take cash – No card payments allowed.
So the next time you want a takeaway and don’t know where to find a decent list of restaurants in the area, take a look at hungryhouse and see what’s on offer. The reviews are a great way of finding out how meals are, the fact that staff members reply by email to your reviews and thank you for them - apologise if meals weren’t up to scratch – is brilliant. I cannot recommend this site enough!
What’s it called?
www.hungryhouse.co.uk
Now admittedly there’s probably a few reasons I like it. Firstly diners can review their meals, a great way to get an unbiased look at how the restaurant really is. Secondly you can pay on card which means you don’t have to go through the whole ‘have I got enough cash dilemma?’ after ordering a takeaway. After all, who wants to scrape down the back of the sofa looking for coins?
What does it do then? Essentially hungryhouse is a half-way house between you and the restaurant. You order from the menu on the site and once you’re done and paid-up, it conveys the order over to the restaurant. They then have the choice to either accept or reject your order and will deliver according to when you want it (either ASAP or choose a different time). You can split items on the bill; add special requests and pretty much have an entire phone conversation without having to pick up your mobile. If anything it’s clearer because it’s in black and white on a screen! I have a few favourite takeaways. North-West London has some great takeaways and I’ve eaten some awesome dishes from quite a few. So in no particular order: my top takeaways near me.
Holy Cow – This is an amazing Indian takeaway which is just around the corner from me. If you go in to collect your meal you get free poppadoms (always a plus) but the meals are of a good-size, always hot and it tastes fresh. Plus if you live nearby, sometimes you’ll see David Mitchell from Peep Show. I’ve seen him in there twice now!
Bhan Thai – I love this little Thai place and it’s pad thai jay with beef is amongst the best I’ve ever eaten. Their thai green chicken curry is also good and their starters are excellent – I particularly like the pork wontons and chicken satay skewers. Bhan Thai always delivers really quickly and their food is normally piping hot and doesn’t need microwaving. Brilliant!
Hiro – I’m kind of ‘meh’ about this one as of late but normally they are right on the ball when it comes to their food. Their duck noodles are wonderful, beef satay is fantastic and their prawn crackers are tasty and crunchy. I had their beef in Peking sauce the other day and it was pretty vile – sickly, bright orange and tough beef – and wouldn’t have that again. They’re sometimes quite slow to deliver but most of their food is delicious and they have a large variety of dishes and duck which is something not enough do in my opinion!
Sarracino – This Italian has delicious pizzas and the best arancini I’ve ever tasted. Just go. Go now. It was delivered quickly and tasted fantastic. My only gripe is that they didn’t take the cherry tomatoes off the pizza as I’d asked and that they only take cash – No card payments allowed.
So the next time you want a takeaway and don’t know where to find a decent list of restaurants in the area, take a look at hungryhouse and see what’s on offer. The reviews are a great way of finding out how meals are, the fact that staff members reply by email to your reviews and thank you for them - apologise if meals weren’t up to scratch – is brilliant. I cannot recommend this site enough!
Monday, 1 February 2010
The Rainforest Cafe, Piccadilly, London
So even though I injured my knee last week and promised to stay inside all weekend, it ended up not to be. An unfruitful hospital trip led me to going to the Rainforest Cafe with the delightful Michaela, a work colleague (who wanted to be mentioned so there you go, Mics!).
It was amazing inside. Even as an adult I was still looking at everything in wonder and particularly liked it when there was thunder and lightening. The animals were animatronic-ed up and the foliage, flowers and waterfalls made you feel like you were sitting in the rainforest. Our table was tucked away with a view of the aquarium and it was a very pleasant table. One gripe is that the tables are quite close together, it would be nice to have a bit more space.
So what did we order? Firstly, some drinks at the snake bar. I had a Very Berry smoothie which was delicious and Mics had a Pina Colada which she said had a bit of a chemical-y after taste. They were quite expensive too, coming in at £12.40 before we'd even sat down.
The menu was quite varied and allowed some choice. Meats, fish, salads, pastas, 'international' dishes were described in detail and although the starter choice was smaller, it was by no means less detailed. I was looking forward to my dinner!
We ordered the following:
Starters
- Iggy's enchiladas (Pan-fried chicked strips, oyster mushrooms, roasted bell peppers, caramelised onions & cheddar cheese, tossed with Cajun spices, wrapped in a grilled flour tortilla & served with a Mediterranean salsa & guacamole)
- Caribbean Coconut prawns (Tender skewered tiger prawns, rolled in coconut flakes & fried to a golden brown, with mango sauce & lime wedge served on a banana leaf)
Mains
- Calypso Chicken sandwich (A tender char-grilled Cajun chicken breast with bacon, cheddar cheese fondue roasted red peppers, lettuce & a zesty lime & red ginger mayonnaise, served in toasted rustic bread with fries)
- Highland Primal Steak (Center-cut, choice Scottish strip steak, aged 21 days, char-grilled to perfection, with green peppercorn sauce & herb garlic mash potato)
The starters were good. I asked for the mushrooms to be taken out of my enchiladas but was informed that as they were wrapped in the morning (not so fresh!) they wouldn't be able to accommodate this. I didn't mind but it did mean I had to pull apart my enchiladas to get them out myself which was a shame. The guacamole was delicious as was the salsa but they weren't as spicy as I'd hoped. I was told that the coconut prawns were also very nice and they did look good on the plate.
The mains were mixed. The calypso chicken sandwich was dry and although it had some interesting flavours, it was pretty inedible with the dryness and the crunchy bread. It gave me major dry mouth when I tried to eat more than a mouthful! My steak was not medium-rare as I'd asked but more medium-well. If I hadn't been hungrier I would have sent it back as I believe it cooked off the flavour. The mash was brilliant and very garlic-y and the peppercorn sauce was also really nice and creamy. It was just the meat that let it down and I felt a bit disappointed to pay £20 for it!
After the meal my friend complained about her chicken sandwich and the manager told her she'd 'asked too early to get it taken off the bill'. As if that should even matter! He actually only took half off of the bill and then the 12.5% discretionary charge added it back on again. I was a bit pissed off at how much it cost for a simple meal out and it made me determined not to fall into a tourist trap again.
Also - Watch out for food poisoning! Since getting back to her house, my friend has been incredibly ill and is actually writing to head office to complain. We're not sure if it was uncooked prawns or tainted chicken that has caused the illness but either way, it's not a sign of a good restaurant!
Damage: £65 with the added drinks
Vitals
The Rainforest Cafe
20 Shaftesbury Ave, London, W1D 7EU
Tel: 020 7434 3111
Website: http://www.therainforestcafe.co.uk/
Nearest tube: Piccadilly Circus
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Wahaca, Canary Wharf, London
The other week I was in Canary Wharf at the customer's office working for the afternoon and me and a colleague decided to try out Wahaca, mainly because of the numerous adverts around Canary Wharf's shopping centre. Wahaca serves mexican-inspired dishes and from the adverts, seemed to be quite popular.
It's funky inside, with booths, tall stools and conventional tables making the restaurant look a bit different to usual. It makes it much more fun! One wall is glass which looks out over a small park and the staff, although incredibly busy, are nice. One perk was that when I asked for a jug of water, they actually brought me a jug. It's so annoying to ask for that and only get a glass of water in return. Personal pet peeve right there!
So, the food. We ordered some 'street food' and one 'platos fuertes' between us. Here's a list of what we got with descriptions:
- Chicken tinga taco (shredded, marinated chicken with chipotle chillies)
- Beef salpicon tostada (tender, shredded aromatic beef with spicy habanero and red onion salsa)
- Chorizo and potato quesadilla (Our special free-range, home-made Mexican chorizo, fresh thyme and steamed potato)
- Chicken taquito (With shredded lettuce, Lancashire cheese and fresh tomato salsa)
- Sauteed greens (tossed with steamed potatoes, fresh lime and smoky caramelised garlic)
- Mole enchilada (one of the seven moles from Oaxaca served enchilada style with shredded chicken)
So the food?
Not brilliant to say the least. Out of all of the dishes I only really liked the crunchy chicken taquito and the chorizo and potato quesadilla. The mole was vile. We were initially intrigued when we were told it had a chocolate and chilli sauce and yet the sauce tasted like perfumed mud. There was really no other way to describe it and I think when our server came, he realised that we hadn't been overly impressed with the food!
The other dishes were also quite poor. Some of them were lukewarm, some tasted soggier than I was expecting and some of the dishes had a funny taste that I couldn't identify. Either way I was eager to pay and get out and get an ice-cream from somewhere else to get rid of the taste. I honestly didn't enjoy it and wouldn't advise anybody to go there for a lunch with friends, business or even a special somebody. It was really that bad!
Damage: £30 I will never get back.
Vitals
Wahaca
Park Pavillion, 40 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5FW
Tel: 0207 516 9145
Website: http://www.wahaca.co.uk/flash/main.html
Nearest tube: Canary Wharf
It's funky inside, with booths, tall stools and conventional tables making the restaurant look a bit different to usual. It makes it much more fun! One wall is glass which looks out over a small park and the staff, although incredibly busy, are nice. One perk was that when I asked for a jug of water, they actually brought me a jug. It's so annoying to ask for that and only get a glass of water in return. Personal pet peeve right there!
So, the food. We ordered some 'street food' and one 'platos fuertes' between us. Here's a list of what we got with descriptions:
- Chicken tinga taco (shredded, marinated chicken with chipotle chillies)
- Beef salpicon tostada (tender, shredded aromatic beef with spicy habanero and red onion salsa)
- Chorizo and potato quesadilla (Our special free-range, home-made Mexican chorizo, fresh thyme and steamed potato)
- Chicken taquito (With shredded lettuce, Lancashire cheese and fresh tomato salsa)
- Sauteed greens (tossed with steamed potatoes, fresh lime and smoky caramelised garlic)
- Mole enchilada (one of the seven moles from Oaxaca served enchilada style with shredded chicken)
So the food?
Not brilliant to say the least. Out of all of the dishes I only really liked the crunchy chicken taquito and the chorizo and potato quesadilla. The mole was vile. We were initially intrigued when we were told it had a chocolate and chilli sauce and yet the sauce tasted like perfumed mud. There was really no other way to describe it and I think when our server came, he realised that we hadn't been overly impressed with the food!
The other dishes were also quite poor. Some of them were lukewarm, some tasted soggier than I was expecting and some of the dishes had a funny taste that I couldn't identify. Either way I was eager to pay and get out and get an ice-cream from somewhere else to get rid of the taste. I honestly didn't enjoy it and wouldn't advise anybody to go there for a lunch with friends, business or even a special somebody. It was really that bad!
Damage: £30 I will never get back.
Vitals
Wahaca
Park Pavillion, 40 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5FW
Tel: 0207 516 9145
Website: http://www.wahaca.co.uk/flash/main.html
Nearest tube: Canary Wharf
Friday, 15 January 2010
Gourmet Burger Kitchen, St Pauls, London
So with some of our colleagues skiing in the Alps this week, a bunch of us decided to go out and have dinner before a game of bowling - Oh help! Wanting somewhere near work, we decided on the Gourmet Burger Kitchen at St Paul's. It's only a five minute walk and has a lovely view (from the front of the restaurant) of the cathedral.
We actually got put in the back of the restaurant as there were 12 of us and I suppose they wanted the front of the restaurant free. It's standard decor-wise, big blackboards with the toppings on, tomato-shaped tomato sauce bottles, knives and forks given out when you arrive. You also have to order your burger at the counter which is where the problems started as we were doing tastelondon and it meant that we had six people on each card and we all had to pay together. Not great when you haven't got change!
The waitress wasn't that nice about it and didn't offer to help. We also had to pay twice: once for our food with 50% off and again for our full-price drinks. She seemed very annoyed, tried to make things more unhelpful and I really don't know why they couldn't have given us a bill at the end of our meal. Fair enough it's not how they do things but for a 12-person table on special offer dining, it would have been a lot more helpful.
So what did we have?
There was a smattering of different choices: Some Thai chicken, satay chicken, classic chicken. Of the beef variety, we had a pesterella (my choice) with added sweet potato, a couple of habaneros and a classic cheese. A nice choice. We also got more than enough chips for everybody and it was ruddy lovely. The burgers tasted lovely and had more than enough flavour: one criticism is that mine was rather sloppy with the pesto mayo and the slippery mozzarella and I could barely pick it up without something falling out of it! I couldn't really taste the burger and I came to the conclusion that actually, less is more when it comes to a nice burger (see my Byron review as an example!)
So did we enjoy it? Everyone seems to have enjoyed their burgers and the service of one waiter made us all smile; he was lovely and made me stop glaring at the original waitress (her with the rude attitude!). The food was quite average and I think if I go again, I'll just have a classic burger.
Damage: About £10/person with tastelondon offer.
Vitals
Gourmet Burger Kitchen - St Paul's
Unit 4, Condor House, St Pauls, Church Yard, London, EC4M8AL
Tel: 0207 248 9199
Website: http://www.gbk.co.uk/
Nearest tube: St Paul's
We actually got put in the back of the restaurant as there were 12 of us and I suppose they wanted the front of the restaurant free. It's standard decor-wise, big blackboards with the toppings on, tomato-shaped tomato sauce bottles, knives and forks given out when you arrive. You also have to order your burger at the counter which is where the problems started as we were doing tastelondon and it meant that we had six people on each card and we all had to pay together. Not great when you haven't got change!
The waitress wasn't that nice about it and didn't offer to help. We also had to pay twice: once for our food with 50% off and again for our full-price drinks. She seemed very annoyed, tried to make things more unhelpful and I really don't know why they couldn't have given us a bill at the end of our meal. Fair enough it's not how they do things but for a 12-person table on special offer dining, it would have been a lot more helpful.
So what did we have?
There was a smattering of different choices: Some Thai chicken, satay chicken, classic chicken. Of the beef variety, we had a pesterella (my choice) with added sweet potato, a couple of habaneros and a classic cheese. A nice choice. We also got more than enough chips for everybody and it was ruddy lovely. The burgers tasted lovely and had more than enough flavour: one criticism is that mine was rather sloppy with the pesto mayo and the slippery mozzarella and I could barely pick it up without something falling out of it! I couldn't really taste the burger and I came to the conclusion that actually, less is more when it comes to a nice burger (see my Byron review as an example!)
So did we enjoy it? Everyone seems to have enjoyed their burgers and the service of one waiter made us all smile; he was lovely and made me stop glaring at the original waitress (her with the rude attitude!). The food was quite average and I think if I go again, I'll just have a classic burger.
Damage: About £10/person with tastelondon offer.
Vitals
Gourmet Burger Kitchen - St Paul's
Unit 4, Condor House, St Pauls, Church Yard, London, EC4M8AL
Tel: 0207 248 9199
Website: http://www.gbk.co.uk/
Nearest tube: St Paul's
Pizza Express - St Pauls, London
On Wednesday (it's been one of those weeks) my good friend and colleague came down to the London office to stay for a night. We decided to go for a Pizza Express before seeing a film and opted for somewhere near the office - Pizza Express St Paul's.
We didn't book but walked straight in and sat down, with our orders placed and drinks on the table ten minutes later. It was quick and the service was all right - I did feel a bit bad that we didn't tip but there was no change and nothing was extraordinary. I don't see the point in tipping people for doing their job - Screw the 12.5% discretionary charge! I could rant all day on how I hate restaurants who point out you haven't paid the full amount. Discretionary is a word that some service staff don't seem to understand and being rude enough to point it out only makes me more determined that I won't pay it.
So... Back to the restaurant and the meal. The restaurant was Pizza-Expressed. We got a leather banquette, table & chair combo which worked quite well but we had two noisy city men next to us talking about how Jewish princesses were difficult. I almost wanted to lean over and give them a tip - Don't call them that! We had starters and main courses, all of which were yummy. We didn't have enough time between starters and mains if I'm being honest but as I was hungry, I could let it slide.
Starters:
- Formaggio bread (Baked dough topped with creamy fontal cheese, tangy caramelised onions and a sprinkle of fresh parsley)
- Baked Dough balls
Mains:
- Pollo Pancetta (Torn chicken breast, yellow peppers, smoked pancetta and fresh parsley. Instead of tomato, this is served on an aromatic sauce made of red and yellow peppers)
- My own pizza: Margherita with prosciutto ham, rocket and baby mozzarella
The food was delish - as you can see! - and filled us up nicely. The dough balls were so hot and tasted like they'd just been baked. Probably my favourite starter although the caramelised onions on the formaggio bread were sweet and tangy. My pizza was well cooked, not burned, and really hit the spot. The dough was almost undercooked and it meant the tomato sauce was sauce-y and not baked on, something which I love. The prosciutto ham was a bit mild taste-wise but the rocket was pepper-tastic and the mozzarella was fresh.
Damage: £17 with a tastelondon 50% off made this meal go from good to great. It was brilliant value and it only makes me remember why I never seem to have a bad meal at Pizza Express.
Vitals
Pizza Express - St Pauls
Condor House, London, EC4M 8AY
Tel: 020 7248 9464
Website: http://www.pizzaexpress.com/
Nearest tube: St Pauls
We didn't book but walked straight in and sat down, with our orders placed and drinks on the table ten minutes later. It was quick and the service was all right - I did feel a bit bad that we didn't tip but there was no change and nothing was extraordinary. I don't see the point in tipping people for doing their job - Screw the 12.5% discretionary charge! I could rant all day on how I hate restaurants who point out you haven't paid the full amount. Discretionary is a word that some service staff don't seem to understand and being rude enough to point it out only makes me more determined that I won't pay it.
So... Back to the restaurant and the meal. The restaurant was Pizza-Expressed. We got a leather banquette, table & chair combo which worked quite well but we had two noisy city men next to us talking about how Jewish princesses were difficult. I almost wanted to lean over and give them a tip - Don't call them that! We had starters and main courses, all of which were yummy. We didn't have enough time between starters and mains if I'm being honest but as I was hungry, I could let it slide.
Starters:
- Formaggio bread (Baked dough topped with creamy fontal cheese, tangy caramelised onions and a sprinkle of fresh parsley)
- Baked Dough balls
Mains:
- Pollo Pancetta (Torn chicken breast, yellow peppers, smoked pancetta and fresh parsley. Instead of tomato, this is served on an aromatic sauce made of red and yellow peppers)
- My own pizza: Margherita with prosciutto ham, rocket and baby mozzarella
The food was delish - as you can see! - and filled us up nicely. The dough balls were so hot and tasted like they'd just been baked. Probably my favourite starter although the caramelised onions on the formaggio bread were sweet and tangy. My pizza was well cooked, not burned, and really hit the spot. The dough was almost undercooked and it meant the tomato sauce was sauce-y and not baked on, something which I love. The prosciutto ham was a bit mild taste-wise but the rocket was pepper-tastic and the mozzarella was fresh.
Damage: £17 with a tastelondon 50% off made this meal go from good to great. It was brilliant value and it only makes me remember why I never seem to have a bad meal at Pizza Express.
Vitals
Pizza Express - St Pauls
Condor House, London, EC4M 8AY
Tel: 020 7248 9464
Website: http://www.pizzaexpress.com/
Nearest tube: St Pauls
Mango Tree - Victoria, London
A surprise email from a friend this Monday led to a dinner at Mango Tree which is one of my favourite Thai restaurants. Although I hate the fact that the hostess says on the phone 'your table is booked from 6.45 to 8.45' as if we're on a flight or something, the food is normally absolutely delicious and served with lots to spare.
The place is as I described last time: Busy, a bit packed in, lots of waiters running around, quick service and quicker turnaround. There's dark wood tables, one very huge very high-ceilinged room and it does get quite noisy.
We learned from our last visit - the desserts are not so brilliant - and ordered starters and mains this time. Although with the extensive menu, it was very hard to choose between the frankly mouthwatering options!
Starters:
- Yum Makuer Yau - Spicy grilled aubergine salad with crispy shallots
- Satay Nuer Luam Mid - Mixed skewers of chicken, lamb and beef served with satay peanut sauce
Mains:
- Gaeng Kiew Wan Gai - Green curry with corn fed chicken
- Nuer Pad Nam Man Hoi - Stir fried sirloin beef fillet with ginger, garlic and spicy soy sauce
- Pad Thai Jay - Stir fried Thai rice noodles in house spicy sauce served with
Chinese chives, peanuts and bean sprouts
- Sticky rice (very very sticky!)
The food was of mixed quality. The spicy grilled aubergine salad was actually more like aubergine with onions and beansprouts on top. It was horribly slimy and I couldn't eat it - Both of us left it after a couple of bites. The satay however was scrummy and the meat was lovely, hot and tasty. The satay wasn't overpowering and with the skewers of meat and the dipping sauce, it meant you could have as much or as little as you'd like.
I really wanted to like the mains. Really. But the meat tasted a bit old, especially the beef. It tasted of that smell you get when it's on the turn and once I recognised what the unusual taste was, I couldn't eat any more of it. It was a shame as it looked beautiful and the onions and red peppers were lovely and the sauce was also very tasty. The chicken curry was spicy and hot, exactly as it had been last time and the pad thai jay - My friend Fliss will tell you that I was a little bit in love with it the first time and this time was no different. Light, gorgeous flavour and more importantly - Huge portions! Next time I'm having chicken pad thai and avoiding the disappointment!
So not as good a trip this time although my strawberry bellini was pretty gorgeous and the pad thai jay was still perfection. We didn't have the dodgy desserts this time but the shouty atmosphere and the old meat made it a not brilliant trip. No tip!
Damage: £45 for two of us inc. a gin & tonic and a bellini (drinks came to £20). You could eat there for under £30 easily with either toptable's 50% off or a tastelondon card.
Vitals
Mango Tree
46 Grosvenor Place, London, SW1X 7EQ
Tel: 020 7823 1888
Website: http://www.mangotree.org.uk/index.php
Toptable listing: http://www.toptable.com/en-gb/venue/?id=1313
Nearest tube: Victoria
Byron - Westfield, London
After a frankly exhausting day shopping at Westfield - note to self: never again on a Saturday - myself and a friend decided that food was necessary. And lots of it! So with this in mind, we trudged off to the food court and decided on Byron because it had the shortest queue and a hamburger sounded like a plan and a half. In fact anything with half a calorie in it would have looked wonderful after the nightmare morning in the abyss of hell that is Westfield shopping centre.
Anyway, I digress. Byron is pretty good for a hamburger joint, certainly as tasty if not tastier than GBK and unlike the popular burger chain, it's much more simplistic topping-wise. A weird feature of the restaurant is that they had model cows dotted around the restaurant which are actual size models. A bit odd when you're eating beef!
So it's a food court-like restaurant, not much atmosphere. Nothing else to say about that. Our waitress was nice even though she was rushed off her feet and our food came really quickly which was brilliant.
So what did we munch on? Well, burgers!
We both had a Monterey Jack cheese burger and then ordered some sides - French fries, onion rings and courgette fries. They also had deliciously-tempting macaroni cheese and skin-on chips but we didn't see them until after we'd ordered and we couldn't add on by then. To be fair, we had enough food for the two of us!
The burgers were yummy and the baps were soft, no awkward cutting into your mouth as you take a big bite which can really put me off. The cheese wasn't overpowering, the food was lovely and fresh and I felt really happy once I'd eaten it (and full!) which was a good sign - There's far too many times where I've eaten a burger and regretted it immediately. The sides were also no let-down. The fries were not greasy but really flavoursome, the onion rings were HUGE and crunchy and the courgette fries were absolutely fantastic. I'm a big fan of courgette wedges - I make them at home a couple of times a week - but the battered versions were crunchy but soft inside. A really nice twist and very well done.
The damage? Not bad. No discount here - booo! - but with two glasses of soft drink, two burgers and three side dishes, the amount came to £30 with a tip. A new place to visit and a really great place to eat. I'd definitely recommend going if you get forced into a trip to Westfield - It'll be the highlight of your day!
Vitals
Byron
The Loft, Westfield Shopping Centre, London, W12 7GF
Tel: 020 8743 7755
Website: http://www.byronhamburgers.com/story/
Nearest tube: White City / Shepherd's Bush
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