London Chow | Where to eat in London

Merchant of Bishopgate Liverpool Street station - slow down and graze

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:15:00 +0000

Address: The Lower Concourse,
Liverpool Street Station
London EC2M 7PY
Tel: 020 7628 6255
Nearest Tube station: Liverpool Street

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £20 pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: ****Train stations in London aren't exactly known for their food. It's mostly a grab and go with most passengers either rushing for trains or milling around the train timetable display. Pasty, sandwich & baguette chains and fast food chains dominate the station lobby. It's literally a copy and paste across all major London train stations.

If my memory serves me right, Liverpool Street station is the only train station in London to have a decent restaurant (Ponte obviously isn't one of them) and a Japanese one at that. Mushi Mushi is packed during lunch hour, its customers coming from the offices in the vicinity.

Unlike Mushi Mushi, the recently opened Merchant of Bishopgate Freehouse and Kitchen occupies the shop space right opposite Boots at Liverpool Street station. While it offers main dishes at around £10 each, steak dishes at £17 and salads at £8.50, its mainstay is its tapas styled menu in a nod to the quick pace its customers have adopted.

These aptly named "Grazer" dishes are categorised broadly under hot and cold sections with the likes of sausages, battered fish and chicken wings in the former and pork scratchings, pie wedges and cheese scones with salmon in the latter.

At either £4 each or three for a tenner, the choice is obvious. We were looking for a light bite and opted for three hot grazers. They arrived quite soon after, obviously a case of being kept warm under a strong spotlight at the kitchen counter. Even then, all three dishes were barely lukewarm so I concluded that by "hot", they merely mean that heat is required to cook the dishes in the first place.

Credit given to Merchant of Bishopgate, the portions were larger than expected. They can easily fill the stomach of two light eaters. The battered fish with gourmet chips being the most substantial. I'm not sure whether battered fish is meant to be served bite size as the satisfaction of sinking one's teeth into them is greatly reduced by the virtue of their sizes. Though the chips were lightly crisp, half of the chippies in London are in fact offering gourmet chips if those are indeed that.

The mini baked cheese and onion potatoes tasted like mashed potato parcels. The onion was overpowered by the cheese, the mix was rather bland if not for the sea salt liberally sprinkled on its side salad. Despite that, the potato parcels tasted oddly satisfying. I'm a salt and carbo junkie, no questions about that.

After cleaning up the sticky wings, which were apparently glazed with Jack Daniel's, I'm convinced that alcohol and roasted wings should be consumed one after another, not together. I'm not sure how the wings were marinated but the glazing did it little justice. It was a better version of the fiasco I had at Banana Tree at St John's Street.

The Merchant of Bishopgate Freehouse and Kitchen, with its chic decor, ample seating space and a large bar area, looks set to be the focal point at Liverpool Street station. Location is king here, so long that the food is passable and priced affordably, people will come. For those waiting for a train and prefer not to hang around at MacDonald's, the Merchant beckons.

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Bill's Cafe Angel Islington - more of a shop than a restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Fri, 11 May 2012 23:56:00 +0000

Address: 9 White Lion Street
London N1 9PD
Tel: 0207 7137272
Nearest Tube station: Angel

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £20 pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: **
Service: *****
Ambience: ****With property agents occupying the prime spots along Islington Upper Street, I am convinced that restauranteurs have finally ran out of places to open up new restaurants in Angel. It seems that the moment one closes, another one springs up in the same location almost instantaneously. What happens when there is simply no available shop space? The search goes into the side streets.

Even though I walk along White Lion Street countless times, I’ve never ever taken note of this indiscreet building opposite this hair saloon (the one that offers a £7 haircut, even that wasn’t spared from inflation as it used to be just £5 four years back) beside Pret.

One fine day when we were walking down that same stretch, we noticed that the ground floor was boarded up. The next thing we know, there is a new restaurant popping up. Bill’s, it’s called. If Crocodile Dundee were to set up a restaurant in the heart of London, this is probably it. There’s this forestry ambience to the façade with bunches of chilli hanging down from the ceiling that one has to consciously avoid in some cases.

Though it’s merely a stone’s throw away from Angel tube station, Bill's is on the wrong side of the road. With no publicity whatsoever, it doesn't get a lot of walk-in customers.

A pity considering that the staff was upbeat and all smiles when we popped by for a quick lunch that day. It was one of those wet Saturday afternoons, the type that you would rather snuggle up in bed watching a rerun of Big Bang Theory - in short, dreary. But with the staff whizzing about, flashing their pearly whites an actually looked like their enjoying themselves, the pitter pattering outside seemed a world away.

In many ways, Bill’s reminds me of Jamie’s Italian just down the road. You'd be forgiven to think that you're in a shop rather than a restaurant. Like Jamie's Italian, Bill's is selling its cookbooks, pots and pans. It goes beyond that - shelves with provisions line a wall displaying bottles of jam, crumble biscuits, oils, vinegar dressings, honey, salsa and even balls of twine. It's like a provision store (albeit a rustic one) that happens to serve food.

My burger (£9.95) was not memorable. Although I've requested for it to be served medium rare, it came out as rather tough. The saving grace was that it was served with skin on chips, something that Byron charges more than £3 for. Then again, Bill's chips weren't exactly Byron's.

Judging solely on its burger, Bill's forte isn't in its food. That said, it triumphs on its laid back and friendly ambience. This is one place for hanging out with the pals. You can run out of things to say but there's always something interesting in the restaurant/shop that'll serve as handy distractions.

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Jin Kichi Japanese Yakitori Hampstead Heath - a smoky cosy place

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:36:00 +0000

Address: 73 Heath Street
London NW3 6UG
Tel: 020 7794 6158
Nearest Tube station: Hampstead

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £15 pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: ***
Service: ****
Ambience: ***Whenever I think of Hampstead Heath, I think of paths filled up chipped stones up the green knolls. It's our weekend getaway when the sun is out for I just love lying down on the slopes with the cool breeze on my face. I just wish LO is old enough for me to roll her down that slope. Wicked me.

Though Hampstead Heath isn't exactly known for its restaurants, the crepes served at Le Creperie de Hampstead remains the best I've come across in London. Louis Patisserie serves interesting cakes but I believe that's about all.

Wife came across Esther Walker's interview, which who mentioned about the Jin Kichi at Hampstead Heath I found myself booking a table at the Japanese yakitori restaurant the very next day. It was a wet weekend but we persevered. Ah, the things that we do for food.

I managed to book a table for two on Jin Kinchi's website, which was rather surprising considering that it looked rather rudimentary. A staff called me back thirty minutes later to confirm my booking. You can count on the Japanese to be efficient.

I like what I saw the moment we stepped in. Jin Kichi's layout reminds me of Tokyo Diner's - if they can squeeze in a seat, they will. Privacy isn't the main concern here but it does lend to the authenticity for space is a premium in Japan itself and the people have a gift of using tight space.

We were seated under the staircase. I couldn't help stealing glances at the chef who was hard at work over the grills. Yakitori is traditionally grilled over charcoal and they lent a smoky finish to the skewered meats. The charcoal grill at Jin Kichi is laid on bricks that had been blacked with soot. Given a choice, I would love to seat on the counter itself. Just so that I can catch a whiff of the sizzling meat before it get sucked up by the ventilator.

For those who wonder how the Japanese people teach their young use chopsticks need not look further than the Japan Centre at Lower Regent Street. There's this learner chopsticks that are attached at one end making sure that the pair of chopsticks do not cross. If only I have one of those when I was a kid. The staff at Jin Kichi promptly fashioned one for LO by tying up a pair of disposable chopsticks using a scrape of paper and a rubber band. How they do that, I do not know but it is truly fascinating.

We ordered a couple of items that we normally do at Bincho, which has opened up a branch at Exmouth Market. The usual - gizzards, tongues, chicken wings and the likes. While Jin Kichi's yakitori fare was done decently, it didn't really stand out for me. With Bincho offering 50% off on Tastecard, I don't really see myself heading to Zone 2 for yakitori.

It didn't help a bit when LO started throwing a fit the moment we stepped out of Jin Kichi afterwards. As if to test Daddy's agility, she threw her ball down Heath Street. For those who are familiar with the area, that's hardly a wise thing to do. It rolled down two streets and was stopped only when a man stopped it at the back of his heel. He did look pretty bemused when a panting chap collected the flowery ball from him later on.

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Bistrot Bruno Loubet Clerkenwell review - a small gesture goes a long way

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:53:00 +0000

Address: St John Square
86-88 Clerkenwell Road
London EC1M 5RJ
Tel: 020 7324 4444
Nearest Tube station: Farringdon / Barbican

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £35 pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: *****
Service: *****
Ambience: ****It's not often when you have a restaurant's waiter calling out to you and gesturing wildly from across the street. Well, probably when you have walked out without paying for your meal but certainly not when you are tossing your little one around with her chuckling wildly at each toss.

"Your food is here, sir!" I could barely make out his words. I gave him a thumbs up and hoist LO up, half trotting back into Bistrot Bruno Loubet. "Did you see me waving to you," Wife asked. No, I didn't but the waiter might have.

The remnants of the snails starter has long been cleared and Wife was nearly done with her roast beef. We love snails, those that come on a platter that is. Contrary to the belief, not all French people like them. P, the Frenchman screwed his face up when I asked him about it. "Those are for tourists," he declared, "besides, they are too squishy for my liking."

We used to go to Sacre de Coeur at Therberton Road to get our escargot fix. After awhile, the snails served there got smaller and tougher, we gave up going there altogether. Suffice to say, Bistrot Bruno Loubet's Mauricette snails and meatballs, royale de champignons (£8.50) comes up tops. Instead of the overpowering garlicky smell, this one comes with meatballs. Odd, you might think but the minced meat's soft texture went hand in hand with the snails' slight rubbery bite. The sauce? Heavenly.

Instead of going for the mains on Bistrot Bruno Loubet's ala carte menu, we went for its Sunday roasts (£15.50) instead. The waiter who served us was raving about it. We can see why when they were served. Instead of dry lean oily fare drenched in watery gravy, Bistrot Bruno Loubet's Sunday roasts was juicy and actually looks inviting. I wouldn't be surprised if there roasts came out from a sous vide water oven in the kitchen. After first seeing it on Heston Blumenthal's show, this is exactly what I would imagine the meat to taste like.

"Here's some mint sauce for the lamb and horseradish sauce for the beef," the waiter quipped as he laid both on the table. If the roast lamb was good, the mint sauce made it absolutely wonderful. It wasn't the thin mint, vinegar and sugar mixture. Instead, it came with chopped bits of cucumber. There was no yogurt involved either. The result was a clear, crunchy mix with a burst of freshness.

I asked the waiter for the recipe. He obligingly rattled it off and assured me that I can find it online. Well, I wasn't able to (but please let me know if you can). To add icing to the cake, he came back later with a big cup of mint sauce. "For you to take away," he handed it to me with a wide grin.

"We have to come back again, the snails alone is worth a visit," Wife said as we walked out of the restaurant after the meal. That goes without saying.

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Waterline Bar Regents Canal review, the right place at the right time

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:22:00 +0000

Address: 46 De Beauvoir Crescent
London N1 5RY
Tel: 020 3119 0037
Nearest Tube station: Haggerston

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £20 pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: ****For far too long, Towpath Cafe has been dominating the pitstop trade along Regent's Canal between Angel Islington and Broadway Market. When the sun is out, with the crowds out in full force and spilling onto the sidewalks, there is only so much coffee and cakes people can have. Waterline, a restaurant and bar, has recently opened up right next to Towpath Cafe.

Waterline is an excellent example of what can be done to a former warehouse (presumably). With its ceilings and internal walls torn off, the unit has been converted to airy restaurant brightly lit by natural light. Like Towpath Cafe, Waterline has provided some seatings on the bank of Regent's Canal. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes a leaf out of Towpath's book by attaching a barge along the bank and plonk some tables there as well.

Although Waterline starts serving lunch only after noon, the entire restaurant floor was filled up by 1pm. the latecomers had to seated at the bar nursing an early cocktail. Despite London's fickle weather, reservation is absolutely necessary if you don't want to wait on a bar stool. Even then, you can amuse yourself with the Guardian and Observer strategically perched on a wall. Either those or the thick tomb of Farclough's Ideal Cookery Book.

Sporting a full menu, it caters to those who are looking for more than a light bite and complements its neighbour in that sense. I pleasantly surprised to find that the pricing is rather reasonable - its Sunday menu offers a two course lunch for £14.95 while a three course lunch goes for £16.95. Considering that its roast lamb mains is going for £14.95, the set meal is a steal.

The omelette with herbs and cheese was a tad dry for my liking. Served with a generous portion of side salad, it is a light meal on its own.

Roast lamb, which is the most substantial of Waterline's Sunday menu, looked rather tired when served. The watery gravy didn't help matters. There was no sign of any mint sauce that might help salvage the meat. In fact, that task fell to the accompanying roast potatoes, broccoli and carrots, which actually tasted quite good.

Seared salmon, on the other hand, was so beautifully presented that it could very well be served from a different kitchen altogether. Flower petals and bobs of sauces dotted the place like an artist palette with a thick slab of nicely done salmon (skin slightly crisped) right at the centre - it felt almost sacrilegious to touch the dish at all.

What sets Waterline apart is the small cinema screening room / studio at the back of the restaurant. Through it, they have baby clubs (screening the likes of Contagion), kids club (i.e. Brother Bear) and adult screenings (i.e. Tucker & Dale vs Evil), it is a haven for those who find Screen on the Green too much of a trek.

Dessert was chocolate mousse. By this time, LO was getting restless and we requested to have it served in the cinema screening room, which the staff gladly obliged. I suspect it was so that they can free up the table for another seating but I can't possibly have any complains about that, can I? Thick and rich, it went well with the sour tinge of the small berries that came with it.

Food clearly isn't Waterline's forte. Being relatively new, there are signs that the setup hasn't properly run in yet - its bread counter set under stairway requires the staff to stoop while slicing bread, other than the lead waiter, the remaining staff while pleasant looked bewildered when it started to get crowded, when enquired about cinema screenings, a staff referred me to the lead waiter saying that "he knows everything".

However, with summer just round the corner and the temperature picking up, I'm sure those who frequent Regent's Canal would overlook all that. If pricing and location are key to a restaurant's success, Waterline has done it just right.

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Market Cafe review Broadway Market - Regent's Canal pitstop

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 05:53:00 +0000

Address: 2 Broadway Market
London E8 4QG
Tel: 020 7249 9070
Nearest Train station: London Fields

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £20 pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: ***I never thought that I would get to taste a zong-zi (rice dumpling) in London's Hackney. Granted that Market Cafe's offering wasn't made of glutinous rice like the ones that we have back home but it did taste uncannily similar.

For one, instead of pork chunks, mushrooms and the occasional roasted chestnut, Market Cafe's had steak and kidney. Instead of being wrapped in glutinous rice, it was a flour pudding.

LO took a look at it and started prodding it with her fork. That amused her for the next ten seconds and she decided that Daddy might have better luck at getting to what was in the inverted bowl shaped pudding.

Market Cafe's steak and kidney pudding (£26) wouldn't look a bit out of place at St John's. In fact, its entire menu that bears the likes of deviled kidneys on toasts (£7), oxtail soup (£6), leek and Montgomery pie (£12) wouldn't.

The steak and kidney pudding was served under the 25 minutes indicated in the menu. It didn't look like it was meant for "two to three" people but looks could be deceiving for it was filled to the brim with, well, steak and kidney chunks. The pudding itself was still floury. Perhaps it was like one of those pies served at Hampton Court where the thick pastry covering was really meant to protect its fillings from being overcooked. But LO was going through it with relish so we were perfectly fine with that.

Market Cafe, which sits at the south end of Broadway Market was packed with customers lapping it all up that Sunday afternoon. With the mild spring weather and sun coming out in full force, they were spilling onto the sidewalk.

With a lunch destination on the list, our walk along Regent's Canal from Angel to Broadway Market has become one of our favourite weekend activity as Spring beckons.

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Hill Bar & Brasserie Haverstock Hill review - nice restaurant round the corner

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:41:00 +0000

Address: 94 Haverstock Hill
London NW3 2BD
Tel: 020 7267 0033
Nearest Tube station: Chalk Farm
Make a reservation
Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £40 pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ***
Service: ****
Ambience: ****London Chow was an invited guest to Hill Bar & Brasserie.

A gastropub often faces this delicate balance between being a pub and a full service restaurant. It has to cater to the casualness of the local hangout place and yet serve dishes that actually tastes decent without the customer being half intoxicated.

The Hill Bar & Brasserie sits along Haverstock Hill, which P and I discovered on a Tuesday evening, is literally an uphill walk from Chalk Farm Tube station. It was a sign that we had forsaken the gym for quite some time. We could have done some stretching prior to that. Not exactly a good start for the evening.

In many ways, The Hill Bar & Brasserie is an ideal gastropub. The entire place was bustling when we stepped in. We see families with young children picking on chips and gourmet burgers on one end of the spectrum and people still decked in their office wear stopping by for a good night out on the other. Loud jazz music filled the background and with the lights gradually dimmed, we were totally sequestered from the busy traffic just outside. Perfect for winding down after a long day.

I knew what I'd go for after having a glance at the rather extensive menu. Starter was crispy squid, I sat back drumming my fingers in feigned impatience over P's indecision. His French palate took over in the end - fresh salt water scallop it was.

The Hill Bar's crispy squid (£8.50) was surprisingly good. After tasting quite a few samples of crispy squids, I realise that there are just two main categories of the dish. The first sees the squid thickly cut, barely battered and flash fried. The outcome is a juicy and chewy (not rubbery) bite that leaves you wanting more. The second is thin rings that resemble onion rings churned out at fast good chains, fried to a crisp to hide the fact that there is more batter than squid. In fact, they are only on the menu only because the owner feels that the menu can do with a squid dish.

Served with pea shoot and spiced tomato sauce, The Hill's crispy squid clearly belonged to the first category. The peppery batter wet my appetite for the mains and I had to fought off P's marauding fork more than once.

In comparison, P's fresh salt water scallop (£9) looked less appealing. The translucent thinly sliced scallop was tossed with what looked like sliced white tuber. Perhaps I am a bit too used to pan fried scallops, the texture of the saltwater scallop was rather unexciting.

The selection of mains was pretty straightforward - with a name like The Overboard Burger (£14.50), it was small wonder. That was a typical case of good things come small. A palm size hand crafted patty mashed with lobster, prawn and crayfish topped with a rich lobster mayo summed it up. Absent was the familiar meaty flavour but that was the whole point, wasn't it? One thing was for sure, you could catch a whiff of the lobster the moment you cut through the patty.

P was in the mood for some red meat. His fillet steak (£23.50 - 8oz) done medium rare was served with chunks of skin on potato wedges and deep fried onion rings. Concealed within the batter were whole juicy onion rings and they took off the edge of the steak itself. The knife sliced cleanly into the steak but there was this lingering bland taste. Perhaps a spot of butter, a generous grinding of pepper and salt would do the job just fine.

One of P's favourite dessert is the double chocolate brownie at the now defunct Curve Bar and Restaurant. He was literally torn between Hill Bar's warm chocolate brownie (£5.50) and white chocolate and raspberry crème brulee (£5.50). I was in a generous mood and offered to go for the other one once he made his choice.

Even with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, the chocolate brownie could be more moist. All was not lost though. Once the ice-cream melted, it seeped through the brownie's crevices and all was well again. The chef must had been a bit trigger happy with his blowtorch on the crème brulee. The caramalised top was thicker than it should be. But once we managed to break through the burnt sugar, the creamy milk chocolate sweetened with raspberry was tantalizing.

To the locals, The Hill Bar must be like the perfect 'nice place by the corner' where you would go for the occasional treat. With its generous menu, it's unlikely that you would be tired of its offerings. Granted, it might be a tad highbrow and lack the certain grit that characterises the local pub but I do know that it's exactly the type of place that I would like to be in the neighbourhood.
Make a reservation

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Hock Lam Beef Noodles Seah Street Singapore - the banner says it all

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 02:45:00 +0000

Address: 38 Seah Street
Tel: +65 6339 9641
Nearest MRT station: Esplanade, City Hall

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below S$10 pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: ***
Service: **
Ambience: ***I make it a point to drop by Raffles Hotel every time I'm in Singapore. As far as dim sum goes, the ones at Royal China, which is on the first floor (as in the second storey) of Raffles Hotel probably gives me the biggest bang for my buck. While it doesn’t offer the traditional trolley service that Yum Cha or Da Dong Lou do, the dim sum served at Royal China is of a fair standard. I can certainly be assured of having a quiet meal if I am to avoid the 1pm-2pm lunch hour rush.

This time round, I didn’t feel like having dim sum. Instead we took a stroll down Seah Street, which runs along the northeastern side of Raffles Hotel, hoping to grab some roti prata at one of the Indian Muslim stalls along that stretch. But something caught my eye just as I was about to step into the prata stall.

There was a banner right at the end of the shophouse row that reads “Hock Lam Street – popular beef kuay teow”. Believe it or not, I didn’t realize that it was a chain stall at that point in time. The idea of having a pipping hot kuay teow soup with thin beef slices suddenly became rather appealing.

On hindsight, I should have known. Hock Lam Street Beef Kuay Teow seemed too put together to be a one off stall. Accolades on newspaper cuttings and old photos (presumably of the original stall owner) filled the walls. Other than having the option of either the soup or dry variety, big or regular sized, I had to decide which type of noodles (thin, thick, flat, egg, rice) I wanted with my beef. It almost felt like Starbucks.

Our beef kuay teow soup arrived moments after we placed our orders. At S$6 for the regular portions, it was rather reasonably priced. The beef slices, still pink, had been barely dipped into the boiling soup. Just the way I imagined it to be. Both shrimp and chilli pastes were available upon request. The chilli’s heat had been somewhat toned down - if I could down that without breaking a sweat, it had to be. The kuay teow was rather limp. I had to literally spooned them in.

"Formerly at Purvis Street" also read Hock Lam's banner. There's a certain fascination about where a particular stall is at. There is a reason why restaurants and eateries in Singapore resisted plucking up and relocate despite increasing rents over the years - people have come to associate the location with quality. Thus Hock Lam proundly proclaimed that it was the beef kuay teow stall at Purvis Street, even though its current location along Seah Street is mere metres away.

Other than a group of Koreans who were chatting noisily away over their cool lime juice, we were the only ones at Hock Lam that afternoon. A fitting last lunch in Singapore I suppose. With a bowl of hot beef soup settling nicely in my stomach, I was all ready for the sub-ten degrees temperature of London.

This is a collection of food posts from a recent visit to Singapore. Also look out for Malaysian Food Street, Ayam Penyat Ria and Wok & Barrel.

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Wok and Barrel Duxton Hill Singapore - street fare lost in translation

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:15:00 +0000

Address: 13 Duxton Hill
Tel: +65 6220 0595
Nearest MRT station: Outram Park

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below S$40 pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: ***
Service: ****
Ambience: ***There's this mental barrier about going to a fancy restaurant for the humble dishes that can be had for a pittance at hawker centre. Well, not exactly a pittance with the inflation these days (coming from London, I actually felt Singapore is getting too expensive for me).

Picture this, would you fancy paying S$20 for a bowl of bar chor mee (minced pork noodles)? At the equivalent of £10, it even topped the price of the same dish at London's Bugis Street Brasserie. It might very well be minced secreto Iberico and handmade noodles but it is still bar chor mee.

We made it a point to check out some interesting eats whenever we return to Singapore. Not the Michelin starred ones as I think the premium that one would have to pay for them (easily S$400 per head or £200) in Singapore is really over the top. Instead, we would look out for some resturants by homegrown chefs. Last time round, it was Candlenut Kitchen. For this trip, we were at Wok & Barrel.

The name Wok & Barrel conjures up the image of a warm kichen, clanging of pots and woks, with pipping hot dishes on the counter ready to be served. The restaurant at the end of a terrace row along Duxton Hill is anything but. Clean cut, with chill out sofa area up front, a counter top with bottles of beer for the lone diner, and an almost white interior with free wifi access to boot, Wok & Barrel effused chicness.

Apparently, enough people love it to the extent that it is fully reserved for a weekday evening. Fortunately, we made our reservation before leaving London (we have learnt our lesson after The Slanted Door. Our dinner mates (there were two of them) were less enthusiastic about dining at Wok & Barrel. Can't blame them really, I would have baulked at the prices if I could have the dishes at a fraction of the prices at my office's canteen or the local hawker centres. But the fact is that I couldn't and they were about to deprive me of that.

While we just couldn't bring ourselves to order the S$20 bar chor mee, we did ask for more interesting dishes like wagyu beef rendang and bak kwa ribs. One revelation after tasting the wagyu beef rendang (S$18) is that highly marbled beef cuts is wasted on a rendang dish. Substituting wagyu beef with either beef cheeks or shin, which costs a fraction compared to wagyu beef, would do the job just the same if not better. For some reason, the wagyu's texture just couldn't cut through the curry paste.

Bak kwa ribs (S$32) was up next. Roasted with five spice powder and honey among other condiments, it did remind me of the salty sweet jerky, traditional delicacy popular in Singapore and Malaysia especially during Chinese New Year. That said, any lovers of bak kwa would tell you that it is the amount of fat in the jerky that matters. In that respect, Wok & Barrel's bak kwa ribs had little. If there was, it certainly wasn't sealed in. This dish is strictly for the health conscious. For lovers of bak kwa, you might be better off spending S$32 on the actual snack at Chinatown instead.

We couldn't resist the otak otak (S$6.90). Unlike the normal mix mesh that one can still get from peddlers on the bottom of some HDB flats, Wok & Barrel used a whole John Dory fillet. While I appreciated the distinct coconut aroma, I thought the rempah paste smeared on the otak could be less creamy.

Five spice pork's (S$9.90) portion was small to say the least. That was our first (and probably only) impression of the dish. Served in a bowl probably better used for the likes of chilli paste, the dish wasn't the most appetizing looking. You'd probably need one each to properly savour the taste.

Even with a portion of nasi lemak (S$1.90) each, we were still far from filled. Chicken wings (S$8), grilled brinjal and chilli (S$5.90) soon follow. To be honest, the nasi lemak was rather good. It wasn't oily and was evenly cooked, suitably infused with coconut oil. Two chilli pastes were laid on seperate slices of cucumber - one salty and the other sweet. That was the first time I have come across nasi lemak featuring the two distinct chilli pastes in a single serving. I was beginning to think whether we would be better off if we had each ordered a nasi lemak, chicken wings and chilli brinjal each.

The highlight of the day was the puloh hitam cake (S$8.90). Topped with Melaka butterscotch and served coconut ice-cream, it wasn't overly sweet and the smooth coconut ice-cream was rather soothing to the palate. "It's the only dish I like," one of my dinner mate muttered. While I wouldn't be that harsh, it was definitely one of the better pulau hitam that I have come across.

"How can I let you leave Singapore without having tasted our signature dish?" a jolly staff exclaimed with a wide grin as he placed a complementary plate chendol on the table. Earlier, we did mention in passing that we were back for a couple of days and terribly missed the local delights when asked whether it was our first time at Wok & Barrel.

"Shendol delight" (S$6.90), named after the Wok & Barrel's banker turned chef Shen Tan, is her intepretation of chendol, a popular traditional dessert in this part of the world. Incidentally, I tasted my first chendol as a kid at a roadside stall in Muar (a town in Johor, Malaysia). I recalled being a bit apprehensive when I saw the green slimy worm like jelly bits swimming in coarsely grounded ice. My uncle, who bought me the dessert, ordered it topped with extra condensed milk. I fell in love with chendol immediately.

Instead of ice and condensed milk, the same green jelly worms in Wok & Barrel's 'shendol' rested on a coconut panna cotta with gula Melaka syrup dribbled over it. As with its pulau hitam, it was served with a scoop of coconut ice-cream. I thought that the jelly was a tad salty and the coconut was over the top but it did bring back some fond memories of me chewing on the chendol jelly along the dusty side street in Muar.

Frankly, I'm not sure whether I would be returning to Wok & Barrel. To me, there should be a certain grit attached to these dishes I grew up with and having them so dressed up just didn't do it for me. With Maxwell Market (a popular hawker centre) a short stroll away, I find it hard to believe that Wok & Barrel would pull many hardcore fans of the street fare it served from the hawker centres. However, if you would like a taste of Singapore without the hassle and sweltering heat, Wok & Barrel is probably it.

This is a collection of food posts from a recent visit to Singapore. Also look out for Malaysian Food Street, Ayam Penyat Ria and Hock Lam Street Beef Kuay Teow.

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Ayam Penyat Ria Lucky Plaza - smashed Indonesian Malay fried chicken anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:56:00 +0000

Address: 304 Orchard Road,
Lucky Plaza #01-45
Tel: +65 6235 6390
Nearest MRT station: Orchard Road

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below S$10 pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: ****
Service: N/A
Ambience: **I am always amazed at the queues in front of ice-cream stands at St James' Park in the middle of winter. Even with a mini blizzard blowing, the penchant for a frozen cone remain undaunted. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised for I had a sudden craving for Malay style deep fried chicken while strolling along Singapore'a Orchard Road under the blazing sun during a recent trip back home.

Orchard Road isn't exactly the place to go for deep fried chicken. It's like hunting for a good eel pie in the middle of Oxford Street. Wife promptly messaged her Malay pal, M. It took her just two minutes to reply. "Definitely try Ayam Penyat Ria at Lucky Plaza" read her reply. Lucky Plaza was just a five minute stroll from where we were. Brilliant.

We had a harder time trying to locate the shop once we stepped into Lucky Plaza but we did locate the information counter. "I'm looking for a Malay restaurant... just can't remember the name. It starts with Ayam (chicken in Malay) something..." I started fumbling for M's reply. "Ayam Penya Riat?" the receptionist helpfully suggested, "it's at the first right ahead." She must have spent many lunches over there.

Ayam Penyat Ria (an Indonesian restaurant to be precise) was still undergoing refurbishment when we were there. There were signs all over pointing to a side entrance though. With its kitchen confined to one end, the payment counter set up right next to the entrance with a sizable spartan seating arrangement, it reminded me of a factory canteen. The only difference is that you wouldn't need to actually need to queue up for your food.

After a full meal at Grandma's (restaurant at the basement of Paragon) and with plans to have another meal at Orchard Central's Nolboo, we were really just looking for a light bite. We got a sayap penyat (smashed chicken wings). At S$6, it was quite reasonably priced with two wings, tauhu goreng (fries bean curd), potato chunks and a dash of chilli. All that resting on a serving of kangkong (a semi-aquatic tropical leaf vegetable).

I'm still not convinced that the wings were "smashed". I can handle spatchcock chicken but the wings looked in perfect form to me. But the turmeric used to marinate them was unmistakable, something that the Chinese seem not to have gotten round using. If there was any doubts lingering, the chilli surely dispelled that. Instead of using Thai sweet chilli, Ayam Penyat Ria's was the salty variety, something my Indonesian and Malaysian friends should be more familiar with.

The sayap penyat certainly wasn't caked with battering like your local KFC. Nor was it limp. It wasn't oily too. It was almost like a guilt free sin trip. Throw bean curd and greens into the mix and I almost felt like I was having a healthy snack. Never mind that the bean curd was fried too.

Too top it up, we got an avocado juice (S$4.20). Compared to the fried chicken wings, that was a small fortune. At least that was what I thought before I tasted the gula Melaka (coconut palm sugar). Most hawker centre stalls peddling avocado juice would sweeten the drink with surgery syrup. The gula Melaka with its deeply satisfying succinct sweetness makes all the difference.

Singapore's Orchard Road stretch isn't really all about fine dining, food courts and fast food restaurants. You just have to scratch the surface to find delightful eating spots such as Ayam Penyat Ria. If you are ever in need, just ask the receptionist where she's having lunch.

This is a collection of food posts from a recent visit to Singapore. Also look out for Malaysian Food Street, Hock Lam Beef Kuay Teow and Wok & Barrel.

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Malaysian Food Street at Singapore Resort World Sentosa - a whiff of nostalgia

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:09:00 +0000

Missing me? I was back home for a couple of weeks and took the time to visit some of the eating spots. Here're some of them where I actually got my camera along.

Address: 8 Sentosa Gateway
Tel: +65 6577 8899
Nearest MRT station:
Harbour Front

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below S$10 pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: ***
Service: N/A
Ambience: ****There were two Singaporean entries belonging to two extreme ends of the social spectrum in Patricia Schultz's 1000 Places to See Before You Die: Raffles Hotel - the luxurious colonial era hotel right smacked in the middle of City Hall (picture sipping cocktail surrounded by palm trees in an oasis of calmness amid the mad rush just beyond a wall, and the humble hawker centres - the collection of street food housed under covered compounds that can be found in most if not all the housing estates in Singapore.

Over the years, hawker centres gradually migrated into shopping malls in the form of air conditioned food courts. Basically carbon copies of each other, the street food of the old is now being served in a more comfortable setting at a premium.

It's no surprise that Resort World Sentosa is jumping into the fray as well. The newest addition to the food scene in Sentosa is the Malaysian Food Street, which is just next to the main entrance of Sentosa's Universal Studios theme park.

Not wanting to be "just another food court", Malaysian Food Street brings the most famous Malaysian street hawker fare under one roof. Names that include KL Jalan Alor Hokkien Mee, Penang Ah Long Lor Bak, Petaling Street Famous Porridge, Ampang Tong Tau Foo, Malacca Chicken Rice Ball, just to name a few.

Ampang Yong Tau Foo....

with a bowl of yam rice...

and some dim sum....

... with a cup of milk tea

The most striking has to be the facade. The old shophouses feel has been realistically replicated with the stalls on the "ground floor". It is like stepping right into the heart of the old Malaysian streets of the 1970s. You can almost imagine the hustle and bustle with clanking of pots and pans, and hungry customers chattering over dinner. The only thing amiss is the cool air conditioning and the constantly revolving Universal Studio globe less than thirty metres away.

If Sentosa is to have a food court, it might as well be the Malaysian Food Street. Never mind the irony of having Malaysian hawkers right at the doorstep of an island proud its own food heritage. Frankly, there can only be so many Food Republics (food court chain run by Singapore's BreadTalk). If there has to be a food court on Sentosa, it might as well be Malaysian Food Street. Looks like Sentosa World Resort has scored again. I wouldn't be surprised if there are people who would take the rail shuttle into Sentosa just for lunch going forward.

Read also Ayam Penyat Ria, Hock Lam Street Beef Kuay Teow and Wok & Barrel.

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Chiswell Street Dining Rooms review - some service please!

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:29:00 +0000

Address: 56 Chiswell Street
London EC1Y 4SA
Tel: 020 7614 0177
Nearest Tube station:
Moorgate, Barbican
Make a reservation
Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £30 pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ***
Service: **
Ambience: ****You have to admit Chiswell Street is an odd place to have a full service restaurant. The street, which serves as a conduit between Finsbury Square and Barbican, also hosts EAT, Currys, and a number of dull looking office blocks.

It so happened that we were in the area on a Saturday noon. Frankly, after an entire week of egg mayonnaise sandwich at Pret, I would very much prefer not to lunch at EAT. Thankfully, Chiswell Street Dining Rooms rode to the rescue.

Well, barely really. The staff were in the midst of preparing the main dining area for lunch so we settled down at the bar area instead. We hardly saw the staff after we were shown to our table. There was absolutely no one in the bar area save us. Which was rather curious as the main entrance to the restaurant is through the bar. True enough, there were at least two couples who walked in, took a glance around and left when there was no one to greet them.

"Fish and shellfish handselected from Billingsgate Market" - stated prominently on the menu, always perceived to be a hallmark of excellence in London. With Steve Hatt just round the corner of our place, we hardly have fish outside these days. Instead, I opted for a burger; I needed something heartier to cheer me up with the chill building up outside.

The Dexter beef burger (£16) came with applewood smoked cheddar, bacon and tomato chutney with a serving of French fries on a small Staub casserole. Though it packed a mouthful, it didn't match up to what I had at Princess of Shoreditch. Topped with barely toasted sesame covered buns, the burger was served cold. Perhaps the kitchen was trying to serve it together with the pie but one thing was for sure, the burger was left far too long on the serving table.

The Herefordshire snail and smoked bacon pie (£9.50), on the other hand, arrived pipping hot. With bits of snail and bacon sloshing in Guinness and mushroom cream sauce, it was something that I can get used to. I was a bit disappointed that the pie was only half filled - it would be brilliant if there was some potato chunks or even slices of bread to soak up the gravy.

After being corrected by a French pal that tart tartin should be pronounced as "tar tar", I am absolutely fascinated with the dessert. "Let's go for the pear tart tartin," I declared almost pompously after glancing through the dessert menu, taking care to pronounce it right. Wife wasn't impressed. Neither was the staff who finally appeared after a long while, probably to see whether we have left without settling the bill.

From my limited knowledge of the dessert, pear tart tartin is normally presented in two main ways - either sliced and laid out like an upturned tart or chopped right in the middle. Chiswell Street Dining Rooms serves the latter. Its pear tart tartin (£6.50) came accompanied by a scoop of blue cheese ice-cream and candied walnuts (three of them to be precise). The blue cheese ice-cream was a first for me. Almost like Marmite, it takes some getting used to. But the walnut and sticky sugar honey mixture more than made up for it.

Chiswell Street Dining Rooms' service, when we eventually got it, was politely lacklustre. Not only the staff forgot our request for tapwater, our mocha was served without the Rococo chocolate stick, which dawned to us moments after the mocha was served. The waiter was nowhere to be found and we had to go into the main dining area to hunt for him.

That said, you might be pleased to know that Chiswell Street Dining Rooms also serves breakfast, which include items like porridge oats (£5.50) and eggs benedict (£7.50). Also, I noticed a small dining room on the first floor, which is perfect if you hosting a private dinner. From what I gather, you would get a dedicated staff you dine in the room. Surely that must be an incentive.
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Princess of Shoreditch - British royalty exuding an old world charm

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:57:00 +0000

Address: 76-78 Paul Street,
London EC2A 4NE
Tel: 020 7729 9270
Nearest Tube station: Old Street
Make a reservation
Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £20 pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ****
Service: ****
Ambience: ****In the end it was The Princess of Shoreditch that got our custom. We were milling around Old Street looking for some semblance of lunch or at least a heavy brunch; we had unwisely skipped breakfast again. It was one of those crisp cold Saturday morning, with ten minutes to spare before noon beckoned.

"Why not you come in first and have a drink? Lunch starts in a couple more minutes," the waiter at Princess of Shoreditch suggested affably. Just a moment ago, the reception we got from Yard, the pizzeria just metres away, was starkly different. "We aren't open yet," the lone staff mumbled before returning to setting the tables.

Despite the new developments that is slowing creeping from Angel to Old Street in recent years, Shoreditch still retain much of its East end quirky charm. The visitor would be intrigued at the surprises thrown up at every single turn. True enough, there were a sightseeing group led by a volunteer, which went past window while we lunched.

Unlike Yard,which is prominently located at the junction, Princess of Shoreditch is tucked at the corner of Paul Street and Willow Street. It felt like stepping into a bygone era as I pushed through the door. Soft ballroom music played in the background with a winding staircase leading up to more dining area on the first floor fully exuding the old world feel.

Lunch was an 8oz shin of Aberdeen Angus beef burger (£10.95). I am still undecided whether it was the thick succulent patty or the white truffle mayo that did the trick. Then again, it might be the foie gras chutney and the perfectly toasted buns.

The beef burger at Princess of Shoreditch, with its pickles served seperately in a dainty glass container and hand cut chips, is by far one of the most satisfying burger that I have come across.

The beer battered fish and chips (£12.95) - pollack and hand cut chips in this case, paled in comparison. While I couldn't fault the freshness of the fish, it was clear that the kitchen tried to disguise the paltry size of the serving by over battering it. Nearly half of it was flour, not exactly appetising I must say.

We were glad that we decided to give a go at the dessert for the sticky toffee pudding (£5.75) was heavenly. Topped with a good size scoop of vanilla ice-cream, it was light on the palate. I can't ask for a better pudding.

The service was attentive thought I'm sure the fact that we were the only ones there helped. Water was topped up at regular intervals (from a retro metallic can no less) without request. For obvious reasons, I'm really glad that we decided to give Yard a miss.
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YiPin China Islington Liverpool Road - a decent Chinese restaurant in Angel Islington at long last

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 06:26:00 +0000

Address: 70-72 Liverpool Road,
London N1 0QD
Tel: 020 7354 3388
Nearest Tube station: Angel

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £20 pp
Service charge: 10%
Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: **There's simply no decent Chinese restaurant in Angel Islington. The Chinese takeaways don't count and so is Young's Restaurant, which I have always suspected to be a front for money laundering. I was surfing online for new restaurant openings when I stumbled upon YiPin China, purported to be a Hunanese restaurant, newly opened along Liverpool Road occupying the shop vacated by Di Monforte.

Having acted earlier on a pal's recommendation, we went all the way to Golders Green to check out Hunan Xiang Cai Guan. That was my first experience with Hunanese cuisine. While the food was decent, I would think twice about trekking halfway across London just for a meal there. YiPin China, on the other hand, is a stone's throw from my place so there's absolutely no excuse for checking it out.

Newly opened less than a month ago, YiPin China seems to be in a hurry to start its business. Minimal effort is spent in the restaurant's decor - some paintings from Di Monforte are still on its walls, a glass cabinet beside a dining table is used to store the odd file, even the background Italian opera music remains unchanged.

That said, if there's ever a Michelin star awarded for beautifully laid out menus, YiPin China would probably be short listed for that. No expense was spared for its menu - large close up photos of the dishes filled its pages, terrific for those who prefer to know exactly dishes like "twice cooked pork" and "bears' paw beancurd" look like.

Faced with the myriad of choices, we were lost and asked the staff to recommend some Hunanese specialties. "Well, Sichuan and Hunan cuisines are basically from the same family," she qualified and proceeded to go through some of the more popular items with us. While I'm not sure whether that's accurate, I must add that other than Hunanese dishes, YiPin China's menu also features some of the more common Sichuan and Cantonese names too. Yes, they do have sweet and sour pork if you are wondering.

First up, man-and-wife offal slices (£6.90), lest you think it's another scene out of Nightmare on Elm Street, it's another instance of direct translation. The cold dish comprised of slices of beef, beef offal and beef tongue, which would probably categorised under Waitrose's "forgotten cuts" section. Once you get that past that queasy feeling, the gritty texture of this peppery dish complements the other spicier numbers pretty well. Not exactly aesthetically pleasing, this isn't for the fainthearted.

Bear's paw bean curd in spicy sauce (£7.20) has always been my all time favourite. It's difficult to go wrong a with beancurd (homemade in this case), pork slices and fungus light stir fry. The bean paste based gravy was a tad salty for my liking.

Stewed beef brisket (£9) is a tricky affair - it can get a bit tough if not done well. Unfortunately, YiPin China's tilted towards that category. Heavily marinated, the five spices came through strongly. You can down a serving of white rice just with this dish.

Dan dan mian (£3.80) was a bit of a let down to be honest. We actually thought that the noodles were sourced from the supermarkets though the staff assured us otherwise. The thick egg noodles with a hint of springiness was tossed in perhaps a spoonful of minced pork and chilli oil. The noodles dish tasted disparate; the gravy, if you could call it that, seemed like an afterthought.

Dessert was pumpkin cakes (£5.80) and they turned out as delectable as the picture on the menu suggested. Unlike the common ones filled with pumpkin paste, those at YiPin China come with a large cavity with a thin layer of paste at its base. Served pipping hot, those pumpkin cakes are probably the best that I have ever tried.

Even though it has opened for less than a month, YiPin China was filled that weekend afternoon, many of whom were passerby curious about the newest restaurant in the neighbourhood. I'm as glad as any to have a decent Chinese restaurant nearby. My only issue with YiPin China is that instead of offering an itemised bill, the final figure is scribbled on a scrap of paper - not exactly the most convenient for verification (read about Ute's experience at Petrus).

That said, like most Chinese restaurants, YiPin China opens seven days a week from 11.30am till 10.30pm. It also offers a one dish lunch menu (mostly a meat dish and rice for just £5.50), perfect if you're looking for a quick meal. I'm already looking forward to my next visit, and the pumpkin cakes.

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Jamie Oliver Fifteen London Restaurant - food with a heart

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:47:00 +0000

Address: 76 Broadway, London E8 4QJ
Tel: 020 7254 5599
Nearest Tube station: Old Street
Make a reservation
Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £20 pp (Lunch Express menu)
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ****
Service: ***
Ambience: ***As always, there was a flurry of books publication just before Christmas and a great number of them are cookery books. I can never understand why people would crack their head at coming out with the bestselling thriller when a collection of recipes (even mediocre ones) would do the trick.

People would be surprised to know that other than J.K. Rowling (of Harry Potter series) Jamie Oliver is one of the all time bestselling British authors. Never thought that the bunch of teenage wizards at Hogworts would be matched by some roasted chicken, would you? A fictitious story can only stretch so far without the author running out of ideas but the same cannot be said of a recipe. Switch lemon thyme for scented thyme and free range chicken for the corn fed variety and you get a totally new recipe for the (new) book. Jamie Oliver published Jamie's Great Britain (his 12th book) just before Christmas and they're have been flying off the shelves since then.

"Have you tried Fifteen yet?" an acquaintance asked me during a social gathering some time back. I told her I did when I first came to London and I thought the food was a bit overpriced and overrated. "Well, I do like the concept behind Fifteen," she added after a moment of silence.

Jamie's Fifteen is known for two things - it's open for the entire day (few big name restaurants do breakfasts) and it provides on the job training for under privileged young adults, which gives them a foot up onto a professional career. In the restaurant, there is a wall with photos of underpreviledged young adults that have worked there and all bills come with a quid contribution to Fifteen's Apprentice Program. I'm all for businesses giving back to the society and I guess we can a bit more of this targeted assistance with all the austerity measures taking place. Without meaning to sound patronizing, that's probably the best quid I've spent that week.

And I take back my words about a meal at Jamie's Fifteen costing a fortune. With its £15 Lunch Express, it is definitely more affordable than many of Jamie's other restaurants (yes, I'm referring to the Jamie's Italian chain).

For £15 (no coincidence I suppose), I got Fifteen's "Signature" Antipasti, which in every sense of the word, truly special. Salami, onions, abergine, beetroot, olives, mozerella - it was both aesthetically pleasing and tasted a treat. To be honest, I could do with more than the two tiny slices of ciabatta that came with the antipasti.

What the antipasti lack in carbohydrates was more than made up for in the main dish. Its malfalda pasta with beef ragu was simply massive. The pasta was somewhat boring and lacked the finesse of the antipasti but when it came to filling up the stomach, it did its job well.

I have the bad habit of tinkering around with my phone in the middle of a meal and was surprised to note that Fifteen actually offers free Wifi access, something that isn't well publicised. I would expect any other restaurant would probably plaster "free wifi" signs all over.

The staff at Fifteen could be more upbeat (I'm spoilt by those at Islington's Jamie Italian) but the restaurant tucked in a side road off London's City Road provides the much needed cheer in the area. Its Lunch Express has just upped its game a bit.
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Fulushou Restaurant - The Casino at The Empire

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:48:00 +0000

Address: 5 - 6 Leicester Square,
London WC2H 7NA
Tel: 020 3014 1000
Nearest Tube station: Leicester Square,
Piccadilly CircusThis is a guest post provided by Drew Remington.

If you drop into The Casino at the Empire (one of the top UK casinos) for a little poker or slots action you’ll have great choices when it comes to dining options, one of them is Fulushou Restaurant dishing up great meals for patrons. If you can’t tear yourself away from the tables there’s also a players menu available serving up standard quick casino fare such as burgers, chicken wings, and salads.

Fulushou is an Asian-fusion restaurant that offers traditional Chinese and Asian cuisine in a relaxed and affordable setting, with the open kitchen design letting you see the chefs at work preparing your meal. Fulushou means “good fortune”, and consider yourself very lucky indeed because you will surely have an Oriental dining experience. Head chef Wai was born in the Kowloon province of Hong Kong and formerly the premier sous chef at China Tang inThe Dorchester Hotel, with his menu including items such as Char Sui pork, West Lake beef soup, and aromatic crispy duck.

The pan-Asian menu offers “small plate” servings like vegetarian spring rolls, tiger prawn tempura, and wortip (grilled pork dumplings) . But if you're the kind who has a big appetite, the noodle dishes like mee goreng and yasai ramen are must tries. A perfect way to end a night in the Fulushou is by trying their unique desserts like apple and banana fritters with vanilla ice-cream or exotic fruits in five spice syrup.

The Casino At The Empire is also part of the Food for Thought program, which lets diners choose to have 99p added to their bill to buy a tree to offset the carbon footprint of their meal. Food for Thought, operated by the Green Earth Appeal in partnership with the United Nations Environmental Programme, donates trees in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Internet casinos and other brick-and-mortar casinos have offered similar carbon offset programs, giving gamblers an easy way to give a little back to the environment and help a great cause.

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Cat and Mutton Pub Broadway Market - light at the end of the tunnel

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:09:00 +0000

Address: 76 Broadway, London E8 4QJ
Tel: 020 7254 5599
Nearest Train station: London Fields
Make a reservation
Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £15 pp
Service charge: N.A
Taste: ****
Service: ***
Ambience: ***One of my favourite walks is the stretch of Regents Canal between Angel and Cat & Mutton Bridge (I kid you not). It's a relatively serene path shared by a couple of like minded strollers, joggers and cyclists, practically all weather and dotted with pitstops along the way.

I can imagine when LO grows up, she would want to know how the canal locks work when we walk down the same path. So if your boat is going down the canal and you're working the locks, don't be alarm if you notice someone staring intently at the entire process, it's just so that he would not appear like an idiot in front of his little one.

We usually end the walk right at Broadway Market. This east London market, which sits just south of London Fields, is untouched by the high street chains and filled with quirky eateries, restaurants and shops. I had my first jellied eel over at Broadway Market's F.Cooke's Pie and Mash Shop (established in 1900). It was, well, interesting.

Right at the end of Broadwalk Market is Cat & Mutton, a family friendly pub of sorts. During weekends, you would see a disproportionate number of baby prams and strollers crammed into the pub. I marvel at how some parents are able to maneuver the contraption, some of which can be mistaken as a small tank, along the small passageway between the heavy benches.

For those who would rather not embarrass themselves attempting, there are always the benches outside. Having a pram in full view always nudge you to do the sensible thing. That afternoon I had a linguini with a cup of breakfast tea, which is just about the most sensible thing to do on a 7C sunny afternoon.

It helps that the linguini (£8.50) was marvelous. The combination of blue cheese sauce and well cooked aberguine topped with rockets and a sprinkle of nut bits ("pecan" Wife muttered her approval) left me wanting for more. And I would if not for my new year's resolution of shedding off the persistent pound.

The service at Cat & Mutton was rather warm provided you got their attention. They were definitely short staffed that afternoon with the lone server (as far as I could tell) lurching from table to table. I resorted to asking the kitchen staff for a new fork (LO decided to play 'missile' with mine) and he certainly didn't look too pleased.

Despite that, the pub, which can be traced all the way back to the 1700's, with it unpretentious and decent food remains my light of the tunnel for my almost monthly trip to Broadway Market. And with a name as such, who can resist?
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Comedor Islington Upper Street review - give this Latin American a miss

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 22:28:00 +0000

Address: 176 Upper Street, London N1 1RG
Tel: 020 7354 2843
Nearest Tube station: Highbury & Islington

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £20 pp
Service charge: N.A
Taste: *
Service: ***
Ambience: ***There seems to be a recent trend of refurbishment among the restaurants along the Islington Upper Street. Restaurants, which we thought are new turned out to have been given a makeover. The stretch opposite Islington Town Hall sit two such examples - The Brasserie and Comedor Grill and Bar.

Other than Wahaca, which has been my default lunch venue in Canary Wharf, I have not really come across any South American cuisine in London that has blown me away. Obviously, I'm no expert in it but Luiz at London Foodie has provided a rather comprehensive top South American restaurants in London, which I would definitely refer to in the new year.

"Is the restaurant new?" Wife asked the waiter at Comedor as we sat down in the empty restaurant. He then went on to explain that Comedor has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment. "We now have more cocktails on the menu," he promptly offered. His face almost fell when we decided to skip the drinks and go for the food immediately. I hate to disappoint him but we were really looking for a light afternoon bite that day.

The three cooks in the kitchen got busy after we placed our orders - only a large panel glass seperates Comedor's kitchen and its main dining area. All that sharpening of knives and clanging of pots made us more eager for our grilled plates, which were taking quite a while.

Everything went downhill the moment our orders arrived. The chicharron con apera (£4.50) or crispy pork belly had a crackling that was more sticky and soft than crispy. The meat, which juice wasn't sealed properly, tasted bland and dry as a result.

I made the mistake of going for the brocheta mixes (£6.90), skewers of beef, chicken and lamb, on the day after Boxing Day. The grilled meat tasted distinctly stale. Either that or there was something seriously wrong with the thin dressing. We left the lamb skewer untouched.

Higaditos de pollo (£4.50) - chicken liver, tasted boiled rather than grilled. The port reduction sauce failed to mask that. The only saving grace perhaps was the butter mushrooms and scullion mash, which we relished after bein disappointed by the other two plates.

Comedor's grilled plates might be more palatable after a couple of cocktails but forget it if you are intend on keeping sober. The staff's service was full of the typical South American charm but even that failed to cheer us up that day.

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Cote Brasserie Islington Upper Street review - cheap and cheery French cuisine

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 07:53:00 +0000

Address: 4 - 6 Islington Green,
London N1 2XA
Tel: 020 7354 4666
Nearest Tube station: Angel

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £20pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ****
Service: ****
Ambience: ****
"What time are you closing tonight?" I asked the waitress casually. "12 am," came the answer, "but luckily I'm not doing the closing." As our lunch progressed into the late afternoon, another shift gradually took over. Cote Brasserie, newly opened along Islington Upper Street, must be the only restaurant running after 6pm on Christmas eve - a relief for those who are staying put in London instead of braving the commute to families hundreds of miles away for Christmas.

"KJ is experimenting on the recipe I passed her," YQ murmured wistfully. He was in town again for a couple of days on a work trip. Well, KJ, if you are reading this, he was eying his phone half the time during the Christmas eve lunch we had with him, just in case you messaged him.

I recall Wife was quite excited about Cote Brasserie opening up a branch at our doorstep and rightly so. Already hailed as an affordable decent French restaurant chain, it won the "Best value restaurant" award given out by the Good Food Guide in 2009.

Other than the workers' cafes found along Chapel Market, there is hardly anything else to be had in the early morning within a five minute walk from Angel tube station. Cote Brasserie, which starts dishing out breakfasts at 8am, is a godsend in that respect.

However, the real deal is Cote Brasserie's set lunches - two courses for under a tenner from Monday to Friday. If you stop by during the weekends, you could elect to have either half a roast chicken or steak frites for just £9.95.

That was exactly what we had for our Christmas eve lunch. Both YQ and Wife was quite taken by Cote Brasserie's frites steak. Very thinly cut, still pink in the centre with grill lines cutting across it - a testament of flash grill the slender (and tender) steak had been subjected to.

In many ways, the dish is what you would imagine the French to feast on. Not a single ounce of fat on the steak (at least not visibly so). Even the accompanying frites were slender. Fried to a crisp, they are something for you to munch on if you so desire to spend the entire afternoon at the brasserie reading the newspapers laid out on the front table.

The old adage of food that tastes good probably isn't healthy surely doesn't apply to Cote Brasserie's roast chicken. Instead of overly marinating the chicken, the creamy gravy provided the taste to the evenly roasted chicken. I thought the chicken goes extremely well with a smatter of French mustard. For a carbo fix, there is always the potato gratin on the side.

We asked for a calamari and a creme caramel to share. The calamari (£5.95) was battered nicely with the right balance of salt and pepper. Juicy and fresh, it left me wanting more.

Creme caramel (£4.50) was a fitting end to the simple meal. Smooth and creamy, the caramel wasn't over the top - the lump in the throat feeling is the one thing that I abhor.

Cote Brasserie is known for its fuss free and affordable French cuisine and it didn't disappoint. The staff's service was all smiles and it is something that I can get used to. One more addition to the Angel's dining scene, I am already looking forward to the next year.

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Grand Imperial London Restaurant review - of scallops, prawns and abalones

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 00:26:00 +0000

Address: 101 Buckingham Palace Road,
London SW1W 0SJ
Tel: 020 7821 8898
Nearest Tube station: Victoria
Make a reservation
Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £100pp (ala carte)
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ****
Service: ***
Ambience: ****
Mark Wood, the manager of Grand Imperial's London branch was a bit surprised that I have not been to any of the seven Grand Imperial restaurants in Malaysia with the first opened in Kuala Lumpur's Bangsar Shopping Centre despite my many visits there when I was back home.

What I didn't tell him is that I was at Kuala Lumpur (more affectionately known as KL by both Singaporeans and Malaysians) for the shopping (yes, Petronas Tower) and perhaps authentic Malaysian street fare rather than fine Cantonese dining that Grand Imperial has come to be known for. I can still vividly how long Wife and I spent roaming the streets and ducking into alleyways looking for that elusive Ampang yong tau foo and Hainan chicken cutlet. We weren't disappointed to say the least when we eventually found them.

YQ was in town again, just in time for Grand Imperial London's invitation for dinner. As always, we requested the staff to order on our behalf while we sat back and take in the ambience. Chinese pop music of the 80's and 90's were playing softly in the background. "I used to sing that at karaoke sessions back then," YQ recounted wistfully. I wouldn't be surprised if we are able to name the entire playlist that evening between the two of us.

There's this stigma for a restaurant being associated with a hotel; dowdy venues for buffet breakfasts immediately comes to mind. In this case, Mark was quick to point out that Grand Imperial London doesn't do breakfasts and it certainly isn't a hotel restaurant.

First up - roasted Peking duck (half for £24). The duck was first presented to us before having its slightly crisp skin sliced and choice cuts served on a platter. We were each provided with some wraps with sweet sauce (check) and cucumber slices. There was ample fat beneath the crisp skin; it just melts in your mouth.

As with most decent restaurants, the remaining bits of roast duck was diced and sautéed with garlic and mushrooms, and used as a filling for palm size iceberg lettuce leaf. A refreshing crunch that was though I thought the stir fry could do with a tad less garlic.

Sichuan hot and sour lobster soup (£8 each) was an apt appetizer. YQ pointed out that it wasn't as starchy as those served by run of the mill restaurants, which used it to hide the lack of fresh ingredients. With thinly cut red chilli stripes (and chilli oil for good measure) in the mix, this is not for those who can't take their chilli. Full bodied, the soup is the spicier version of the more familiar lobster bisque without the single cream.

The staff was quick to point out that the abalone used in the next dish was fresh unlike "those come in tins and require soaking overnight in water". The original abalone shell sat prettily on the dish for good measure. Thinly sliced, the abalone (£38) was braised with sea cucumber, prawns, dried scallops and shitake. This is one delicacy that is reserved for those who an appreciate the subtlety of abalone on the palate.

Sauteed beef cubes (£18) is another specialty at Grand Imperial London and it is easy to see why. None of that tough chewy steak chunks that are commonplace in London, we are talking about tender medium grilled beef chunks marinated with peppery sauce here. They almost tasted like tofu but with more texture. I would recommend going for this if you were to stop by Grand Imperial London.

Deep fried pork ribs (£12) was a request from us. After being spoilt by earlier dishes, the ribs paled in comparison. However, their succulents would make any Chinese restaurant proud. Borrowing the phrase from KFC, they were "fingers licking good", especially with the crispy ginger bits sprinkled on them.

Other than the usual oyster sauce and sesame oil, the "premium XO sauce" is another that features regularly in Cantonese dishes. Made mainly from dried scallops, fish and shrimps, the slightly spicy sauce is sold in small bottles usually under the Lee Kum Kee brand and is used as a flavor enhancer. Apparently, Grand Imperial London made theirs from scratch for the next dish, which I must say was rather overwhelming. Large scallops and huge prawns with broccoli (£24) jostling for our attention, all balancing precariously on a relative small bowl. I thought the scallops were a tad overcooked though we had a field day picking off the fresh juicy prawns.

Dessert was ginger tea with sesame ball (£7) and chocolate dimsum platter (£6). I was a bit skeptical about the dumplings (or sesame balls) initially and asked for that because like many Chinese restaurant in London, Grand Imperial London doesn't feature many other Chinese desserts (ice-cream sorbet and puddings form bulk of its dessert menu). Forget about those ten for £1.35 frozen packs you get from Chinese grocery stores for the dumplings at Grand Imperial London are the real deal. A thin silky smooth exterior with a generous helping of slightly sweet black sesame, each dumpling was easily the size of a small chicken egg. The accompanying ginger soup was nicely boiled and it did warm us up quite a bit. The staff assured us that everything is handmade in the restaurant's kitchen. That is reflected in the pricing as well - at £7 for two dumplings, they certainly don't come cheap.

I was curious about the chocolate dimsum that Times' Giles Coren came to Grand Imperial London specially for in his review of the restaurant. Essentially your average dimsum but instead of meat fillings, they are stuffed with milk chocolate (supplied by Divine chocolate as pointed by Mark). Grand Imperial London is also experimenting with stuffing mochi with chocolate and it was presented on the platter as well.

One thing about having someone on the same table is that you can always rely on their take on the dish. In this case, YQ summed it up in a sentence - "It feels a bit queer having chocolate stuffed in dimsum pastries, it's like your mind playing tricks on you". Likewise for the chocolate stuffed mochi, it would take some getting used to. Unlike the dumplings, Grand Imperial London's dimsum chocolate is clearly created for the local taste buds. Even so, don't pin too much hope on this.

Curiously, the Grand Imperial London's tea came in one of the largest teapots I have ever come across. While it doesn't require multiple fillings, it certainly gets cold easily - a minor inconvenience especially for those who are particular about their tea.

I spied a sizable private room on the side of the restaurant. The room concealed by inconspicuous sliding doors can easily seat twenty and is perfect for private functions. An full ala carte dinner at Grand Imperial London would probably set you back by just under £200 for two. Not exactly the place you would go for dinner every weekend though it does offer a couple of prix fixe menu starting from £35 per person (before service charge) if you prefer not to splurge. Besides, the restaurant has some decent deals with Toptable too. With the addition of a couple of Sichuan dishes, Grand Imperial London is departing from its Cantonese roots. But the thing is, we can all do with some of that Sichuan heat in London's wintry weather, can't we?
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C & R Malaysian restaurant - the original Malaysian restaurant in London's Chinatown

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 20:19:00 +0000

Address: 4-5 Rupert Court
London W1D 4DY
Tel: 020 7434 1128
Nearest Tube station:
Piccadilly Circus / Leicester Square

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £10pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: ***
Service: *
Ambience: **
It was the typical tropical afternoon. Though there was a light drizzle outside, it was still hot and humid in the building. Even with the absence of walls, the man's singlet was soaked through with sweat. He did don a light shirt, which original colour was barely discernible.

He was furiously at work. Honed by years of practice, he reached behind him and whipped out a bottle of dark soy sauce, a swig of that into the wok and the bottle was back in its place the next moment. He took a stab at the kuay teow (flat vermicelli noodles) followed by another and another in quick succession, further tossing it in the wok each time. Last added was a small scoop of still bloodied clams.

The dish was served on a waxed brown paper and quickly tied up with a piece of raffle string, carefully measured and cut the day before. Barely taller than the counter, I handed over the money that Mum entrusted me with and balanced the piping hot char kuey teow through a loop in the string that the 'char kuey teow man' had thoughtfully tied for me.

During my last visit back home, I travelled halfway across the island just to revisit the hawker centre at Stirling Road opposite Mei Chin School. I half expected the char kuey teow man still slogging over his wok. Wishful thinking on my part perhaps but not only was he was no longer there, his stall made way for an escalator, reflecting the aging population in the neighborhood after twenty odd years.

That was my memory of char kuey teow. To me, it's much more than the dish itself, it's the heat, humidity and the char kuey teow man of my childhood. And that was probably the sole reason why I ordered that at C&R when I had lunch alone that afternoon.

C&R needs no introduction; its reputation of being the place to go for Malaysian food in Chinatown is spread solely by word of mouth as it is tucked in a dingy alleyway (Rupert Court) along Whitcomb Street. Even with the opening of Rasa Sayang a couple of years, C&R retains a loyal following.

Even so, since we came to London, it's only the second time I've been to C&R. Having heard about C&R from a fellow Singaporean, Wife and I dropped by for some comfort food within a month of reaching London as we were terribly homesick by then.

Long story short, the experience while wasn't terrible, it wasn't far from it. I guess we haven't quite got used to the idea of having to pay almost ten times the price (compared to back home) for street fare and service that was dismissive at best.

The staff at C&R raised her eyebrows at me when I walked in last week, some things just doesn't change. She led me to a corner seat mumbling that it was less cold than the one right by the door. Bravo, things were looking up already. She took my order without a word and turned away as soon as I was done. No time for that, as she returned to carry on her conversation with three other waitresses by the counter.

C&R has since expanded to occupy the small shop space opposite. Given a choice, I would very much prefer not to be seated over there. Imagine having to wave frantically to attract the attention of a staff (deep in conversation no doubt) across the alleyway.

The teh tarik (£2) arrived soon after. The pipping hot concoction was more evaporated milk than condensed milk and thus could be sweeter. It did smell great though. Not nearly as good as the one at Malaysian Kopitiam but it did stave off the wintry blues.

Char kuey teow at £6.50 is probably the cheapest in central London. Despite that, I suspect most growing up eating the dish would still baulk at paying almost five times the price in London for a standard hawker fare back home.

As if to preempt that, C&R's char kuay teow is generous in portion. Not only that, I lost count of the number of prawns in it. Before you get too excited, those prawns would be labelled as large in your local Tesco, which doesn't really say much about them - anything other than the "jumbo" label would simply be large shrimps. Neither were they fresh. One can quickly taste the difference between really fresh prawns and those pumped up with preservatives. The latter just lacked the meaty texture and taste oddly flat.

There was a slight hint of the ever elusive 'smoky' taste that is much sought after in char kuay teow (the best I've tasted is at Kiasu). The sliced fish cake, which curiously was more scarce than prawns in the dish, was perhaps the redeeming factor. Smooth, firm and cooked nicely, if only there was more of it. Also absent was sliced Chinese sausage, which would have added a sweet tinge to the mix.

Two ladies settled down on the table next to mine when I was halfway through. When asked by one which dishes were recommended, the other declared, "everything is good". Nudging the other while half pointing to my half eaten char kuay teow, "want to try char kuay teow or not?" she whispered rather loudly. A quick nod was the reply.

C&R personify the typical impression of a Chinese restaurant in London - if the service is good, the food probably isn't good. If the food is good, it probably isn't cheap. Service? Forget it. There's no service charge if it pleases you. Food served isn't too bad but C&R definitely offers a great deal if you factor in the price.

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Galvin la Chapelle Spitalfields Market - the grand old dame

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Address: 35 Spital Square,
London E1 6DX
Tel: 020 7299 0400
Nearest Tube station:
Shoreditch High Street/ Liverpool Street
Make a reservation
Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £30pp (3 course set lunch)
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ****
Service: *****
Ambience: *****
Parents would have to admit it gets a bit trying going for a nice meal (frankly, your weekly trip to Giraffe doesn't really count). If not for L's recommendation, we probably would have hesitated lunching at Galvin La Chapelle, at least not without splashing out a small fortune for a babysitter. "They are really nice to young children!" L assured us. Well, we took her word for it as she's in the same boat too.

Housed in St Botolph's Church Hall, a Victorian building, with its tall windows, high ceilings and exposed roof beams, few restaurants, perhaps other than Gilbert Scott, could rival Galvin La Chapelle in terms of ancient grandeur. Although the famed Galvin brothers sought to fit the full service restaurant into the confines of the former hall, they couldn't resist filling the area just above the kitchen with more dining tables. Which is just as well for it does break the monotony of the tall stone walls.

The host quickly came to our aid when he saw me struggling with LO's stroller and managed to lift it up and down the stairs without waking her up, which takes some effort. Having got its first Michelin star in 2011, Galvin La Chapelle comes with all the bells and whistles. The service was efficient and friendly without being patronising - when a staff tried to open up a champagne bottle right next to LO who was still sleeping, he reassured me that there should not be any sound if he did it the right way. Nevertheless he opened the bottle a couple of tables away instead and we didn't even realise when the bottle was popped. Bravo.

Galvin La Chapelle offers a 3 course menu, which is very reasonably priced at £25.50pp and we went for that. Starters came in the form of Jerusalem artichoke verloute and terrine of autumn game. Diced artichoke was first presented in a huge soup bowl with the verloute slowly poured in, finally engulfing it. The white creamy sauce (cooked with fish stock if my tastebuds served me right) made for a good appetizer with the tuber bits adding that extra crunch. The terrine came across as a tad meaty but was well tempered by the white raisin puree's acidity.

The starters got our hopes up high for the mains, and we weren't disappointed. I was a bit nervous going for roast chicken breast. Chicken, on its own, is rather bland. Galvin la Chapelle's roast breast of corn fed chicken is anything but. Served neatly cut with a thin sheath of slightly crisped skin on boiled greens, the tender chicken breast was flavoured by frothed mushroom verloute. What impressed me the most was the shallot tatin that laid alongside the chicken breast. The pastry, lightly baked, provided a nice twist to the dish. Sea bream, as Wife quickly pointed out, was cooked to perfection. Thin crispy skin, lightly salted, masked the fresh sea bream, which pulled cleanly away when cut. The samphire was a nice touch, nibbling it brought forth the salty goodness of the shore.

Dessert was pont leveque with pear chutney and caramalised quince on sable breton. Unfortunately, neither cheese nor fruits is my idea of dessert so the pont leveque and quince were lost on me. I thought that the savoury cheese was a curious desert selection but maybe it is just me. Nevertheless, the pear chutney balanced it off nicely.

In my humble opinion, the true mark of a great restaurant is that you remember having a great time there even long after but couldn't really remember why. I've always believed that a meal is much more than the food placed in front you. Ambiance, service, the company that you're with, even which side of the bed you got off in the morning affects the meal itself, which is why it's coined as the dining experience. What I do know however is that we did have enjoyed ourselves quite a bit despite LO fussing halfway through the meal. This is one restaurant that I would wholeheartedly recommend you to.
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New Regency Old Street Indian Restaurant - the familiar lamb biryani

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:30:00 +0000

Address: 96 Old Street
London EC1V 9AY
Tel: 020 7336 8636
Nearest Tube station: Old Street / Barbican
Make a reservation
Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £15pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ***
Service: **
Ambience: ***
As a kid, I used to attend quite a number of Indian weddings. While a number were invitations from our neighbours, most were from close family friends.

No doubt none were as lavish as the ones in India (from what Ab told me), they were still a spectacle. Loud thumping Bollywood styled music, rows of tables with colourful trimmings and all. All food served were prepared on site in a small open air enclosure by the side. Cauldrons of curry and biryani, the air was infused with spices. My mouth still waters whenever I think of that.

Some required us to queue up with an empty plate for a buffet style meal while others would have dishes brought to you usually by the extended family of the bride and bridegroom. I had quite a healthy appetite back then and never failed to ask for seconds. It must been a sight to see a six year old wolfing down all the biryani. They would have thought that Mum had starved me. To the contrary, she always made me a snack before any wedding lest I "choked myself on the food". But I'm not sure whether that helped.

That was a convoluted way of telling you that I grew up loving biryani. Whenever I'm in a hawker centre back home I'd head to a biryani stall, only to go for Hainanese chicken rice if I can't find one. A lamb biryani would be my preference but one with a huge roast chicken drumstick would do just fine.

That was how we ended up at New Regency Indian Cuisine Restaurant, an Indian takeaway/ delivery/ full service restaurant at Old Street. We were in the area and Sedap, our local Malaysian haunt, isn't open for Saturday afternoons.

Wife thought that New Regency Indian Cuisine Restaurant looked a tad dubious but my craving for lamb biryani overruled any rationality. We were the only ones there throughout the meal (see Pride of Siam). There were two staff present (both are owners apparently, more on that later). One promptly came over to take our orders. His face noticeably fell when we ordered just one main (like I said, Wife wasn't keen at all). Can't blame him really, we might had been his only customers that afternoon. Wine or beer to go with biryani? No thanks. He looked positively hurt to the extent that I asked for a lamb sheek, papadum and a naan as well to redeem myself.

The masala papadum (50p each) was good on its own. Spicy, crisp and light, it was somewhat marred by the chutney, which I suspect was freshly scooped up from one of those wholesale market tubs. Quite unlike those at Dehli Grill.

Lamb sheek (£3.95) looked rather desolate. Other than that, it was a joy. Not too compact yet not crumbly, the lamb sheek separated easily in the mouth. A slice of lemon came together with it. Wedged in a clip that looked more at home on a clipboard, a simple squeeze extracted the citrus juice over the lamb sheek. Nicely done without fuss. Why didn't anyone else think of that?

At £7.25, New Regency's lamb biryani is a bargain. A small pot of piping hot biryani with chunks of lamb and a bowl of vegetable curry to top it up - it is literally a meal on its own. The biryani was cooked uniformly in spices (cardamom was especially noticeable) and the lamb was soft and tastefully marinated.

Peshwari naan (£2.75) left a deep impression. The almond and caramelised sultana made the naan sweet on its own. Slightly crisp charred surface with puffed soft interior. The piece was torn apart and finished in record time.

Other than the initial order, the staff almost never approached our table whenever we requested for service - they prefer to raise their voice across the restaurant. Not that they were busy (we were the only around, remember?) - one was slouched over the counter while the other was toying with his stack of two pound coins (the unmistakable heavy thuds). While paying, I casually asked one (with the coins) whether he owns the business. He mumbled something about him being the co-owner with the other guy (the sloucher) while staring very hard at the counter top all the while. Fascinating. I would expect them to be more enthusiastic (Sen Viet's owner is a prime example).

Despite that, I'm going to stick out my neck and say that I find the food at New Regency Indian Cuisine rather agreeable. It does takeaways and delivery as well. Offering a 10% discount for students and NHS staff dining in with a free bottle of wine for a table of four, it'd do well in Old Street area. Biryani anyone?
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Po Cha Covent Garden Korean Restaurant - a no frills eat

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 01:24:00 +0000

Address: 56 St Giles High Street
London WC2H 8LH
Tel: 020 7379 7381
Nearest Tube station: Tottenham Court Road

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £10pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: **
It's funny how far one has to walk for a simple meal. Especially when you are in the middle of Soho surrounded by restaurants and eateries. I blame it on the timing - MC and I were stranded outside National Gallery after a failed bid to get into the Leonardo da Vinci's exhibition at Sainsbury Wing. We didn't fancy waiting for half a day just to get in; instead we decided to walk around a bit before grabbing lunch.

Ducksoup along Dean Street wasn't open for business yet, Cote Brasserie was packed, so was Princi. Rasa Sayang Express looked a bit dingy and the noodle place MC brought me to had closed down. We ended up at Centre Point after a mini tour of Soho.

The mere mention of Centre Point brought two things to mind - the Centre Point Food Store and a bunch of eateries seating opposite it across the bus terminal. Few tourists if any venture here - Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square are enough for them. For that reason, Po Cha was packed with locals when MC and I walked in just around noon time.

Po Cha isn’t exactly a hole in the wall but it’s not far from that either. It is cosy for one with tables lined up right side by side. You could literally listen in to the conversation on the next table and that is if you haven’t accidently elbowed them while manueveouring your chopsticks. Else you could sit on the bar counter instead. Even then, it can get quite cram.

Space isn’t the only thing Po Cha is economic about. The same can be said to its one page menu spartanly organized into noodles, rice, mains and beverages. All items go for £6.50 and ‘services’ (pickled vegetables) is complimentary.

Po Cha's spicy pork rice

MC went for the bulgogi rice while I went for the spicy pork rice. Both dishes came soon after our orders were taken. After Wife and I stop heading to Korean Kitchen, we haven’t really tried Korean cuisine. While Po Cha’s spicy pork rice wasn’t the most inspiring, I find it rather palatable. It was more sweet than spicy and if you are looking for kimchi flavoured pork, you would be sorely disappointed for “it didn’t taste of kimchi” as MC put it. Likewise, MC’s bulgolgi rice was sweet as well, perhaps a tad too sweet for my liking.

Almost immediately after we emptied our plates, a staff came over and proceeded to clear our table. “Oh, I don’t mean to rush you. It’s just that I want to give you more space,” he reassured us. If so, they have a strange way of doing that – the bill was pushed onto our table the moment he was done clearing the table. Subtlety isn’t their forte. Otherwise, the staff were rather pleasant and prompt in their services.

A queue was gradually building outside Po Cha as we left a moment later. Po Cha clearly appeals to the younger crowd; I felt positively ancient amongst its customers. One thing is for sure though – Po Cha does give the chop shops at Chinatown a run for their money. That’s if the hungry souls are willing to make their way to Centre Point.

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North Road Restaurant St John Street review - simple, elegant and well executed

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:15:00 +0000

Picture from North Road Restaurant

Address: 69 St John Street,
London EC1M 4AN
Tel: 020 3217 0033
Nearest Tube station:
Barbican/ Farringdon
Make a reservation
Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £25pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ****
Service: ****
Ambience: ****
TT don't often take a break. When she does, she eats well. This time round, it's a trip to North Road Restaurant.

It was a few years ago. I was on holiday in Copenhagen with a couple of friends and having completed our sightseeing earlier than expected and with time on our hands, we sought out a restaurant highly recommended by the guidebooks. Alas it was full and the receptionist seemed bemused that we thought we could get a table without reservations despite it being a weekday. Of course I didn't know it then but I had missed out on the chance to dine at Noma now reputedly the world's best restaurant.

We didn't manage to dine at any of Copenhagen's finer dining establishments that trip so when I found that a modern Danish restaurant had opened near St John's to good reviews, I made a note to go. I was at North Road Restaurant on a chilly autumn day and found its tastefully decorated warmly lit rooms very welcoming.

It was a rather quiet day they had probably only three covers. I went for their set lunch menu which at £20 for 3 courses seemed value for money for such a restaurant. The bread rolls were served in a quaint little tent secured by a peg. Very fresh, one of the better breads I had in a while.

I had raw cured scallops for my starter accompanied by brown butter mayo and coastal herbs with sprinkles of rye. It was love on first taste. I loved how the salt was balanced off by the edge in the herbs and how the soft flesh of the scallops contrasted with the crunchy rye.

I had Herdwick mutton rump for my main which came with wafer thin Jerusalem artichokes and little butter-like balls speckled with sea salt apparently fashioned from the oils in which the meat was cooked. It was good, the flesh was just the right shade of red and while the meat yielded easily to the knife it had just the right amount of bounce and bite.

Poached pear served with birch ice cream was my desert. It was a simple dish but very well executed. The service was very attentive, perhaps due to the small number of covers that day. There was a misunderstanding over my choice of desert, the service staff thought I had ordered a different desert but replaced it with a smile and without fuss.

I had a lovely time and am now a fan of the Danish way of cooking. Now if only I had tried Noma...

This is a guest post by TT, a regular contributor to London Chow and London Expat.
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