London Chow | Where to eat in London

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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Banana Tree (Soho Wardour Street) review - Fruitless Banana Tree

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 07:00:00 +0000

Address: 103-109 Wardour Street,
London W1F 0UQ
Tel: 020 7437 1351
Nearest Tube station:
Leicester Square / Tottenham Court Road

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £20pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ***
Service: ****
Ambience: ***
MC and T report on a meal hosted by Banana Tree. No fancy words (they have got no time for that) and they say it as it is. Here's their verdict.

The restaurant is located about two thirds of the way down Wardour street from Oxford street. As we walked down Wardour street we passed by many other restaurants before getting to Banana Tree at Soho. Though it's the only Indochina restaurant in the vicinity, it faces stiff competition from the wide variety of choices along the street.

Ambience:

My first impression of the restaurant was it reminded me of Cha Cha Moon, Wagamama and the Busaba Eathai but with an Indochina twist.

The restaurant has similar long rectangular communal tables which is great for big gatherings and groups. The restaurant has level access at pavement level for prams or wheelchairs and plenty of space to park prams but apparently no high chairs for children.

The walls were a bit empty and lacking décor. It would be nice to have some pictures of Life in the old Indochina and give people a feeling of nostalgic charm. The staff was extremely friendly, you can't fault them on service.

Starters:

We ordered Ba Kwa and the some Indonesian tapioca crackers with satay sauce. The satay peanut sauce was delicious. The crackers come with the option of the chilli dip.

The Ba Kwa or grilled pork jerky (£3.80 for two strips) turned out be smaller than I had expected. The bakwa tasted more like dry bacon but they were at least hot from the oven. I thought that they were a bit overpriced. I am not sure I would ever order them again.

Mains:

We ordered 4 main dishes and shared them among us.

a) ‘Ying yang’ Laksa – great taste, nice aroma, delicious but some people would probably prefer it a bit more chilli hot but we enjoyed it and the soup was nice. They were different style and flavour that we had at Hare and tortoise, chop chop but I felt the taste and quality were definitely more superior.

b) Legendary rendang was the highlight of the meal and it really lived up to its name. The dish came with an oriental salad and a bowl of rice. All of us unanimously love it and it was the first dish to be finished. We thought it was way much better than Satay House and Jom Makan.

c) Kway tiao mee – we were expecting a char kway tiao like those served at Cha Cha Moon but it was simply just stir fried noodles - mee (noodles) without kway tiao (pho). It was good but we were slightly disappointed it was not the variety we were hoping for.

d) Lastly we had the soupy pho with braised shitake. To be honest, the pho was nice but nothing as authentic and close to Vietnamese Pho I had in Cay Tre and Sen Viet. Unless you need a quick fix for Vietnamese pho, I would try a different dish next time.

We noticed that there was no nasi lemak (coconut fragrant rice) on the menu. It would have been nice to have a couple of dishes with banana leaves on it that relate to the name of Banana Tree. It was a shame that there were also no dessert menu to complete our dinner either. Maybe, they can introduce some bananas fritters with ice cream.

Verdict:

The restaurant is reasonably priced and eminently suitable for theatre goers. Will we go again? Yes if we are in the area. Then again, Banana Tree doesn't really have the wow factor (for me at least). With the wide restaurants and eateries selection in Soho, who knows?

A guest post by MC and T. They love their pho to bits.

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Patara review London Soho Greek Street - fine Thai dining indeed

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

Address: 15 Greek Street,
London W1D 4DP
Tel: 020 7437 1071
Nearest Tube station:
Leicester Square / Tottenham Court Road

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £50pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ****
Service: *****
Ambience: ****
Have you ever wondered what guys talk about over dinner? In the absence of their girlfriends/wives (select one) and little ones (delete if appropriate), that is. Well, after a while they would run out of dirty jokes and an uncomfortable silence reigns. It's especially bad if there are only two of them at the table - staring into each others' eyes and giggling clearly isn't an option.

It's not that bad for Singaporean guys. At least we can recount the two and the half years spent plowing through thick forests in the middle of the night wearing camouflage and layering ourselves with generous lubes of mosquito repellant. But after awhile, even the most garang of us all ran out of tall tales to tell. Like I said, we would prefer not to stare into each others' eyes in silence.

So we talked about the food on our table instead. YQ was in town again a couple of days back and I asked him to go along for a dinner hosted by Patara. Having done a bit of reading up beforehand, I immediately notices that it was given an average rating of 8.2 on Toptable based on over 600 ratings (at the time of writing). I was told that any restaurant rated 8.0 and above would be quite decent so we were in for a treat it seemed.

Like most invitations, I asked the staff for recommendation and she immediately pointed to the deep fried oysters, which Patara is serving till end November 2011. A mandatory tom yum goong was quickly added at YQ's request. As we flipped through Patara's menu, it became apparent that Patara is one of the few Thai restaurants in London which menu is still entirely in Thai save for the description of the dishes themselves. Not only that, Patara not only boosts a number of branches in London but can also be found in Singapore's Tanglin Mall too.

Incidentally, Patara is the only Thai restaurant in London that serves freshly squeezed naam manaaw (lime juice). This traditional drink is an appetizer like none other and definitely goes much better with Thai dishes than any of the wine available. Patara's naam manaaw is exactly how I remembered it to be - utterly refreshing and palate cleansing.

The Maldon Rock Oysters (three for £5.50) came soon after. "What a waste," YQ quietly remarked. He wasn't commenting on the freshness of the oysters. Being a purist, he prefers to have his oysters raw. In his opinion, asking for a deep fried oyster is likened to ordering a deep fried fish in a Chinese restaurant - one can no longer taste the freshness in it. I wasn't too hung up about that and thought that flash fried oysters tasted more pleasant than expected, especially with a squeeze of lemon.

YQ adored Patara's tom yum goong (£7.15) though. The prawn bisque infused with lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf came full of fat juicy prawns and squid, which were probably as fresh as they could get. The tom yum was a bit too succinct for my liking and lacked the kick that I was looking for. But this would be a good one to try for those who have a penchant for subtlety.

Miang guaytiew (£8.95) came highly recommended and I wonder why. The rice paper rolls with prawns, crabmeat and five spiced duck turned out to be quite a disappointment. While I couldn't quibble about the prawns, the crabmeat turned out to be the frozen crabsticks stocked in supermarkets. The duck was equally unimpressive. To get any taste out of this, we had to dunk each piece in the accompanying lime and chilli dip, which nullified any differences between the three.

Kao ob sapparod (£7.10) or pineapple seafood fried rice looked a bit over the top with a huge scallop perched at the top, generous slices of squid and a number of jumbo prawns thrown in for good measure. I guess by then we were quite certain that Patara prided itself on the freshness of its seafood and for good reasons too. There was however, just a slight hint of pineapple in the rice. As for turmeric, we almost missed that.

Nua prig Thai dum (£17.95) would please any beef fans. Thinly sliced tender beef fillets sauteed in cracked (thus gritter) black pepper sauce were laid on top of shitake mushroom and poached broccoli with a sprinkling of deep fried shallots over it. Brilliantly executed, I thought the broccoli, which quickly soaked up the peppery gravy took the cake. One would do well using the beef fillet with a wrap over mushroom and broccoli.

Next up was gang kia goong (£14.10). This strong coconut curry came across as a bit too liberal with its salt. The unmistakable strong peppery taste of betalnut cut cleanly through the kaffir lime and turmeric. Curiously, it reminded me of the smoky keluak nuts that I had at Candlenut Kitchen back home. Oh, there were huge fresh prawns in the concoction too, need I say more?

Pak choy pad hed horm (£6.50) was ordered almost as an afterthought - we thought it would be apt to balance our seafood feast with some greens. A simple dish it was and the pak choy was nicely cooked and retained much of its crunch.

Dessert came in the form of kaoneow nanyang (£7.10). After repeatedly getting sour mangoes at Isarn, I was all ready for a proper Thai mango dessert. Patara's was right at the mark. Its mango was not overly ripe and sweet to the taste. Coconut cream oozed over soft glutinous rice with some sesame seeds on it. Heavenly.

Tart sangkaya (£6.65) was a soft Thai custard pudding, like huat kueh (steam rice cakes) as suggested by YQ. We agreed that the ginger ice-cream went extremely well with the pudding. An apt end to the dinner that evening I must say.

Located in Greek Street in London's Soho, Patara is in the company of a number of popular eating establishments (Yauatcha, Bar Shu, Princi, Koya and @Siam are a few names coming off the top of my head), but looking at the crowd on a Tuesday evening (we counted two sittings), it is certainly one of the more popular ones. Fiery Thai cuisine it's not but in terms of service and presentation, it's in a league of its own.

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El Paso Old Street review - a very filling burrito that missed the mark

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:15:00 +0000

Address: 350-354 Old Street,
London EC1V 9NQ
Tel: 020 7739 4202
Nearest Tube station: Old Street

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £15pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: ***
We can never be tired of Columbia Flower Market. It's a good thirty minutes trek to Columbia Market from out place, just right for a light morning walk but not enough to tire ourselves out. It certainly helps that there are a couple of designated pitstops along the way should the need arises - Cay Tre and Jamie Oliver's Fifteen being just two of them.

We were walking past Cay Tre when my stomach protested. While I certainly didn't mind a hot piping pho (given the chilly weather) I would much prefer something new. That was when I caught sight of El Paso just across the road. A spicy hot burrito is just the substitute for a hot broth. Brilliant!

Things just got better when we crossed the road and stood outside El Paso. "Free Wifi" was displayed prominently on a signboard. There was barely a handful of souls in the restaurant. Funny how the things I look out for in a restaurant when LO is with us. The emptier, the better. With her in a rather compliant mood, the last thing we need is a group who finds it an absolutely need to yell over each other in a desperate need to get heard. For those who think that a long queue outside is a sole indication of good food, well, The Breakfast Club comes immediately to mind.

With ample seating on the ground floor and walls filled with murals, there was an unmistakable chic air about El Paso. Wife gave a short gasp. I followed her gaze and saw a chap peering at us through a seat pod's opening on the first floor. Yep, more seating upstairs in case you are wondering.

Menu came in un-laminated pieces of paper fastened with staplers. The Greens will be pleased that El Paso recycles its menus as they were promptly retrieved after we placed our orders.

With a growling stomach, I went for the most substantial item on the brunch menu - steak burrito (£8). Interestingly, my penchant for steak burrito didn't start at San Franciso when I first tasted. Instead it was at Wahaca (the Canary Wharf's branch to be precise). Without fail, that would be the item I go for every single time I lunch at Wahaca. Not very adventurous I'm afraid but I simply refuse to waste my calories intake on something unproven. Don't fix it if it ain't broken, especially when you are past your peak metabolism age.

But lately I am disappointed by Wahaca's British steak burrito. Not only they have increased its price (which I am perfectly fine with) but they have decreased the its filling (which I am not ok with). Wahaca tried to disguise it by folding in the buritto's tortilla. Cheeky, isn't it?

In that respect, El Paso's came out tops. Its steak burrito was substantial. With a healthy serving of peppers and hand cut tortilla chips with salsa, it covered all bases. But it went somewhat downhill from there on. Its filling consisted mainly of lightly flavoured rice and beans. Whatever steak present could be better marinated - I swore I could still taste the water in the meat. A handy bottle of Cholula hot sauce rode to the rescue. Instead of melting the cheese in the burrito, El Paso decided to lay it on the burrito itself, which totally defeated the point if you ask me.

Wife's scrambled eggs and chorizo (£5.50) was served on toasted ciabatta. I find it odd that anyone would take the trouble of toasting a piece of bread and then lay oily food on it, only to turn the bread soggy in an instant. The dish was a soggy piece but a healthy one with the watercress, chilli and peppers. The chorizo with scrambled eggs mixture did remind me of the Chinese sausages with scrambled eggs Mum used to conjure up in an instant whenever I was feeling peckish as a kid. On that account, I didn't mind the dish too much and promptly polished it off when Wife couldn't finish it.

El Paso reminds me of The Big Chill House; I probably wouldn't go there for its food but it certainly tops my list of places to chill if you have a whole day to burn. The free wifi helps lots too. There was a guy who was sitting in front of us hunching over his MacBook. He looked like he had been there since last week. As if to prove me right, he was still at his seat when we walked past El Paso again on our way back from Columbia Flower Market three hours later. Tiempo!

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The Brasserie review Islington Upper Street - crackling made my day

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:15:00 +0000

Address: 170 Upper Street,
London N1 1RG
Tel: 020 7288 9222
Nearest Tube station:
Highbury & Islington

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £15pp
Service charge: 10%
Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: ***
It wasn’t meant to be. We were on our way to The Blue Legume for breakfast. Not that we especially adore Blue Legume but it’s definitely the place to go with a little one tagging along. Besides, you’d hard pressed to find a decent place that’s open for breakfast on a Saturday. Wife pointed out that Cote Brasserie is opening up a branch just beside Slug & Lettuce. But that wouldn’t be open till the end of the year. Since Cote Brasserie has apparently signed a 20 year lease for the shop, there’s no hurry to really.

We walked past Pizza Hut along Upper Street towards Blue Legume and would have missed The Brasserie if not for a two guys sat sprawling on the one of the two tables laid outside The Brasserie. We stopped to peer at the menu on the wall. “Have one,” one of the guy handed a menu to me. We felt obliged to step in thereafter. Well, we were in the mood to try something new anyway.

There was only a mother in the restaurant, unless you consider her baby/toddler who was busy slugging scrambled eggs all over. Upon seeing LO, the staff quickly offered a sturdy highchair. I just love it when there’s another child in the restaurant. At least there would be someone to occupy LO while we gobble down our food.

The light music playing in the background put us in a better mood already. Nothing really stood out in The Brasserie’s menu so I went for the obvious option. Its English Breakfast (£8.90) wasn’t exactly the cheapest along Upper Street but it was definitely one of the better ones that I have come across. Its description on the menu gave little away – “Scrambled eggs, Cumberland sausages, streaky bacon, grilled tomato, field mushroom, toasted sourdough bread” it said. Two items stood out immediately – its streaky bacon and scrambled eggs. The bacon was nothing like the hard crunchy frauds but soft and juicy with, hold on for it, fine crackling skin. Yes, I’m a sucker for pork crackling (see Birley Sandwich). The scrambled eggs was mushy but soft enough to be spread on the sourdough bread. That easily rivaled Ottolenghi’s.

Wife’s choice was smoked salmon and scrambled eggs (£6.50) that came on top of a slice of sourdough bread. After its streaky bacon, The Brasserie’s smoked salmon was underwhelming. I thought they came through a bit too salty and heavy. I would be better off going for the same at Ottolenghi for a few more quid.

I thought that The Brasserie, with a name that can hardly be accused of being original, is a new kid on the block. The mother (yes, the only other customer in the restaurant) checked with the staff just before we arrived. Apparently, it has always been there wrenched between Pizza Hut and Workers’ Café and it just didn’t stand out. The owner recently revamped the place, which apparently made it more noticeable. I can’t help but think that The Brasserie is a bit out of place and would do better if it’s located closer to Angel Tube station. But who knows? It may sell more weekend brunches when word gets around. Oh, do try its streaky bacon.

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The Big Chill House Kings Cross review - perfect for hanging out

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 06:04:00 +0000

Address: 257-259 Pentonville Road,
London N1 9NL
Tel: 020 7427 2540
Nearest Tube station: King's Cross

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £10pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: ****
Train stations do get a bit boring these days especially when you are early for a train and just want to find a place to chill. Yes, you can always get a pasty or a sandwich and settle down on one of those cold metallic bench. Not exactly the most exciting thing to do when the weather gets cold.

King's Cross St Pancras, despite being one of the major stations in London, offers surprisingly little for passengers. Even at St Pancras International, where Eurostar train departs, you would be hard-pressed to find a decent bite if you are on a budget.

But if you are feeling more adventurous and don't mind venturing out a bit, you would be able to stretch your pound further. No, I'm not referring to McDonald's or Burger King, not even Chop Chop (you can't miss that, can you?). I'm in fact referring to The Big Chill House along Pentonville Road. Decent food, great prices, free wifi, table counters with lamps and power sockets. Sounds interesting? Read on.

The Big Chill House having recently introduced its breakfast menu asked me down to have a bite. Standin right next to the St Pancras entrance, The Big Chill House is better known for hosting indie gigs. Other than a band staging area complete with a DJ counter, The Big Chill House boosts a sofa enclave aptly named as the 'Snug Corner', a games room, roof terrace and a drawing room.

Remember those table counters I mentioned earlier? Well, those seats were invariably full every single time I was there - I have never seen so many netbooks congregating in one place before, nope, not even Currys and PC World. There's this odd cheer about The Big Chill House - toilets are labelled 'Brothers' and 'Sisters'. Even the graffiti is cheery - "let the sunshine in you out" says one behind the toilet cubicle's door.

You would be thrilled to hear all that food at The Big Chill House wouldn't cause you an arm or an leg with all those bells and whistles thrown in. Most items in the menu cost below a fiver. Most half decent breakfast places in London (even non-English ones - see Food Lab) would offer a variety of the Full English Breakfast and I suspect that is easily one of the more popular items on The Big Chill House's breakfast menu. At £7.50, it comes with two eggs (scrambled or poached), toasts, mushrooms, sausage, baked beans, streaky bacon and tomatoes - the whole works. I'm happy to report that the mushrooms was flavourful and juicy to boot, the garnish on the beans was a nice touch too. If you are looking for something a bit more substantial, this is probably it.

For a quick carbo fix that wouldn't burn a whole in your pocket, go for the homemade rosti (£4.75). Served with a sunny side up with a healthy sprinkle of garnish, it's nothing fancy but would fill you up nicely. I thought it was a tad salty but it might be just me.

Fans of french toasts would be glad to know that its on The Big Chill House's menu too. For £3.75, you get two warm farmhouse bread dipped in egg, vanilla and cinnamon mix, all dusted with a fine layer of sugar icing. There's also a choice of two toppings. When asked what are the most popular toppings, the staff volunteered banana slices and maple syrup so I went for those. He was right, the ripe banana slices, which were already rather sweet on their own, complemented the rather mild tasting toasts quite well. But maple syrup on french toast is always a winner, isn't it?

Belgian waffle (£3.75) came highly recommended by the staff. "Really good for those with a sweet tooth," they said. Nicely presented in the centre of the plate with a dullop of fresh cream in the middle and compote of summer berries on the side, it did cheer me up quite a bit. But I suspect that the waffle has been left on the kitchen counter awhile as it was lukewarm when served. I was considering whether to request having it popped into the microwave for a minute or two but decided that it wouldn't do the compote justice. What I would give for some melted chocolate on top but for £3.75, I shouldn't really quibble, should I?

I hate to repeat myself but travellers waiting for the trains at King's Cross or St Pancras International would find a decent breakfast hangout at The Big Chill House. It's just a short stroll away and wouldn't take you more than three minutes to be honest. For a quick bite, they have cereals (£2.50), thick toasts (two for £1.50) and baps with a filling of your choice (£2.50 each). Seriously, anything is better than the overpriced breakfasts at the train stations.

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The Luxe London Spitalfields Market review - more onion fritters please

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 06:41:00 +0000

Address: 48 Frith Street, London W1D 4SF
Tel: 020 7494 4511
Nearest Tube station:
Shoreditch High Street / Liverpool Street

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £15pp
Service charge: 10%
Taste: ***
Service: ****
Ambience: ***
You never run out of lunch places at Liverpool Street Station if you work around the area. The entire area from the train station itself to Spitafields Market following onto Brick Lane caters just for the avalanche of hungry souls that just pours in during lunch hour. It’s never ending, it seems that the surrounding office buildings are capable of just spewing out people. It’s almost as terrifying as Canary Wharf.

That is of course great news to the restaurants and eateries in Spitafields. Well positioned to catch the crowd, almost the entire floor space is taken up by shops in the business of feeding people. On one end of the spectrum, you have chain restaurants the likes of Canteen, Carluccio and S&M, on the other, you have Market Coffee House, St John’s Bread and Wine and Bishopgate Kitchen.

I was literally spoilt for choice and resorted to Twitter for recommendation. Wandering Foody quickly came back and suggested Rosa's and Olivia soon after with Lahore's (though I'm not sure whether that's near Spitalfields Market). Fancying some lighter fare (curry is best left for dinner when you can afford to doze off soon after), Rosa’s Thai fare sounded like a better bet.

So there we were cutting across Spitalfields Market on our way to Rosa when we were waylaid by The Luxe. “Have you tried that before?” I asked Wife. I marched into the restaurant before she could respond. Rosa would have to wait another day, I was simply famished and could do with some comfort food.

The Luxe’s menu revealed the usual suspects. An all day brunch menu with a couple of mains. Desperate for some carbo, I went for the salt beef and pickle bagel (£7.50). I could never figure out how people can eat a bagel (or a burger for that matter) with knives and forks. I wasn’t about to grab the bagel with both my hands to maintain some semblance of civility. Instead, I began sawing through the bagel grudgingly. To give The Luxe some credit, its bagel was quite a spread – other than generous slices of salt beef, the pickles, tomato slices and greens made it quite a spread. Note, the bagel doesn't come with chips, the one in the photo above was a seperate order.

Wife’s fish fingers sandwich (£5.50) didn’t do too badly either. It came with coarse tartar, lettuce and tomato slices. The ensemble was much more satisfying than the one served at S&M just across the road. Yes, it cost more but we really couldn’t see ourselves going to S&M for its sandwich again.

What won the day was the onion fritters that accompanied both the bagel and sandwich. Deep fried thinly sliced barely battered onion strips – it was absolutely marvelous. Later, I spied that the server dished the pre-fried onion strips out from a large bowl onto each dish. I was just about to stop myself to ask for more.

With its large windows facing Commercial Road, The Luxe is perfect for watching the world go by during lunch at Spitalfields Market. If weather permits, there’s even a small outdoor area round the back. Fear not, as the entire area is covered, you could lunch there come rain or shine – so long that you are warmly dressed. Fancy takeaway? There’s even a counter just for that.

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@Siam Frith Street Soho review - where phad thai is a boring dish

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:02:00 +0000

Address: 48 Frith Street, London W1D 4SF
Tel: 020 7494 4511
Nearest Tube station: Leicester Square

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £25pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ****
Service: ***
Ambience: ***
Of all the things that you wouldn't expect when having a meal, having the lights go out on you must count among the top of the list. But that was exactly what happened after our starters at a dinner hosted by @Siam. It was a shame really for we rather enjoyed the deep fried pork (moo daad deow) that was served.

As we stepped out of @Siam later on, we realised that the power outage affected half of the businesses along Frith Street. It was rather surreal to see people filing out in bewildered amusement from Koya and Ronnie Scott, which @Siam is located in between.

We were back again at @Siam a couple of weeks later. Like most invitations, we let @Siam's waiter help us make our selections. Other than phad Thai, chicken green curry, tom yum chicken and Thai fish cakes, I'm not really familiar with other Thai dishes and I suspect I speak for more than a few.

..the waiter whispered in an
almost conspiratorial tone,
"Don't go for phad Thai,
it's so boring."
The funny thing is that if you were to ask me for my favourite Thai dish, it would have to be this noodles dish that I had at a dingy canteen in an army barrack in northern Thailand many years ago. I recall that it cost just 23 Thai baht, which was just about what we can afford for a meal on our meagre army allowance. After an entire night of shivering in the dark, the group of us filed listlessly into the canteen. The thatched roof barely held together in the tropical storm gathering outside. I knew what I would order even before we returned to the camp - the noodle stall tucked in the corner of the canteen served the a simple instant noodle stir fried in mild ketchup with everything wrapped up in a thin ommelette. As you break open the ommelette, the steam from the still warm springy noodles rose with a whiff of ketchup. That is my favourite dish.

After making some selections for us, the waiter whispered in an almost conspiratorial tone, "Don't go for the phad Thai, it's so boring...". I was mildly amused for that would be exactly what I would go for. On hearing that we didn't mind going for the hot and spicy dishes, he got a bit excited and quickly recommended a couple of his favourites (as I requested).

For some reason, none of the Thai restaurants that I've been to in London actually serve naam manaaw (fresh lime juice) and that include @Siam. A pity really, this sour (slight sweet if some honey has been added) concoction, which is a Thai favourite, is one of the most refreshing drink I ever had. It helps increase one's appetite as well. For hot beverages, only mint tea and green tea were served at @Siam. Wife asked whether @Siam served any specialty drink and the Thai ice tea was recommended.

The ice cool tea was served with a small layer of condensed milk lying the bottom of the clear tall glass. When mixed, the slight bitter taste of the tea intermingled with the ostensibly sweet milk - heavenly. In the height of summer, give me a glass of this over Pimms anytime.

E-sarn sausages (£6.95) were served soon after. Don't be misled by the disparate presentation of the fried traditional Thai sour pork sausages. While they looked carelessly tossed on a longish plate together with a small handful of cashewnuts and a couple of cabbage leaves, They tasted better than they looked. Infused with herbs, the meaty nature of the compactly packed sausages complemented the nuttiness of the fresh cashewnuts. If only the cabbage slices were a bit larger, I would simply warp up a sausage and some cashewnuts and down them in a mouthful.

If you think that E-sarn sausages were a tad dry, som tum Thai (£7.50) should definitely be ordered together with it. This green papaya salad was an explosive mix of sourness due to the unripe papaya and spiciness of the chilli seeds dispersed generously. To add some texture, peanuts bits and dried shrimps were added. Fabulous.

Tom yum goong (£6.50) is almost mandatory for every Thai meal. @Siam's was one of the better ones that I had come across - full bodied with a satisfying spicy aftertaste, which made me reached out for Wife's Thai ice tea. But I thought that the prawns could be a little fresher.

Gang phed ped yang (£11.95) was definitely the star of the meal. I love my duck. This one had sliced chargrilled marinated duck breast (skin still attached) cooked in red curry. What made the dish special were the pineapple chunks, lychees, grapes and cherry tomatoes that swirled in the thick creamy curry. A portion of Thai fragrant rice must be had with this.

Weeping Tiger (£11.95) was the final dish. I would love to hear the story behind that name. A quick search online came up with various origins, one of which talked about a tiger who wept when a hunter hunted down one of its cow. Fascinating. A small slab of grilled beef with a small sauce bowl of "exotic Thai sauce", it looked rather underwhelming. But it wasn't too bad when you eventually manage to cut down through the beef (I would prefer a sharper knife). The sauce itself made all the difference - it was sweet and sour with a slight peppery taste. Yes, it did taste somewhat exotic.

One thing that I love about London's Soho is the variety of cuisine that can be found within the small area. You would almost certain to find something different. The ground floor was packed by 2pm when we left for our lunch. @Siam is certainly not the typical Thai restaurant that you would expect. While there are certain items on the menu that would suit the locals' tastebuds (I would avoid using the word "Anglicised" here), there are some traditional dishes to be had. One thing's for sure, I'll check out its phad Thai the next time I'm there.
Make your reservation via Toptable now

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Alpino Islington Chapel Market review - it's the small things that count

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:47:00 +0000

Address: 97 Chapel Market
London N1 9EY
Tel: 020 7837 8330
Nearest Tube station: Angel

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £10pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: **
Service: ***
Ambience: ***
Coming to London was a rushed decision - something that was decided within a week. Other than a Culture Shock (London), a London A-Z and a travel guide, which name I can no longer recall, we didn't know much about the city. Call it imprudent if you will but we were a whole lot more adventurous back then.

In that edition of the travel guide, there was a write up of the top ten small cafes in London and Alpino along Islington Chapel Market was listed among them. While that obviously wasn't a consideration why we settled down in Angel, but it definitely was a bonus.

Interestingly, we didn't get to visit it once. When we popped by a month after we settled down in London, there was a sign on display saying that the owner was travelling with no return date whatsoever. Fine, we thought. We'd be back a couple of weeks later. Afterall, how long can one be out travelling for?

Very long apparently for the owner didn't return. For the longest time, the cafe just stood vacant. Well, at least it was every single time we walked past. It reopened the recently but with some words stenciled to its glass display - "Italian Snack Bar", it says. Alpino has undergone some management change no doubt but would it still retain the charm that got it onto the travel guide in the first place? I had to find out.

"...he placed the lasagna
on the table. “Enjoy,”
he gave a reassuring smile
with a twinkle in his eye."“Please take a seat,” a matronly woman standing behind the counter gestured towards the back of the café when I stepped in that afternoon. It was 2pm and the weekday lunchtime crowd had yet to dissipate. There was a healthy buzz in the air, that of a local coffeeshop, which you would pop by for a quick meal and expect nothing more. The pricing was just about right too – a quick glance at the menu showed most if not all the items were going for under a fiver.

The new owner made no qualms about being a sports fan; one wall was adorned with 8 inches by 10 inches photos of football stars while another was filled with boxers and sport cars. Sauces on the table were simply named as red or brown sauce. I was almost disappointed to find out that the red sauce was, well, ketchup.

My lasagna (£4.60) arrived piping hot soon after. It was homemade according to the menu and it did taste homemade. The copious amount of Béchamel mozzarella made it very clingy. Some more was sprinkled liberally on it after it was out of the oven making it almost powdery. Not exactly pleasant to the palate.

Curiously, if there’s one thing that I remember Alpino by, it would be the service. No, not the woman who stood perpetually behind the counter, and definitely not the unsmiling young waitress who brought me my tea. But the elderly gentleman who brought me my powdery pasta. With a very pleasant grandfatherly demeanor, he placed the lasagna on the table. “Enjoy,” he gave a reassuring smile with a twinkle in his eye. Funny how one’s day could be brightened up just like that.

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Duchess of Kent review Liverpool Road Islington - great ambience, excellent service, not the food though

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:18:00 +0000

Address: 441 Liverpool Road
London N1 8PR
Tel: 020 7609 7104
Nearest Tube station: Highbury & Islington

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £20pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: **
Service: ****
Ambience: ****
It was supposedly the last of the Indian summer over the weekend, not that we knew then. The past few days reminded me of the hot and humid afternoons of my childhood. Incapacitated by the sweltering heat, I would just sit glumly in a corner plastered with sweat that simply refused to evaporate.

Lately, it became a bit awkward when conversations drifted onto the weather. "Lovely weather, isn't it?" someone would beam at me. Er, no. I'm literally withering under the relentless heat. I couldn't even bring myself to lie. "No, the heat's killing me." I replied, effectively ending the chat.

Despite all that complaining, we took the opportunity to walk around the neighborhood quite a bit. We were on our way to Freightliners City Farm along Liverpool Road when we hit upon Duchess of Kent at Ellington Street. Having fully digested the two doughnuts from Raabs bakery, which I had gobbled down earlier, Duchess of Kent seemed like a great pit stop.

"Yes, we do," the waitress behind the counter casted a quick sideway glance to a regular nursing his pint when I asked whether they serve any food. It wasn't only me who wondered; a lady who stepped in a couple of minutes later asked the same as well. Duchess of Kent boasts a tasteful interior dining area that rivals gastropubs like The House and The Albion. I couldn't wait for my food to arrive.

When my rib of beef (£14.50) finally did around twenty minutes later, I almost felt sorry for myself and wonder whether I should had lunch at the Farm's cafe instead. The dish looked depressing to say the least. It tasted likewise too. The herb roast potatoes, savoy cabbage, cauliflower and vanilla carrots sounded good on the menu but turned out rather bland. There were a couple of chunks of beef that looked like it spent too long on the kitchen table with a spoonful of watery sauce dribbled over them. The Rosemary Yorkshire pudding would definitely fare better if only there was some gravy. The lady sitting behind me ordered the same dish and actually requested to have more gravy.

Wife on the hand was quite find with her crisp calamari salad (£6.50). Tossed with tomato, cucumber and onion in sweet Thai chilli, it was a refreshing summer dish. I thought they could afford to be more generous with the calamari for they were rather wiry.

Service, however, was pleasant throughout. The staff was really apologetic when our drinks arrived after our food. Apparently, they ran out of milk and had to get some from the local grocer. Nevertheless, they promptly offered to refund the drinks. When I was placing my orders at the bar earlier, an elderly lady was asking about a dish that she had "some time ago" and proceeded to describe it in great detail. The staff gladly obliged and even went through each item of the menu with her. A lesser restaurant would probably just gently nudge her away.

Duchess of Kent is probably a nice place to grab a pint but looking at what arrived on our table that afternoon, it could do better food wise.

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City Caphe London Bahn Mi - handy bite at Bank

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 06:13:00 +0000

Address: 17 Ironmonger Lane
London EC2V 8
Tel: 020 7000 0000
Nearest Tube station: Bank

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £5pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: ***
Service: **
Ambience: ***
Knowing that I'm a sucker for bahn mi, MC left me a comment in Sen Viet's review and suggest that I check out City Caphe over at Bank. He was right, I couldn't resist a good bahn mi and we were over there for lunch the very next day.

Ask a Londoner where their favorite bahn mi spot in London is and I'm pretty sure Broadway Market's Bahn Mi 11 would count as one of them. Other than the bahn mi packed with fresh greens, it is really the mini tables and stools that gives the whole bazaar feel to it.

There's really nothing more important in a bahn mi than fresh ingredients (well, like most other dishes). A creation of French Indochina, bahn mi combines the best of both France and Vietnam - the former's baguette and the latter's pickled carrots, cucumber, chilli etc. As bahn mi is usually served at room temperature, the fresh sliced vegetables is pertinent to provide the cool irresistible crunch that is sought after by bahn mi fans.

"It's just round the corner from Goldfish City. Make sure you arrive early," cautioned MC in his SMS, "otherwise you would be standing behind a long queue." Heeding his words, I arrived at around 11.30am that day. Other than two tourists who were more interested in the Vietnamese ice milk coffee (£2.50) in my hand, there wasn't any customer in the cafe.

Tucked along Ironmonger Lane beside Harry's Bar, which one could easily missed, City Caphe turned out to be larger than expected. Though it could be more spacious, it definitely not the hole in the wall that I had expected. Clearly, the owner spent some time doing up the place; bits of embroidery were hung from the ceiling and photos that reminded me of Saigon adorned a wall.

"...there was a swarm of
customers herding into City Caphe
at exactly 11.45am."
Service could be likened to an assembly line. Orders were taken promptly if not a tad curt, not unlike the popular hawker stalls back home when the stallholders know that you would overlook the service if you like the food enough. In fact, it reminded me of Starbucks where initials of the customers were noted for the order collection later on. To increase in turnover rate, the popular bahn mi selections were prepacked and laid out neatly in the glass display shelf just before the lunch peak hour.

True to MC's word, there was a swarm of customers herding into City Caphe at exactly 11.45am. It was rather amusing really - it was as if they were lining up at the side alley waiting for the cue. The queue extended soon after that despite City Caphe having two pairs of hands just doing bahn mi with an entire kitchen staff (I caught of glimpse of them when the kitchen door swiveled opened) churning out pho, bun, bun hue and cuon. By 12pm, the queue extended out along the pavement. Its length remained pretty much constant till 1pm despite it moving rather quickly.

Enough about how popular City Caphe is. Its lemongrass beef bahn mi (£3.90) while decent was not out of this world. I thought that the baguette was a bit too dense for my liking. The beef slices could be thinner as well. By the time we settled down on one of the four small tables within City Caphe, the entire place was packed with people who were either queuing or waiting for their orders. It wasn’t exactly pleasant having people’s bums and knees knocking onto your back every now and then.

Then again, if you are taking it away, City Caphe’s bahn mi would beat Pret’s sandwiches any day. This is definitely the place to go if you are looking for a cheap (but substantial) bite that taste good and yet healthy. The perfect spot to savour this French styled Vietnamese sandwich? The benches at St. Olaves Place just round the corner further along Ironmonger Lane.

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Bishopsgate Kitchen review Liverpool Street - a bit of this and that

noreply@blogger.com (London Chow) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:48:00 +0000

Address: 230 Bishopsgate
London EC2M 4QH
Tel: 020 7392 9200
Nearest Tube station: Liverpool Street

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: Below £20pp
Service charge: 10%
Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: ****
"Look! There's Chelsea," Wife tilted her head to her left. Chelsea? I have only heard of one Chelsea. "She looks exactly like her picture on Daily Mail," Wife confirmed my suspicion. That was all well and good but I was really more interested in what was on the menu and my growling stomach didn't help a bit.

Bishopgate Kitchen is a newish restaurant at the junction of Brushfield Street and Bishopgate. You could almost make out the legs of cured ham stringed up at the preparatory counter through its glass facade.

I was getting a bit restless having been asked to wait for a table. Couldn't blame the staff really as the restaurant was packed, both tables and countertops by the glass facade.

We eventually got a table beside two suits, one of whom was discussing about his three mortgages (I didn't mean to eavesdrop but you could hear him a couple of tables down). Having looked at the menu while waiting, we quickly placed our order, sat back while enjoying the fuzzy warm sunshine pouring into Bishopgate Kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later, the man without three mortgages had left. Chelsea too. Our food had yet to arrive. Despite having three staff on the floor, it was rather difficult to get their attention. They were obviously overwhelmed as some customers simply left cash on the table and left.

If you think that Bishopgate Kitchen is a tapas joint, you would be sadly mistaken. Barring a small selection of cured meat and 'counter dishes', its mains included the likes of 28 day cured steak as well as burgers. Its Bishopgate burger (£12) with its rump and bone marrow pattie was nothing extraordinary. It did come with home made chips though. Sadly, they were barely warm when served. I wasn't the only who found them so, the lady sitting behind me actually asked for her chips to be sent back to the kitchen because of that. If you can't do without some pickles for your burger, take comfort that it comes with an entire pickle.

We also asked for some Serrano ham (£5) for good measure. The five long slices of Spanish cured ham lined up on a wooden platter were almost silky to the palate. And it went particularly well with the baked Monte Enebro goats' cheese with honey (£5.50).

Adding honey to goat's cheese is a stroke of genius for the cheese's slight pungent taste is tempered with thick sweet (thought not overly) honey. Served pipping hot, it is the perfect dip even for the lukewarm chips.

Pudding was a rich chocolate torte (£5.50) with mascarpone, toasted hazelnut and fruit compote on the side. I'm never one for fruit compote but Wife was done with it pretty soon with it so I guess they couldn't be that bad.

As it drew towards 2pm, the crowd has thinned considerably and the staff finally managed to catch a breather and looked more cheery as well. Bishopgate Kitchen with its healthy buzz is probably a good place to talk shop and maybe grab a drink or two over some cured ham. But you might want to avoid it if you are in a hurry.

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