Tajima-Tei

Recommended by several people, including a Japanese foodie, I was definitely looking forward to this one.

Food

There are several options. You can pick a la carte, or choose from one of their many sets of bentos or set coruses. We decided to try a bit of both. We got the Tokujyo Nigiri (£20) - Assorted nigiri sushi (10 pieces of nigiri sushi) as we knew the sushi was a specialty, and we were not disappointed. Consisting of a mix of Toro - Tuna Belly, Sake – Salmon, Hamachi - Yellow Tail, Amaebi - Sweet prawn, Maguro – Tuna, Ikura - Salmon roe, Suzuki - Sea Bass , Ebi – Prawn and 2 generous Tamago - Egg Omelet. The fish was so fresh and as generous slices, unlike those paper thin ones you get at Yo-Sushi, with just enough wasabi to bring out the flavour. The Tajima-tei Bento (£18.80) - Sashimi (tuna, salmon, sweet prawn), Deep fried dish, Yakitori, tempura, salad, Sushi (tuna, salmon, prawn, salmon roll), Miso soup was very big. The best things on the dish were the sushi and the sashimi, the rest was nice but not too special though.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

The signs were good even before I entered. Two black cabs had just stopped off to deliver a bunch of Japanese businessman at the entrance. It’s an out of the way place, but the place was full and buzzing, so it must mean people come here just for the food. I didn’t hear the familiar "Irrashaimases" when I entered though. It’s a small space, decorated like a typical Japanese sushi bar. You can sit at the bar or at the table. Our table of 8 was pretty cramped in, but you put up with it for the food. The only oddity was that they have these very low hanging light that hung down from the ceilings….the lights themselves weren’t on, and they got in the way, I wonder what function they serve?

Rating - 1.5

Service

For a London restaurant, excellent, for a Japanese restaurant, terrible. I’d asked several times for tea, and they took a long long time to deliver. They weren’t very polite, but they did trust us after we’d paid the bill and instead of counting the money, just asked us how much was there.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Japanese is always expensive, especially when you are talking sushi and sashimi. We paid £47 for 2 people including green tea, which is expensive for a normal night out, but the portions were very generous and the food very good quality, so it was good value for money.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 13.5

Info

Unit 1, Doorington House
9-15 Leather Lane
London
EC1N 7ST
Phone +44 (0) 20 7404 9665
Website

La Tasca Canary Wharf

Another Canary Wharf lunch. I am quickly running out of options here.

Food

Since this was supposed to be a cheap lunch, we started with Cranberry juice (£1.65). After waiting quite a long time, our selection of tapas arrived:

• Pan de Ajo (£) - Garlic bread - which was only delivered about 2 minutes before the rest, and was very disappointing. It was basically 2 pieces of white bread smeared with some butter, unevenly spread, and some sprinkle of garlic.
• Champiñones al Ajillo (£3.45) - Mushrooms lightly sautéed in garlic & olive oil - somehow managed to be mucked up. The mushrooms had not much flavour, which is probably a first.
• Patatas a la Pobre grande (£2.95) Potato, fried with onion and red and green peppers - not what we ordered, but with the same fried potato as a base. They were nice enough, but definitely did nto compare with the Tapa Tapa version.
• Brocheta de Pollo (£3.95) - Skewers of fresh chicken breast & red peppers, marinated with spices - this one was ok, the meat a bit tasteless.
• Paella de Pescado (£3.95) - Paella with squid, prawns and mussels, served with lemon - very boring, they probably skim on the material, and of course none of the paella pan goodness of a real gelato.
• Gambas Pil Pil (£4.45) - King prawns sautéed and sizzling in olive oil, fresh garlic & hot Spanish guindilla peppers - we only got like 4 prawns (which were quite small) and it was drowned in oil. The only thing going for it was that it was very hot.
• Chorizo Frito al Vino (£3.95) - The spicy Spanish sausage, sautéed in red wine - not too bad, but it was on the side of bland.

Wow, Canary Wharf eatery has sank to a new low.

Rating - 2

Atmosphere

It was a wet and miserable Monday lunch, and as a result, we were just about the only customers. The theme is your typical Spanish tapas bar that is outside of Spain, i.e. wooden furnishing, red and yellow tones. The good thing about this place is that it’s big, so t here’s loads of room for big group functions. Even though the whole restaurant was empty, they decided to squash us onto a small table, so that when our food arrived, we had to really juggle to get everything to fit.

Rating - 0

Service

Even though there was no one else at the restaurant, it was extremely difficult to find any service though. The staff seem to think that standing around and chatting should be their job, and we had to actually GET UP to get them to come and serve us. Then they inform us that the juice I wanted on the menu was not available, they had run out of squid so we couldn’t order anything with ti, and the potato dish we ordered was not the one that was delivered. After that though, someone came over every couple of seconds, and would interrupt our conversation and ask if everything was ok. I was so mad by about the 5th time I wanted to reply that THEY were the source of our troubles. Needless to say, when we wanted them at the end of our meal to get the bill, they were nowhere to be found.

Rating - 0

C-factor

The lunchtime menu they had on their website wasn’t available, so we had to order a la carte. It worked out to be £24.80 + service for the 3 of us after our 25% off discount. I ate much better at Tapa Tapa, and as you can probably tell, I will never come back.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 2

Info

Hertsmere Rd
West India Quay
London
E14 4AE
Phone +44 (0) 20 7531 9990
Website

Brasserie 44

Meal number two, and we knocked all the Michelin rated restaurants in Leeds out of the way.

Food

The food is quite homely and unfussy. Pate, soup and steak all come as it is, unadorned, not fussed over. The food won't knock your socks off, and the service is extremely casual for the setting and the price, but they are generous, ensuring that you won't leave hungry.

We were offered a choice of bread to start, and chose the Foccacia, which was still slightly warm, although a little oily. For entrees we chose the Country Pâté - pumpkin and date chutney which tastes like all other pates, the chutney was nice enough. The Warm Asparagus Quiche - tomato and red pepper coulis was very disappointing though. The egg was too set and the filling was not creamy. What’s more, the pastry couldn’t redeem it.

Things picked up slightly with the mains, the Fillet of Seabass - caramelised lemon chicory, orange butter sauce was extremely generous, the sauce went very nicely with the perfectly cooked fish. The Confit Leg of Duck - chestnut mushroom and tomato ragout was a little dry, but if you smear it with the sauce, it’s very eatable. We were given we sides (we didn’t get a choice). The Hand-Cut Chips were sensationally fresh and crunchy, while Green Beans with Shallots overcooked and tasteless. My half bottle of merlot was decanted already, and I wasn’t told what I was drinking, but it tasted quite nice at least.

Desserts were very boring, and I was happy to skip them, but since they were included, we had the New York Cheesecake - red berry compote, which really tasted like supermarket cheesecake, there was a bit of quite tasteless berries on the side. The Banana Pudding was comforting, more like a banana cake with custard poured over. Not spectacular, a bit sweet.

As you might have expected, this didn’t quite meet my expectation, I was definitely under whelmed after the experiences at J Bakers and Anthony’s

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

Even though Brasserie Forty 4 is situated right by the river, and looks stunning, the service and the food they serve says otherwise. On one hand, the setting seems to convey a special occasion restaurant, but the food and the service is so casual, it seems to want to be your local. There is a small bar at the front, where you can wait for your guests to arrive. The restaurant proper is situated on a split-level, open space. We had the privilege of sitting next to the window by the water. The place filled up early, with many people enjoying the early-bird deal, a mixture of jeans and dresses, so we really didn’t know how we fit into the scheme of things.

Rating - 1.5

Service

This was where it all fell down. Water was plonked onto our table, service was extremely casual, by that I mean we have to pour our own everything. It took us a while to get anyone’s attention, especially as the restaurant started filling up.

Rating - 2

C-factor

We dined on the early bird menu, which consisted of 3 courses, sides and half a bottle of Chardonnay or Merlot for £19.95. For the amount of food we got, extremely good value, but the standard was not really up to Bib quality.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 10.5

Info

44 The Calls
Leeds
LS2 7EW
Phone +44 (0) 113 234 3232
Website

Anthony’s at Flannels

We were warned that there was nothing to do in Leeds, so we decided to spend all our time eating instead. There aren’t any Michelin stars in Leeds, only Bibs, but Anthony’s did not disappoint.

Food

For lunch there was a choice of sandwiches, afternoon tea, or 2-3 course meal. We decided we might as well go the whole hog, so we chose to have the 2 course meal. Oak Smoked Salmon & Prawn Fishcakes. Red Pepper & Tomato Salsa, Caviar Vinaigrette looked very pretty, the fishcakes were softly tinted pink, the tomato salsa setting off the fishcakes. The taste is quite delicate, with a nice smoked flavour. The Chicken & Black Pudding Sausage, Grain Mustard Mash Potatoes was fine, with good quality sausage, but nothing too special though.

For mains, I chose the Thyme & Garlic Roasted Lamb Rump, Dauphinoise Potatoes, Caponata . I actually couldn’t cut the lamb with my knife. The caponata didn’t go with the lamb at all but the Dauphinoise potatoes were beautifully executed. The Pan-Fried Calves Liver & Streaky Bacon served with Polenta Cake, Caramelised Onions & Shitaki Mushrooms tasted like calves liver. I couldn’t detect any shitaki mushrooms in the dish at all. The food was good but not really that exciting.

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

Situated in the Flannels department store, more specifically, in the attic space. I like the design in that they have used this to their advantage rather than the other way. Let me elaborate. Exposed beams are a feature of the decoration. The view out the window is the Leeds city skyline, and the white walls are decorated by some colourful beams. Anthony’s function as both a café and restaurants, there are some leather armchairs and cakes and coffees for the shoppers, a whole line on afternoon tea, and starch white tablecloths and wine for the serious diners. It’s definitely a place to come to catch up with friends on the weekend, or a casual business lunch on the weekday. The plates remind me of the ones at J Baker’s. Their chosen flower colour is purple though, and is presented on the table and in their dishes as well.

Rating - 2.5

Service

They were a bit casual, but fine for the setting. No one said goodbye to us or handed us our coats when we left though.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

Two Courses £15.50 for lunch.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 13

Info

3rd floor
68 Vicar Lane
Leeds
LS1 7JH
Phone +44 (0) 11 3242 8732
Website

Gourmet Pizza Company Canary Wharf

Another one bites the dusk at Canary Wharf.

Food

GPC is actually run by the same people as Pizza Express, but they try to capture a different part of the market by offering up pizzas with “gourmet” topping. The most interesting thing they have on the menu were the Baked Dough Balls (£2.10) - Bite-sized chunks of baked pizza dough with garlic butter dip. They were hot from the oven and very nice, but the garlic dip was too overpowering though and doesn’t work. I prefer them plain.

The mains I shared two pizzas. There were lots of interesting combinations, but I stuck to the ones I know work. The asparagus, parma ham, egg was ok. There wasn’t a lot of asparagus and the egg was overcooked, but the flavours worked well together. The aubergine, goats cheese, peppers was even better, the goats cheese really lifting the flavour of the vegetables. The pizzas had a pleasing base, which was of course not as good as a pizza that comes out of a wood-fired oven.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

Situated beside the square, but you can’t really see the water from here. There’s an open kitchen with a big oven. It was really busy on a Friday lunch, with big groups and lots of noise. We had to shout to be able to hear each other, and the tables are so cramped you can’t push back your chair without banging into someone.

Rating - 0.5

Service

Pretty terrible. I guess they were too busy keeping everyone happy, but when we needed them they didn’t come, and then before I had finished everything, they wanted to whisk it away. Trying to get us to leave so they can fit more people in perhaps?

There was no attention to detail at all, missing cutlery was not delivered, and the utensils they provided to eat the pizzas were inadequate.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

The pizzas were average, the setting could be improved, and compared to Pizza Express, not justified for the more expensive price.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 7.5

Info

18-20 Cabot Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 4PH
Phone +44 (0) 20 7345 9192
Website

Benja

A Thai Bib Gourmande, I was definitely intrigued, especially since I’ve been searching for good Asian food forever in London.

Food

We took advantage of the 2 course + drinks set menu, which actually had quite a bit of choice. I had:

• Argento - Vanilla vodka shaken with cinnamon, lychee juice and fresh lemongrass topped with champagne - this is very refreshing. The alcohol doesn’t hit you until later on, the cinnamon and lemongrass makes it different from your run of the mill cocktails.
• Peanuts and betal leaf starter - a bit of a surprise to be given this. The flavours are bold and pleasing, and shows that they can experiment.
• Crispy deep-fried of prawns and squid served with chilli mayonnaise dipping - this was very ordinary. The batter was not bad and the dipping sauce pleasant, but there was nothing that says this is a Bib and not any old takeaway joint.
• Tom Yum soup with king prawns lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves - I love this one, and is definitely the dish of the night.
• Lightly battered Sea Bass with benja chilli sauce
  - The batter was nice and light, the fish was of good quality, I only wish the chilli sauce had more kick.
• Lamb steak char grilled on thick red chilli paste with finely chopped lime leaves - the red curry like paste was a bit too sweet and smothered the lamb, not allowing the natural lamb flavour to shine from the good quality lamb.

All in all, the food is definitely above the average Thai place, for London. You can get Thai this good at quite a few places back in Oz, but it’s a rare find in London, so it should be encouraged.

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

Benja was very busy on this Wednesday night. We were seated upstairs, where there were a few tables and a small bar, there is more space and a much bigger bar downstairs. Décor wise, it is luscious, jade green being the dominant colour on the walls, and gold being the supporting player. It reminds me of the top hotels in Thailand really.

Clientele wise though, there are no Asians, and no Thais, so I guess their business is to Westerners. The bathroom seemed to have been an afterthought. There was only one unisex bathroom to serve the whole upstairs, so it was not in good condition by the end of the night.

Rating - 2

Service

The waiters are very attentive, if a bit slow. It took ages for our drinks to arrive and just as long for the bill.

Rating - 3

C-factor

All up, it was £22.50 for 2 courses and a cocktail. For a normal meal, it wasn’t too bad, for Thai, probably a tad expensive, but they do use good quality ingredients. Btw – their website provides no information at all.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 13

Info

17 Beak Street
London
W1F 9RW
Phone +44 (0) 20 7403 8403
Website

St John Bread & Wine

I’ve wanted to visit for a long time, after hearing so many good things especially since this really is my “local”.

Food

The menu changes daily, but usually consists of one sarnie, one porridge and one brioche. We started with a cappuccino (£2.25) while we were waiting, and was not disappointed at all. They use Segafredo, so the taste is very strong, but the coffee was very smooth and creamy.

This visit, there were 5 things on the menu, all very appealing. In the end though, we settled on Pikelets & Plum Jam (£3.80), which were 3 cakes of pikelets so light and fluffy, with butter that just melts and a plum jam that is good enough to drink. The Rhubarb, Yoghurt & Brioche (£4.00) didn’t disappoint either. Excellent yoghurt, sweet rhubarb and very airy and not too sweet brioche. Slokky was greedy and ordered some toast with butter (£1.50) as well. The bread was so airy and so full of flavour, I could eat it with no topping at all.

We were very full, but the display of bread and pastries were so inviting, we got some for take-away. The Chocolate Brownie (£2.40) very gooey, with really good dark chocolate, the best brownie I’ve had. I’d always wanted to try an Eccles Cake (£2.40), and was surprised that it tasted like a “wife cake”. The pastry wrapping was excellent, so flaky and buttery, the filling was sweet but intense, nicely spiced.

The only disappointment I would say is that they don’t have very much choice in terms of drinks. It’s orange juice or water. I would’ve loved a fruit smoothie to go with my brekkie, but I guess their game is called “bread & wine”, not bread, wine & smoothies…so I will come back for dinner so I can have wine.

Rating - 8

Atmosphere

Very rustic and strip back. It’s a rectangular space which has been filled with timber tables. The walls are painted white. On one wall there is a row of hooks where you can hang up your coat. Blackboards hang with the daily menu written up. One wall is taken up by the open kitchen, and all their breads and cakes are on display. Homely and very chic.

Rating - 2.5

Service

Strange. The vibe of the place is very special, yet they have a guy in a suit in the kitchen (I presume he’s the head waiter or owner or something). The waiters are dressed in white chef’s gear, and while they were quite efficient for such a busy place, they weren’t really that friendly and didn’t suit the relaxed vibe.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

For wonderful food it is not very expensive at all. Good, I am definitely going to come back to try lunch or dinner.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 15

Info

94-96 Commercial Street
London
E1 6LZ
Phone +44 (0) 20 7251 0848
Website

Bib Gourmande 2007- Czech Republic

Prague	Aromi
Prague	Brasserie M
Prague	Le Terroir

Bib Gourmande 2008- Netherlands

Almere	Brasserie Bakboord
Alphen	Bunga Melati
Amersfoort	Blok's
Amsterdam	De Belhamel
Amsterdam	De Jonge Dikkert
Beetsterzwaag	Lyf's
Beverwijk	t Gildenhuys
Breda	Chocolat
Delft	l'Escalier
Den Haag	Bon-Bon
Den Haag	Maxine
Deventer	t Arsenaal
Domburg	Mondriaan
Drachten	De Herberg van Smallingerland
Drachten	Het Spijshuys
Eersel	Promessa
Goes	Het Binnenhof
Haarlem	Terra Cotta
Heerenveen	Sir Sebastian
Hilversum	Spandershoeve
Holten	De Swarte Ruijter
Hoorn	Hendrickje Stoffels
Houten	Coco Pazzo
Lisse	Het Jisser Spijshuis
Maastricht	Eetkamer de Bissjop
Maastricht	Manjefiek
Middelburg	De Gespleten Arent
Middelharnis	Brasserie 't Vingerling
Molenrij	t Korensant
Monnickendam	Posthoorn
Montfoort	Bij Mette
Nijmegen	Het Savarijn
Nijmegen	Liberty
Nijmegen	Vesters
Noordwijk aan Zee	Onder de Linde
Oeffelt	Bloemers
Oirschot	La Fleurie
Oldenzaal	De Oude Raadskelder
Philippine	Auberge des Moules
Rijsoord	Brasserie Corneille
Rotterdam	Brasserie Kasteel Spangen
Rotterdam	Huson
Rotterdam	Restaurant 70
Ruurlo	De Tuinkamer
Ryptsjerk	Frouckje State
s Hertogenbosch	Artisan
Schinnen	Aan Sjuuteeanjd
Staphorst	De Molenmeester
Streefkerk	De Limonadefabriek
Tubbergen	Droste's
Urk	Mes Amis
Venlo	De Cantharel
Venlo	La Mangerie
Waddeneilanden	Amjaad
Wamel	d'Oude Weeghbrug
Weidum	De Vijf Sinnen
Yerseke	Nolet's Vistro
Yerseke	Oesterbeurs
Zierikzee	De Gouwe geit
Zweeloo	Adema
Zwolle	De Koperen Kees
Amsterdam	Brasserie van Baerle
Amsterdam	Elkaar
Amsterdam	Entresol
Amsterdam	Envy Delicacies
Amsterdam	Gorgeous
Amsterdam	Le Camelia
Amsterdam	Le Relais
Amsterdam	Le zinc... et les autres
Amsterdam	Spring
Den Haag	Papermoon
Rotterdam	Bistrot Hosman Frères

Michelin Stars 2008- Belgium

3 stars:

Brugge	De Karmeliet
Kruishoutem	Hof van Cleve

2 stars:

Brussel	Bruneau
Brussel	Claude Dupont
Brussel	Comme Chez Soi
Brussel	Sea Grill
De Panne	Hostellerie Le Fox
Ieper	Hostellerie St-Nicolas
Mol	t Zilte
Reet	Pastorale
Tongeren	Clos St-Denis
Zeebrugge	t Molentje

1 star:

Aalst	t Overhamme
Antwerpen	De Koopvaardij
Antwerpen	De Schone van Boskoop
Antwerpen	Dôme
Antwerpen	Gin-Fish
Antwerpen	Kasteel Withof
Antwerpen	Le Petit Zinc
Antwerpen	t Fornuis
Barvaux	Le Cor de Chasse
Beaumont	Hostellerie Le Prieure Saint-Gery
Berlare	Lijsterbes
Blankenberge	Philippe Nuyens
Bornem	Eyckerhof
Braine-l'Alleud	Jacques Marit
Brugge	Aneth
Brugge	De Jonkman
Brugge	Den Gouden Harynck
Brugge	Herborist
Brugge	Hertog Jan
Brugge	Manoir Stuivenberg
Brugge	Sans Cravate
Brussel	Bistrot du Mail
Brussel	Bon-Bon
Brussel	Le Chalet de la Foret
Brussel	Le Pain et le Vin
Brussel	Le Passage
Brussel	L'Écailler du Palais Royal
Brussel	Marie
Brussel	San Daniele
Brussel	Senza Nome
Brussel	Terborght
Charleroi	L'Eveil des Sens
Deerlijk	Marcus
Dendermonde	t Truffeltje
Dilsen	Hostellerie Vivendum
Dinant	Hostellerie Gilain
Dranouter	In de Wulf
Eghezee	L'Air du Temps
Elewijt	Kasteel Diependael
Ellezelles	Chateau du Mylord
Fauvillers	Le Chateau de Strainchamps
Gent	C-Jean
Gent	Jan Van den Bon
Haaltert	Apriori
Hasselt	Aan tafel bij Luc Bellings
Hasselt	Hoeve St-Paul
Heure	Le Fou est belge
Hulshout	Hof ter Hulst
Izegem	La Duree
Keerbergen	The Paddock
Knokke-Heist	Bartholomeus
Knokke-Heist	De Oosthoek
Knokke-Heist	Jardin Tropical
Kruishoutem	t Huis van Lede
Lavaux-Sainte-Anne	Lemonnier
Leuven	Arenberg
Leuven	Couvert Couvert
Liege	Heliport
Mechelen	D'Hoogh
Mechelen	Folliez
Namur	Cuisinemoi
Namur	La Bergerie
Ninove	Hof ter Eycken
Noirefontaine	Auberge du Moulin Hideux
Opglabbeek	Slagmolen
Paliseul	Au Gastronome
Pepinster	Hostellerie du Postay
Pepinster	Hostellerie Lafarque
Perwez	La Frairie
Profondeville	L'Eau Vive
Quaregnon	Dimitri
Reninge	t Convent
Roeselare	Bistro Novo
Sankt-Vith	Zur Post
Sint-Martens-Latem	Orangerie
Soheit-Tinlot	Le Coq aux Cahmps
Vrasene	Herbert Robbrecht
Waregem	t Oud Konijntje

Bib Gourmande 2007- Austria

Vienna	Artner
Vienna	Eckel
Vienna	Fadinger
Vienna	Mezzo
Vienna	Tempel
Vienna	Vestibül

Michelin Stars 2007- Austria

1 star:

Vienna	Korso
Vienna	Mraz and Sohn
Vienna	Restaurant Coburg
Vienna	RieGi
Vienna	Steirereck
Vienna	Walter Bauer

The Chancery 2

The Chancery certainly didn’t live up to my expectations this time around, which was a shame, as the food is still pretty decent.

Food

Things didn’t get off to a good start. We were promised we could choose from the full a la carte menu, then when we got there, they said we had to choose only from a reduced menu. Slokky and I had already tried most of the dishes on that menu, and if it wasn’t for the 2 “specials” they added to it, we would have had a very limited choice meal.

Entrees were pretty outstanding. The Tempura of oysters with lemon grass, ginger and sesame seed dressing was only lukewarm on arrival, but at least you could taste the flavour of the oyster. I didn’t use too much of the dressing, prefer the natural oyster taste. The Wood pigeon cassoulet, salsify crisps was a mixed bag. Pink, glorious pigeon was let down by some overly salty cassoulet, but the salsify crisps were a textural sensation. We also ordered the Rioja Crianza 2003/04, Solabal, Rioja, Spain (£27), which I liked very much. Won’t comment on the wine here since I know nothing.

We were served our amuse of Butternut pumpkin soup after entrée. This was more of a token gesture. It didn’t add anything to the meal and was not particularly exciting. Slokky got the Ballontine of chicken and black pudding, butternut and vanilla puree, cèpe sauce which, unfortunately, was not so great. The chicken was tasteless and even the black pudding was not good enough to pull it out of bland. They had those little potato “tubes” again (in fact, they were on all the plates). The Duck with ginger, orange mash and spinach. had the same vegetables and mash as the chicken, and three small pieces of very succulent ducks. I wasn’t really a fan of the orange mash either.

Pre-dessert was very disappointing, especially after the knockout jelly from last time. The Guava jelly looked bad and didn’t leave a lasting impression. We were very unhappy with the limited choice of dessert, as we had tried the apple tart previously and didn’t want to try the chocolate mousse as it came with white chocolate sauce, so I managed to get them to especially serve up a Prune custard tart instead. I certainly give them points on consistency, as it was wonderful, just like last time.

We didn’t get enough petit fours, but I’ve had them before, so I didn’t care. I asked for lemon ginger tea list last time, but they said they don’t have such a thing this time, so I settled for camomile, which was really just coloured water, as it didn’t taste like anything at all. I didn’t even get a teapot or a teabag like everyone else, so I don’t know how they brewed my tea. Slokky was wise this time and ordered an English Breakfast instead of a coffee.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

There were a lot more people tonight. The restaurant was running at full capacity and the downstairs bar area was taken up as well. It was quite a different atmosphere to last time as it was quite noisy. We took up the back room table, but had to share it with other people. We were pretty squashed in though, so each time we cut anything, we elbowed the person next to us.

Rating - 1.5

Service

There were certainly a lot more waiters today. Useless glasses guy was still there, and was as forgetful as always. He did better on the recommendation this time, picking a wine that I quite like. We had the “head guy” explain the menu to us, but I found that quite patronising, but at least we were “important” enough.

In terms of service, things were haphazard. A few of us were missing our coffee and tea order and had to ask again for them. Our amuse-bouche got served AFTER our entrée, after we enquired why they were missing. And they turned the music up to kick us out at 10:30pm!!

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

Why oh why do people not do what they say? We were first told we could have the full a la carte menu, then we couldn’t. Then we were told we would be charged the same price for 2 or 3 courses when the email that was received clearly stated not. It was such a hassle to have to argue with them several times so that they would honour their agreement. We had to ask to be given amuse-bouche, and they skimmed on the cheese sticks and the petit fours, so there wasn’t enough for the whole table. We only got 25% off our bill instead of the 50% we got last time. It still would’ve been fair value if they had charged what was quoted instead of trying to deck us at the end, which left a sore taste in the mouth.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 13

Info

9 Cursitor St
London
EC4A 1LL
Phone+44 (0) 20 7831 4000
Website

Sri Nam Thai Canary Wharf 2

I know, back again so soon, but you have to understand, it’s not like there’s much choices here at Canary Wharf.

Food

I had heard good things about the green curry, so I decided to give it a try. The Thai Green Curry with Chicken (£7.50) was satisfying, yet disappointing. The sauce was not hot enough, although the fresh chilli they give you to adjust the heat helps, but the meal was let down by some really rough chicken pieces. Portions are quite generous for the price.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

At first I was seated upstairs, which is a whole different ball-game, with tablecloth and proper glassware. Downstairs is much more casual, and you can’t book. Otherwise, it was as busy on this Monday as the other Monday I was here.

Rating - 2

Service

I booked a table for 3. When I got there, I was told that my guests have already arrived, only to find that people I didn’t know have taken my table!! That wasn’t much of a problem as all of upstairs was empty. However, I really wanted to eat downstairs so we moved down no probs. The rest of the wait staff were still pretty good, although today they weren’t smiling.

Rating - 3

C-factor

£7.50 is still better value than Wagamama.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 11.5

Info

10 Cabot Square
London
E14 4QB
Phone+44 (0) 20 7517 2898
Website

J. Baker’s

I have found my favourite restaurant, it’s just a shame that it is so far away.

Food

I fell in love with J Bakers straight away. They do things differently, I love their individuality. When I start describing the meal, you will see what I mean.

When we sat down, a little dish of Smoked almonds were presented. These were so addictive, and we munched through them while deciding on what to get. J Baker has introduced the “Grazing menu”, which really works like tapas or mezas. You choose a few dishes and make your own degustation. There are also the standard main meals on offer for lunch. For dinner it is a bit more conventional, with entrees and mains the focus, but the grazing option is also there. I decided to go grazing, but to choose the grazing plate, which is a selection of the grazing and main menu, while Slokky opted for a main.

Our next little surprise was when a rectangular plate arrived with a brown paper bag, some butter and sour cream. We were delighted to discover they contained little boiled potatoes. It was so simple, yet ingenious, and sure beats bread any day. What’s more, the cream was delicious, I actually smothered my potatoes in it. Next on the agenda was an amuse bouche of artichoke and split pea whip. Now, I’ve had a few amuse boucle in my time, and this is one of the best soup I’ve had. It was more whip than foam, and was very concentrated in flavour.

I was really looking forward to the meal by this time, and didn’t have to wait long at all. I was surprised when the Spotted Duck arrived as part of my Grazing Plate (£10.00), as the portion was entrée size. This is basically a terrain, made with Yorkshire produce, and with a wonderful balsamic vinegar reduction. The other part of my plate was Battered East Coast salt cod. This was a medium sized ball of the most delicious beer batter I have ever tasted, with beautiful fresh fish that didn’t really need the wonderful mayo to accompany it.

Slokky’s Tasty Lancashire Cheese Pudding ~ Curly Kale, shallot jam (£10.00) was no letdown either. Tasting a bit like the cheese tart we bought from Lille, it was reminiscent of eating ricotta pudding. The shallot jam was beautiful, but I was busy smearing the kale with the balsamic dressing and licking what I didn’t catch off the plate. This was very filling, so we didn’t really need the Baked beans, goose fat and parsley (£2.00) side we ordered, but with a name like that, who could resist? I am glad we did too as this was so top notch with flavour, gamey, mashed beans in a wonderful stock sauce.

We were really full as we had already ordered more since the menu sounded so tempting. The problem was, the desserts were even more tempting. We were so pleased with our meal we wanted to come back for dinner, so we could try the puddings then, but unfortunately they were all booked out, so we decided to throw caution into the wind and our “moderate eating plan” out the window, and ordered us each a dessert. I couldn’t resist the Yorkshire Triangle Rhubarb Fool (£4.50). The name refers to the region of Yorkshire that produces rhubarb. The rhubarb itself was prepared so it was crunchy and tangy, a bit like a pickle really. It was great, but what was even more enticing was the beautiful cream and shortbread on top. Best I have ever tasted. Ever.

And here is another example of why I love J Baker’s so much. They have a “chocolate room” menu where all manners of chocolate desserts and chocolate drinks are presented. After a long deliberation, we decided on the Summer Fruits, Pistachio and Chocolate Sundae (£4.50). Yum!! Kiwi, pineapple, passionfruit and superb dark chocolate ice-cream. We were very very satisfied at the end, but sad that we won’t get to come back for a while.

Rating - 9

Atmosphere

Somehow this is a place you want to come back to again and again. The orange tones and colourful flowers are endearing, and they have scattered old copies of food guides as display, including the SMH Good Food Guide 2002!!! We were given a prime spot next to the window, so we could watch the people come and go outside. There is a bar upstairs that looked very inviting. I think it is so different and refreshing to all the other places you see around York, and even London for that matter. I love that they are individuals, their cutlery and plates are very cool, with their own style, and really fits the atmosphere of this place.

Rating - 2.5

Service

Not really professional, none of the proper restaurant touch. Nobody enquired about my well-being when I got up to use the bathroom, we had to fill our own water, and plates were not removed for a long time. But they were very endearing, maybe because they looked so young and spoke with this very cool accent.

Rating - 2

C-factor

Our almost 3 course meal, no drinks, was only £31!!! For top quality food and the service charge only applies if there are more than 6 people and it’s only 10%.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 15.5

Info

7 Fossgate
York
YO1 9TA
Phone+44 (0) 19 0462 2688
Website

Kenza

I thought Kenza was going to be a Japanese restaurant, so I was pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be a Moroccan den right in the financial district.

Food

I was first to arrive, and the bar area looked very inviting, and the drinks sounded so divine, that I had to order a cocktail. My Neena – rum, honey and date (£9) actually sounded much better than it tasted. The rum was too overpowering, masking all other flavours. The best thing about the drinks was that they give you this little dish of olives stuffed with carrots, with the most fantastic sweet and spicy sauce.

We decided not to go with the toptable offer of 3 courses + cocktail for £25, as the menu was very limited, with only 3 choices (1 vegetarian) of all the food, and Turkish delights was counted as a dessert. Instead we chose to have 2 meza + main and cocktail for £25, as there was more choice. There was no choice of the free cocktail, but what we were given, the Neema – passionfruit, cacchua, was actually really good. The sour and tangy passionfruit really balanced out the rest of the drink.

A plate of warm puffed bread arrived, along with a plate of vegetables (cucumber, chilli, tomato), olives and pickles. We had lots of fun filling our bread pocket with the bread and trying all different combinations.

Before we knew it, a selection of mesas arrived. I now realize they didn’t deliver 1 meza, but we were too full and too busy to notice. We had:

• Baba ghannouj - Grilled aubergine purée, tahini & lemon juice - one of the best I’ve had for a long time, a real smoky flavour. It’s coated in olive oil but it doesn’t feel oily.
• Tabboulé - Minced parsley, mint, spring onions & tomatoes mixed with cracked wheat, lemon juice & olive oil - I still don’t quite get tabboule, it’s nice, but it’s just parsley!!
• kibbe samak - Deep fried mixed fish & cracked wheat parcels, filled with onions, herbs & minced fish - not much actual fish flavour, this might be better with a meat filling.
• Halloum meshoué - Grilled halloumi cheese with cherry tomato & thyme - really really yummy. Nothing like the really salty and tough halloumi I bought from the shops.
• Makanek - Pan fried home made Lebanese lamb & cumin sausages - very oily but good lamb flavour.
• Calamar mekli - Deep fried baby squid with sesame tahini sauce - lovely light batter and really yummy dipping sauce.
• Firré - Chargrilled marinated quail with pomegranate, garlic & thyme - my favourite, the marinate was excellent, and the quail was gamey .

By this time, I was really full, especially because you just want to keep eating the meza, but I had to save room for myTagine lahem wal Barkouk - Slow cooked lamb shank with ras el hanout, prunes, ginger, saffron & roasted almonds. I love tagines, it looks great and tastes so good. The shanks were melt in the mouth. The almonds added crunch and the sweetness of the prunes complemented the lamb well. This came with some potatoes which were unfortunately not cooked enough. The others’ dishes look fantastic too. I tried a bit of couscous, and that also tastes nothing like the stuff I buy in the shops. How do they get it so fluffy?

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Besides the four belly dancers that entertained us (i.e., dancers try to get guys’ attention, guys pretend not to stare, go red if any of them get approached by dancer, girls laugh at the guys’ embarrassment) during the meal, the place was very beautiful. Our table was small though, after all the side dishes, we didn’t have too much room to move. Luckily our banquette seating allowed us to place handbags and stuff next to us. All the booths looked great, but you probably had to pay extra for them.

I love their décor, red and pink and bronze the dominant colour. There is a water feature with floating candles and rose petals, the wonderful intricate lamps, carvings and the platters and plates they use.

Rating - 3

Service

At least they had a lot of waiters, because they were quite slow and couldn’t really tell us the right information. Also, we tried to book at 7, and we couldn’t get a booking, but we left at 9:30, and the restaurant was never more than ½ full, so what was the deal with that?

Rating - 2

C-factor

We were really full at the end, but found my pet gripe on the bill, which really ruined our experience. They had actually slugged us £2 a head for the bread and accompaniment, as well as the water and the service charge. We walked out of there for £38 p.p, which is one of the more expensive meals we had for a toptable place. If they told us the charge of bread upfront, that would be acceptable, but I hate getting slugged at the end. Plus, the cocktails were expensive!!

Rating -0

Brownie Points - 12.5

Info

10 Devonshire Square
London
EC2M 4YP
Phone+44 (0) 20 7403 8403
Website

New Fook Lam Moon

Yes I know, another Chinatown restaurant, but it wasn’t my choice.

Food

We had:

• Lobster with Ginger and Spring Onions (£18.50) – great sauce, lobster meat a bit hit and miss
• Steamed Eel with Black Bean Sauce (£11.00) – nice slimy and chewy texture, just like the ones from home really.
• Fish ball and vegetables - very plain and not very generous
• Sweet and Sour Pork (£6.90)– I am sure the pork has been really treated, as it had such a different texture, but the sauce was good and not too sweet.
• "Lo-Hon" Mixed Vegetables with Beancurd (£6.90)– not great, the tofu tasted very artificial

The food was very average, and we were left very hungry at the end of the night, but it wasn’t the fault of the restaurant. A lot of people showed up unannounced, so our order for 10 ended up being an order for 12. If it wasn’t for the lovely birthday cake, we would be very very hungry.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

At first, we thought there was no way we could all fit in this restaurant, as the shopfront was very small, but then again, so was most places in Chinatown. However, we were led downstairs, where we had almost the whole place to ourselves, except for a table of 2 that they squeezed in there, which we felt sorry for, as they had to endure the very loud noise we were making. Besides being very closed to the toilets (that could be a good thing when there was only 1 available for the whole restaurant), it was a bare space, served to sit as many people as possible. It wasn’t made for lingering.

Rating - 1

Service

We had a mother figure who kept bossing us around, but because she was so motherly it was acceptable. The wait staff here can actually speak English AND Chinese!! (yes, it is actually quite rare in London Chinese restaurant, it seems you either speak one or the other). I think for a Chinese restaurant in this city, it’s the best service I’ve had for a long time, however, when they were busy, we had to wait for quite a while for service, but when we got it, it was efficient and friendly. When we left, about 4 different people thanked us for dining.

Rating - 3

C-factor

At £18 p.p, it was more expensive than Golden Pagoda, but we ate much less. I guess this one is about quality not quantity. However, quality was not that great so I would say value was not that great. Still, for London, it’s not too bad.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 10.5

Info

10 Gerard St
London
W1D 5PW
Phone+44 (0) 20 7403 8403
Website