Smiths of Smithfield

Off to test our first “local” since we moved into the area. We pretty much chose this as one of the only places that is opened on a weekend.

Food

The drinks selection sounded really interesting, and we ordered the Monkey Business - Apple, Banana, Peanut Butter & Vanilla Ice Cream (4½ pounds), pretty much because of the peanut butter. As expected, this was pretty much like a meal in itself. It was freshly made, and apart from being very sweet, it was a very nice drink. To balance out all that sugar, we ordered some vegetarian food for balance.

We had the Roasted Vegetables, Chickpea & Couscous Salad (5 pounds), fresh, but as is the problems with vegetarian salads, doesn’t pack much in terms of taste. The Smith’s Veggie Bean Burger, Cucumber salad & Sweet Chilli Sauce (5½ pounds) suffered from the same problem, although the sweet chilli sauce definitely helped.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

This place was very very busy at 3pm on a Saturday. We were here for lunch, and managed to snag a table at the back of the vast warehouse dining space. The whole place has that “cool” vibe going on. A huge open space, still retaining the industrial look. Wooden tables, red chairs, comfy couches, huge open bar, well dressed people. They write their prices in words on the menu instead of numbers and symbols…yes, it’s that kind of place. As usual, we felt we didn’t really belong. There are 3 levels, each with a different vibe, but for lunch, only the ground level canteen style operation was running.

Rating - 2.5

Service

They were pretty busy too, but we got served in good time, and they were good enough for such a casual setting. The fact that all the waiters looked hot and were young no doubt helps.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Average for Farringdon area. Food is up to scratch, and is a nice place to visit for some lunch.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 12.5

Info

67-77 Charterhouse Street
London
EC1M 6HJ
Phone +44 (0) 20 7251 7950
Website

Anatolia Restaurant

Dilemma, nowhere to eat in Cambridge…and all the options were same same. We settled on Anatolia because of the cuisine, and the fact that they were running a good price set menu for lunch.

Food

We ate from the set menu, and had varying results:

• Mixed Meze:
  • Spinach Tarator - strained yoghurt with spinach, garlic and olive oil - pleasant, if a bit oily. We moped it all up with the bread though
  • Stuffed Vine Leaves - vine leaves, pine kernels boring
  • Pilaki - pinto beans in a tomato sauce - like baked beans, only better
  • Cacik - Yoghurt with cucumber and a hint of garlic - nice and refreshing
  • Humus - puree of chick peas, tahini, lemon and garlic - not really the best I’ve had, just better than the shop bought stuff
  • Tabbouleh - parsley salad with mint, bulgar, tomato and onion - again, very average
  • Borek - filo pastry filled with cheese, parsley and herbs - very oily, but tastes good
• Chicken Shish - Marinated grilled chicken on a skewer - a little on the dry side
• Kul Basti - Grilled fillets of lamb with oregano and mint sauce - tastily done
• Baklava - Crushed nuts in a filo pastry topped with syrup - very standard, and probably something we didn’t need

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

The restaurant is situated on two level, with a clean modern look on the upper level – but with cheap and tacky furniture, and a more Turkish feel downstairs with gold colouring, exotic decorations and an open kitchen. When we were there for lunch, only the upper level was open, but the toilets were located downstairs, and when I ventured down, there was a darkened restaurant space, with a guy sitting in the darkness in the open kitchen, grilling shish kebab. The whole thing was so comical, especially when he was surrounded by all these Turkish junkets.

Rating - 1.5

Service

We were served by what seemed like the owner and another waiter, who was very friendly. However, someone sitting close to us was Turkish, and the three of them started chatting and bonding over their shared heritage…and they started neglecting the rest of the clients. We waited for ages before

Rating - 3

C-factor

£9.95. Good value for lunch.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 12.5

Info

30 Bridge Street
Cambridge
CB2 1UJ
Phone +44 (0)12 2336 2372
Website

Crispy Duck

After visiting Kiasu yesterday, I didn’t want to visit another Malaysian place, so I declined C&R and went next door to Crispy Duck.

Food

Your typical menu really, but seeing their name was Crispy Duck, we thought we would also try the duck. The Shredded duck with pancake didn’t look very promising. In fact, it looked like they had removed half of the meat and given us the leftover. Nevertheless, we worked with what we had and wrapped it up to eat. The duck itself didn’t taste like much, but we just piled on the hoi-sin sauce, and didn’t notice the difference.

As for the mains, I had a sip of the congee, and it was actually quite pleasant. The Fukien fried rice was also surprisingly nice. The rice has been generously coated in a thick sauce, loaded with seafood and vegetables. Simple things done well.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

The place, like most other Chinatown restaurants, is spread over several levels. They managed to half fill all of their floors, so it wasn’t too loud or too crowded there. In fact, there was quite a bit of space to move around and be comfortable. In terms of décor, it looks like any of your old style Chinese restaurant, with the meat hanging at the front, white tiles, practical furnishing.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Another place of rude service. They were so indifferent and the service so lacking, we might as well serve ourselves. All the Asian countries have now improved their service, they should really keep up.

Rating - 1

C-factor

Very cheap, and the portions aren’t bad either.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 10.5

Info

27 Wardour Street
London
W1D 6PR
Phone +44 (0) 20 7287 6578

Kiasu

Well, they had the most people and the most stickers out the front, so it was an easy choice among the row of restaurants on the Bayswater stretch.

Food

The menu consists of your old favourite and a few twists. We decided to test out the staples, so we had Soy Bean Milk (£1.80), which was watery and disappointing. The Char Kway Teow (£7.20) – Hot off the wok –rice noodles with prawn, egg, Chinese sausage and bean sprouts. Singapore style (sweet dark sauce), which we asked for hot, was not that hot at all. Still, it maintained a nice wok breath, although I found the sauce was too sweet. The ingredients were a bit skimpy. The Nonya Laksa (£7.60) – White rice noodles in spicy coconut gravy garnished with prawns, fish cake and daun kesum was agreeable enough, with a sauce that is pungent and coconutty. They were again very skimpy with their ingredients, but Slokky drank all the sauce, so I guess it is one of the better ones you can get in this country.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

The place has the interesting blue décor. The waiters are also decked out in blue uniform. The whole operation reminds me of Cha Cha Moon really, minus the long communal tables. The clientele though, is a bit less cutting edge, with families and not so “cool” types. There were a few native South-East Asians, so we felt better.

Rating - 2

Service

A notch above Chinatown rudeness. For an Asian restaurant, the dishes certainly came out slowly…it was a 20 minutes wait for our food, and it didn’t arrive at the same time either. We don’t mind too much, but don’t eat here if you are in a hurry.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Quite expensive for what you get. There were only 2 prawns in my laksa.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 11.5

Info

48 Queensway
Bayswater
W2 3RY
Phone +44 (0) 20 7727 8810
Website

Pho Café Farringdon

So much to look forward to, so much anticipation, and in the end, so much disappointment. Pho Café was not the saving grace I was looking for.

Food

The menu is not as varied as your typical Vietnamese, but contained variations of Pho, Bun and Goi (Salad), plus a few starters to add variety. Things started promisingly with my apple, pineapple and mint (£2.95) juice. Slokky got the apple, pineapple and coconut juice (£2.95), and both were freshly squeezed. It could have been a bit colder though. We ordered the Cha Gio (£3.75) - fried pork spring rolls to share, which were fresh and had a nice light dipping sauce to match. As usual, we always test a Vietnamese restaurant by their pho, so we ordered the Pho Tai (£7.45) - thinly sliced fillet steak (all beef pho's served with beef stock). This was so, so disappointing. The soup was very substandard, with no depth and maybe even worst….hardly any flavour. The accompaniment was only a few bean sprouts, a sprig of basil and a slice of lime, not the pile of sprout and aromatic herbs of other establishments. I, who prefers fresh to heavy, added all the chilli into the sauce, and I still could not make it taste good. Even worst, the noodles were flat and the beef was almost non-existent.

Bun Hue Chay 9£7.45) - hot and spicy brisket soup seemed like to be the exact stock base and noodles as the pho, except with a spoon full of chilli paste added. The only thing I can say is…well, now you have flavour. The only thing it had going for it was the brisket. I would have preferred it to be more sinewy, but the beef was soft and flavoursome enough to please.

After the shocking mains, I skipped desserts. Slokky tried the “regurgitated” coffee though. It didn’t taste any different to the coffee we brought back from Vietnam.

Rating - 3

Atmosphere

It’s a small place, a little away from the hustle nad bustle of St John Street, but still close enough to be popular with the office workers and locals. In fact, the place was full to bursting, and extremely warm. It makes a nice and pleasant hang out…now if only the food was better.

Rating - 2

Service

The waiters were all airheads. They were nice and all, but none of them even know what the dishes were or who ordered what, so there was so much confusion when the food came. They had no anticipation, and we had to ask them for everything. They kept reaching over us to remove our plates, sometimes before we’d finished with it.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

For Farringdon? Average. For pho? Appalling. For decent food? Outrageous.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 6.5

Info

86 St. John Street
London
EC1M 4EH
Phone +44 (0) 20 7253 7624
Website

Bluebird Restaurant

Bluebird is situated in the trendy Clelsea area, so I expected lots of rich posers to be dining here, but the client is more mixed than I thought, all enjoying the classic British food.

Food

The menu was interesting and intriguing, with classic British dishes and lots of different types of pies. I chose the Soused Cornish Gurnard - pea shoots, fennel, coriander, rapeseed oil to start. This was even better than the waiter described. The white flesh had been cured so that it is a smooth, fishy jelly. The accompaniment was light and complemented the sour poaching liquid. The Duck Confit & Ham Hock Terrine - piccalilli, celeriac, toasted brioche was more conventional, but still extremely yummy. I enjoyed the thick toasted brioche that came with the dish too.

I opted for Haddock & Prawn Fishcake - spinach, sauce tartare. You can actually distinguish and taste the fish and prawn in the fishcake, in that it wasn’t all mushed together. I really like that. The Fish Pie - day boat fish, tarragon sauce was excellent. A dry wine sauce formed the base of fish pieces accented by tarragon…I was tempted to try desserts but we wanted to get home early….but this place is so good I want to come back again.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Bluebird is one good looking restaurant – the name actually derived from the “garage” that was this place before it became a restaurant. So that explains the enormous space. They have a big open kitchen down one side of the restaurant, with neat little divisions dividing the rest of the space up. There is a huge bar in the centre of the room, with the counter illuminated. I only wish they have a little more light as I couldn’t read the menu at all!

Rating - 2

Service

Very professional, I was amazed. I asked the waiter to describe the gurnard dish, and she did it without any problems. She was able to tell me the accompaniment that came on the plate, what the taste and texture was supposed to be. Each course was delivered with clear explanation, and the waiters were also friendly. Top notch service.

Rating - 4

C-factor

We dined here on the toptable rewards point. I was surprised, as we were allowed to choose from any items of their normal £15.50 two course menu, instead of the restricted choice I expected.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 15.5

Info

The Kings Road Gastrodome
350 Kings Road
London
SW3 5UU
Phone +44 (0) 20 7559 1000
Website

Michael Caines at ABode Hotel Canterbury

Michael Caines is supposed to be a Michelin Star winning chef, although this place has not been decorated with any awards…still, I had my hopes up.

Food

The execution of the food certainly has Michelin star pretensions. Luckily, the food was executed well and tasted wonderful. I felt like I ate a mini mini tasting menu. There was a choice of 3 for each course. We had:

• Twice baked Roquefort soufflé - poached haddock, quail’s egg, hollandaise sauce - the egg was done just right. The hollandaise tangy and creamy. A great start to the meal.
• Boudin Blanc - wild mushroom puree, roasted almond foam - excellent, with a creamy texture and great accompaniment.
• Roast Topside Kentish Beef - pomme puree, wild mushroom, red wine jus - a very small piece of beef, but really good quality. Not too much nees to be done really – the pomme puree were really creamy.
• Pan Fried Mackerel - Serreno ham, smoked red pepper puree, basil and aged balsamic vinegar - I like mackerel, at least it has some flavour. This was not exceptional, but I admire the chef for getting the produce shine through.
• Orange Rhubarb Charlotte - orange cream, poached rhubarb - you can’t go wrong. I love rhubarb 
• Banoffee fool chocolate fudge muffin - caramel and cream sauce - not much banana, and a bit sweet… and I was really looking forward to this

This was all finished off with Earl Grey, which also came with 6 delectable and fussed with Petit 4s.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

The restaurant is situated in a nice clean space, right in the centre of town. Modern lines, white table cloth, with a small bar down one end. The colour is black with accents of orange, in the flower on each table and the uniform of the staff. The restaurant was full enough for a Saturday lunch time to give it a good atmosphere, although the clientele lean towards the old rather than the new.

Rating - 2

Service

Seems like the staff are on training wheel. When we were presented with our meals, the boudin blanc was explained as “chicken”, the mackerel as “fish” and the beef was called “meat”…really, I think I could have figured that out myself. They were so half-heard in their crumb sweeping they shouldn’t have bothered, and one of the waiter was acting really gay too.

Rating - 1

C-factor

It was £9.95 for 3 courses. While it sounded like a bargain, the portions were very very small, like tasting menu portions. We were actually not full afterwards – which really is not such a bad thing. In saying that, the ingredients were top rate and the food tasted very good, so I think they have priced it just right.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 11.5

Info

The Abode Hotel
High Street
Canterbury
Kent
CT1 2RX
Phone +44 (0) 20 7403 8403
Website

Lau’s Buffet King

My first, and hopefully my last, Chinese buffet

Food

The selection was quite varied, I actually skipped half the stuff, but I tried the following:

• Sweet and sour soup
• Fried chicken wing
• Crispy seaweed
• Crispy won-ton
• Spring roll
• Curry Samosa
• Sweet and sour spare rib
• Salt and pepper spare rib
• Peking Spare rib
• Egg Foo Yung
• Singapore Vermicelli
• Beef in black bean sauce
• Sweet and sour pork
• Pork in pepper sauce
• Lemon chicken
• Braised mushroom
• Stir fried vegetable
• Salt and pepper prawns
• Mussel in black bean sauce
• Pork & Veg in XO Sauce
• Stir fried beef with mushrooms
• Beef in black bean sauce
• Stir-fried roast pork
• Seafood & Mushroom Fried Rice
• Fried banana
• Fried pineapple
• Ice-cream with fruit salad

I only managed to eat 3 plates worth, plus soup and dessert…I must be getting old, with my metabolism slowing. Usually I can polish off at least 4 plates. Anyhow…all I can say is I had a fried taste in my mouth for a long time after that. And that’s all I want to say about it. If you are into this sort of thing, I suppose this is one of the better restaurants to be in, because of the foot traffic, you can be sure that the food is fresh.

Rating - 5

Atmosphere

Well, we visited here on Valentines Day, but it didn’t stop singles, friends, couples and families all dining here. We saw a huge line formed out the front, and that’s why we thought it must be good…It was so busy, they filled two whole floor of the space, and there were still people waiting out the front! I really don’t know the reason, except that food in Newcastle must be terrible in general, to have such a line-up of people shoving each other out of the way to get in.

While busy is great for a buffet in that you always get fresh food, it meant that you have to wait a long time in the line to get to the items you want. And as for the décor, the least said about this the better.

Rating - 1

Service

The waiter took the time to explain to us how the buffet works. Exactly how much it would cost if we leave at a certain time. They seemed to be very experienced with the common questions that they must get ask. Other than that, they took away the plates at a regular enough interval, and filled up the food when supplies ran low, what more can you ask for?

Rating - 3

C-factor

£5.50 for lunch. Extras for drinks. Not that cheap in my opinion. I thought people might be going crazy and loading up plate after plate, but most people seemed to only have 2 plates + dessert and call it a day…seems like it might be a good business idea to start up an Oriental buffet in Newcastle…

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 9.5

Info

44-50 Stowell Street
Newcastle Upon Tyne
NE1 4XQ
Phone +44 (0) 19 1261 8868
Website

Mango Tree

The sister restaurant of one of my favourites, Awana, but serving Thai cuisine. I was definitely looking forward to this.

Food

Like Awana, there is a very interesting cocktail menu, and even quite a few non-alcoholic drinks. I had the Serendipity, with rum and pear being dominant. You got quite a kick from it. If you prefer your cocktail sweet, stay away, but this one certainly had oomph, which seemed to contradict the name really. Slokky had the Exotic ONe - Fresh passion fruit juice, lychee juice, cranberry juice, fresh dragon fruit, coconut cream, lime juice, brown sugar syrup, ONe fizzy drinks which was excellent. Very refreshing. There were 3 or 4 choices on the Awards menu:

• som tum (v) - green papaya salad with cherry tomato, snake beans, peanut and spicy lime sauce - not as good as the papaya salads from Thailand, and a little bit too sweet for my liking…but I do love papaya salad…Don’t be fooled by the description. The salad consisted mainly of papaya and not much else.
• Tod Mun Pla - Spicy fish cakes seasoned with curry and kaffir lime leaf served with sweet and spicy sauce - nicely fragrant with herbs, and with hints of fishiness. Not too peppery and not too spicy. I like it.
• Gaeng Kiew Wan Gai - green curry with corn fed chicken - A little bit sweet and not hot enough for my liking…but otherwise the flavour was great, and certainly much better than the version at Sri Nam. There wasn’t much chicken in it though.
• Pad Ka Pow Pak (v) -stir fried mixed vegetables with chilli and basil - had the required wok taste, but otherwise the sauce was quite plain and boring
• Cheese Cake Lychee Na-Now - lychee and lime flavoured cheese cake with Lychee jelly - really yummy Asian flavours
• Ice Creams - Chocolate & Lemongrass, Very Berry, Banana with Sticky Rice - I loved this, reminds me of all the great ice cream places in Asia.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Busy cannot even being to describe it, it was absolutely full to bursting, with so many groups and couples everywhere. I usually find myself being one of the first people in a restaurant at 7pm on a weeknight, but not here. The whole place was already filled up when we arrived, with only a few tables left, which were filled by 7:30pm. I was glad we got a relatively good spot by the window, as we got a little bit of privacy. Definitely not a place for a date but great for groups.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Considering how busy the place was, the running of it was much better than I expected. We did have quite a wait for the main course – and they got one of our orders wrong, so we ended up eating one meal before the other. They did manage to fix the mistake quickly. It also took forever for the bill to come. I think if the place was less busy the service would be very good, as they seemed relatively well organised.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

We went as part of the reward meal through Top Table. I had previously tried the 2000 points reward (twice) before, and it was not bad, not generous though, so I had some doubt on what we would get for the 1400 points reward. I was pleasantly surprised at the generosity. It seems like we dined from a restricted lunch menu, which costs £20 for 3 courses. So as we got it for free… Anyway, they always do 50% discount deals so I don’t think anyone ever pays full price? Looking at how popular the place is, I am sure they’ve got it right.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 13.5

Info

46 Grosvenor Place
London
SW1X 7EQ
Phone +44 (0) 20 7823 1888
Website

Levant

Food

We had a selection of meze for entrees, including:

• Baba Ghannuge - Grilled aubergine dip, tahina & lemon juice - really beautiful, nice and smokey, and the accompanying flat bread was excellent too
• Kibbeh lahme - Lamb and cracked wheat parcels filled with minced lamb, onions and pine nuts - a bit oily but full of flavour
• Samak mekleh - Deep fried baby squid with Red Pepper Dip - just like normal salt and pepper squid, but the red pepper dip was exquisite, really fresh and with subtle spicing that brought out the sweetness of the peppers.
• Soujok - Spicy Armenian sausage, tomatoes, garlic & parsley - like kebabs really
• Qasbet d’jaj - Sautéed chicken livers, pomegranate
  & crispy onion - a bit different and livened up with the pomegranate

We were pretty full already, as the entrees were generous. For mains we had:

• S’csou Darna - Braised lamb shoulder, slow cooked chicken & merguez sausage served with steamed couscous, vegetable broth, golden sultanas, chickpeas, harissa & garlic stew - they actually didn’t give us the stew, but we were really quite full already with the entrees and couldn’t be bothered asking for it. Actually, we had forgotten it was on the menu until the people next to us ordered the same thing and they got the stew. Oh yeah, and the lamb, beautifully cooked, melt in the mouth, the couscous was not too sweet, excellent dish
• Mixed grill - Kafta laham, kafta d’jaj, shish tawuk & laham meshwi on a skewer - a little bit boring, some of the meat was dry, while others were spiced heavily. Not bad but not great

And dessert was still to come, on a 3 tier dessert platter

• Sniwat Fawakih - Fresh fruit platter with orange blossom - at this point we were just trying to cut the fat with the fresh watermelon and grapes
• Shay Bel Naanaa Wal Halawiyatt - Mint tea with baklawa - both mint tea and baklawa were excellent
• pistachios - didn’t touch much of this, this platter would be great to accompany drinks
• Turkish delight - there were 3 flavours, and all were really yummy.

Overall, excellent standard and very generous.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

We ate at a very odd time, 3pm. At first we weren’t sure if there was anyone dining. Surprisingly there were a couple of people there. The restaurant is situated in the basement level, but was huge. The waiter decided to sit us right next to a couple who were getting very intimate with each other. Apart from that and the fact that all the wait staff seem to be preparing for the dinner rush…it was weird. The ambience must be quite nice normally, with a nice bar area where you can have drinks. Normally they have belly dancers too…

Rating - 2

Service

I thought they could have put in more effort actually. It was hard to get any attention, and their blender was broken so they couldn’t make drinks?!?! Surely they would lose less money by going out and buying a new one.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

We had the meat feast for £29.50 p.p, with a discount from toptable of course. We had so much food leftover, but the dessert was so nice, I was forcing myself to eat more at the end. Good food and good value, maybe if I came for dinner I would have had a much more enjoyable experience.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 13

Info

Jason Court off Wigmore Street
76 Wigmore Street
London
W1U 2SJ
Phone +44 (0) 20 7224 1111
Website

Champor-Champor

What better way to celebrate Australia Day, Chinese New Year and my birthday than to go to a modern Malaysian restaurant?

Food

We were given a reduced choice menu as there were 12 of us. There was still enough to keep us interested.

• tofu skin with spicy sauce - not much taste but great texture
• banana bread - yummy. I haven’t had banana bread for so long I forgot how yummy it was
• Jasmine tea-braised poussin, tahini sauce; fresh ginger chutney - the sauce was a killer, the tahini giving it a real lift and flavour. The poussin was very subtle in flavour, a perfect foil for the sauce.
• Stir fried frog legs with ginger, galangal and XO sauce (£2 supplement) – at first the frog legs were tasteless, until I figured out that because of the shape of the bowl, the legs weren’t getting any of the ginger sauce. Once I started dunking all the legs in the sauce, they tasted excellent. The XO sauce was a real standout too, so much so that Slokky started eating it by the spoonful when the legs ran out
• Mutton kofte in korma curry; satsuma skin pilau; bean sprout rojak – actually, just mutton kofte. We were missing all the side dishes, and I told Slokky that, but he insisted that there was no accompaniment, so I believed him. There’s where my mistake was, I should’ve checked myself and never trust Slokky…seems a never learn. Anyway, the mutton kofte was nice and “smelly”, as only mutton can be. It was quite gamey. The sauce itself was very mild and accompanied the mutton nicely.
• Pigeon & plum hot pot; spiced congee; mooli som tam - this was rather hot, as in spicy. The pigeon was nice and pink, very soft and tender. I love the dish, with the spiced congee cutting the heat. I just found out som tam means green papaya. It certainly tasted great.
• Pandan sponge & butter pudding; green tea ice cream - desserts were a bit disappointing after such a great start. This has avocado as a topping too. While I do like avocado I am not sure it worked in this case. The green tea ice-cream was excellent by the way – so smooth and creamy.
• Mascarpone-filled cinnamon pancake; longan & mint salsa - my favourite dessert, the pancake was subtle, while the longan was very refreshing.
• Coffee & burnt sugar cake; toffee cream - I couldn’t taste coffee in this. It really reminded me of my sticky date pudding, especially the sauce. After eating it every day for a week I was a bit sick of it, and I thought the cake was a bit too heavy to finish the meal.

Rating - 8

Atmosphere

The restaurant is quite small, with dark exotic tones on the wall and in the furnishings. A scary looking puppet watched over us the whole time. On this rainy Wednesday night, they didn’t quite manage to fill the restaurant up, but considering it’s located in a dingy side street of London Bridge, with nothing else around, its appeal has to be due to the excellent food and the great service.

Rating - 1.5

Service

As I said, great. They catered to us without any problem. Well, we were mostly left on our own, pouring our own water…etc. Still, the staff was friendly and smiled at us while they delivered our food. For a big group, we didn’t have to wait long at all, and that’s all you need really.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

For a group, we had to have 3 courses. Also we get a more limited choice of menu, but there was still plenty to choose from. It was £29 for 3, plus drinks and service, so the total came to £37 p.p. I think it is a bit expensive, but the food was great, so I won’t complain too much.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 13.5

Info

62 Weston Street
London
SE1 3QJ
Phone +44 (0) 20 7403 4600
Website

Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

Birthday treat at the new star on the block, with two newly acquired Michelin Star.

Food

After we sat down, we were given a plate of small choux puffs, flavoured by pepper and cardamom. They were like little bursts of flavour, and were excellent while hot. After we ordered, the amuse was delivered in a lovely egg shaped bowl, complete with lid, and consisted of Winter vegetable, foie gras and asparagus mousse. The vegetables were thinly sliced and crunchy, but not much taste, but paired very well with the velvety smooth sauce.

I didn’t try a lot of the bread selection as I was saving my stomach, but the Sourdough bread and the Scottish bap were excellent. The accompaniment also included crème fraiche but I actually prefer the salted butter.

• Soft-boiled organic EGG, crayfish and cep mushrooms, Nantua sauce - the egg was huge…but it’s supposed to be organic so it must’ve been a big chook who gave birth to it. I think what I love most about this dish was the delicious sauce. You know you are in for a treat when you can smell how good the sauce is. This one was a seafood based reduction, that was a rich addition to the mild ingredients. And of course, the egg was cooked perfectly.
• Roasted CHICKEN & LOBSTER, sweetbread, creamy juice - wow – if I hadn’t known from the menu that I was eating chicken, I could swear that it was actually pork. That chicken had so much flavour, and not to mention the really crisp, thick skin, I was really surprised it was chicken. You can’t go wrong with lobster, and sweetbread for that matter. The sauce was outstanding, yet again.
• Fillet of TURBOT "Matelote", potato gnocchi - I was informed that Matelote is a red wine and bacon sauce. Not what I expected actually, but the sauce was thick and not that salty, but has an almost caramelized flavour. The turbot was cooked perfectly, while little gnocchi (not that interesting) had pieces of delectable bacon sitting on top.
• Fillet of BEEF and seared FOIE GRAS Rossini, “sacristain” potatoes, “Périgueux sauce” - as expected, good quality beef. The foie gras was top quality and melt in the mouth, the sauce superb. The potatoes were list crisps, except delivered as twists. I didn’t really eat those and instead paid attention to the meat.
• Passionfruit, pistachio and orange macaroon – perhaps they were delivered before dessert because of the long wait for the soufflé, who knows. Anyway, these weren’t soft and light, but heavy and intense. Still, the flavours were so good I didn’t care
• dark chocolate, milk chocolate with wafer – yum. They actually asked if I wanted more but I had to decline
• Slightly bitter pink GRAPEFRUIT SOUFFLÉ with grapefruit sorbet - I love soufflé, but I have to say on this occasion it didn’t do it for me. The grapefruit was just a bit TOO sharp, so the soufflé tasted very bitter, and the sorbet was so sharp it hurts to eat it. It was all a bit overwhelming.
• THE GIRL FROM IPANEMA- pineapple layers with foam - good idea, but I thought the pineapple was a bit too sweet, so I didn’t enjoy this as much as I would otherwise.
• Assortment of lollies – nougat, chocolate cream biscuit - well, I didn’t expect more after all those, but these came anyway, after we’ve had desserts.
• Lemon sorbet and mango - I preferred this to all the desserts. The mango was clean and paired well with the sweet and sour sorbet.
• Chablis Four 06 (£15) – a dry white to accompany my meal, poured from a huge magnum and quite fine, thank you very much

All in all, the most French experience I’ve had, in terms of the order of how everything is served. I love it, and with the rate of the Euro these days, perhaps I don’t need to go to France to experience this type of food.

Rating - 9

Atmosphere

I actually expected more opulence really, afterall, this is the flagship restaurant at The Dorchester…Having said that, I actually really like the décor….I am thinking olive walls would suit my new place…They have a nature theme going on, with a silver leaf light fixture and also a green foliage feature wall. Glass vegetables sit on the tables – I’ve seen them somewhere before, but can’t remember the restaurant. We were given a seat in the corner, overlooking Hyde Park – although I was too short and it was too dark to see across the road, so the view I got was a lot of passing double deckers. They even have a fire going, shielded behind a pane of glass, definitely for dramatic effect rather than for warmth.

The place was not that full though, only about half the tables were filled, so I guess those Michelin Stars aren’t pulling in the punters, or maybe it’s the credit crunch biting. Well, the place was filled more with businessmen rather than the show-offs at Le Gavouche, so wearing my suit didn’t really make me stand out. P.S. they have very nice hand cream in the bathrooms.

Rating - 2

Service

Wonderful. Our every need was attended to and they didn’t seem like they were too posh. They left us alone most of the time, but always checked on us to make sure we were ok. The parting gift at the end of the night was a great touch too.

Rating - 5

C-factor

3 courses for £75, with supplement of £10 for the chicken ad lobster and also the beef. We got 20% off from toptable, but it’s still a big hit. At least it was an experience. I only hope it was cheaper so I can come back again.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 16.5

Info

The Dorchester
Park Lane
London
W1K 1QA
Phone +44 (0) 20 7629 8866
Website

Benares

We met Atul Kochhar over a year ago at his book signing. We loved the food from his cookbook, and wanted to see if the food lived up to its reputation. I am please to report that I am pleased indeed.

Food

We had the pre-theatre menu, which was perfect as there were three of us and three choices for each course. We started off with some mini papadoms and chutneys, which were very mild. The amuse was Potato and Leek Soup, and while not spectacular, it did demonstrate the blending of Eastern and Western influences in the food. For the main event:

• Beetroot Carpaccio with Cranberry Foam and Mixed Fruit Jelly - looked spectacular, with its bright orange and purple juxtaposition. The sauce was subtle and paired nicely with the beetroot, with a delicate salad on top.
• Pepper and Fennel Crusted Squid Salad - the squid was lightly coated and cooked well, with the flesh accentuated by the bitey salad.
• Tandoor Cooked Salmon Fillets with Spiced Gazpacho Salsa - you can definitely taste the smoked tandoor flavour. Simple and fresh.
• Savoy Dolmas with a Fenugreek Flavoured Concasse and Sour Cream - I love the sauce of this dish. It is perhaps the most “Indian” of the dish. It demonstrates the ingenious use of spices. The potato mixture underneath the cabbage shows that the kitchen can do the basics well.
• Pan Fried King Fish Steaks with Chilly-Garlic Mash and Nilgiri Sauce - they ran out of kingfish so we got sea bass instead – and had to endure the mushy tastelessness of the flesh. At least the coconuty sauce made it bearable.
• Saffron Scented Chicken Supremes with a Leek Risotto and Makhani Sauce - again, nicely smoked chicken, but the risotto lacked any sort of oomph.
• Naan - very nice…not much else to say really.
• White Chocolate Mousse with Banana Basil Sorbet - I didn’t enjoy this at all. The white chocolate was too sweet, and how that went with the banana sorbet beats me.
• Allspice Poached Winter Fruits with Vanilla Ice Cream - my favourite dessert by a mile, the poached fruit benefited immensely with the beautiful, slightly spicy sauce.
• Mango Kulfi - not that much mango flavour, otherwise very standard kulfi

We ended the meal with some Fresh Mint Tea and also a standard showing of Petit Fours, which included Cinnamon Biscuit, Jelly, Banana Éclair, Chocolate Pistachio Fudge.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

The décor is very posh – and certainly much nicer than Tamarind’s, dark walls with intricate wood panels. The space is huge, with a main dining hall and also several sections that would be great for large groups. We dined at 6pm for the pre-theatre menu offer, and there were quite a few tables celebrating birthdays. At 7pm exactly they dimmed the lights, and people who were fancily dressed started arriving.

Rating - 2

Service

Cordial and polite, not quite the attentiveness you usually get at a Michelin Star place. At least they actually empty a whole bottle of still water before they remove it from the table.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

£24.95 for three courses, a glass of wine, tea and petit fours, not bad if you can get it.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 14

Info

12A Berkeley Square House
Berkeley Square
London
W1J 6BS
Phone +44 (0) 20 7629 8886
Website

C & R

We visited this joint 3 years ago when we first stepped foot in London. At the time, we were really disappointed that this was one of the best restaurants in London, yet served up meals that I could find, and for better, at any old joint back home. And now, 3 years later, after suffering from not having a decent Asian meal for more than a year, has my opinion changed? Yes, but only because the pound is doing so badly, and because I miss Asian food.

Food

The best thing about this meal was actually the drinks. It wasn’t until I had my first sip of my Hot Soya Milk (£2), that I realised how much I missed this, after 1.5 years without. The Pearl Milk Tea (£3.50) bought back memories of happy days in Aussie land, where this drink can be enjoyed at any old Asian joint.

I tried the Singapore Laksa last time and remembered that I wasn’t impressed. This time I went for the Penang Asam Laksa (£6.50)– pineapple, cucumber, tuna, rice noodles, onions. I am sorry to report that it isn’t that much better. A thick coating of oil was floating in the soup, along with a mass of raw onions and a tinned tuna. Everything used was cheap and nasty – not impressed at all. The Nasi Goreng (£7)– fried egg, chicken, greens had the wonderful wok-breath taste, and the flavour was fine…All in all, pretty average. Nothing that urges me to return.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

It was surprisingly not crowded on a Thursday night…maybe it’s the cold weather, or the credit crunch, who knows, but I was happy to get a table. We decided to sit downstairs away from the cold and the wind. It was cramped, but it was warm at least, and we got to watch that trolley go up and down with the food.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Kinda rude, but it reminds me of the cheap and nasty joints from Oz.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

Compared to 2 years ago, their prices have only risen by about 50p. And if I do the conversion back to AUD nowadays, it’s not such as painful as the GBP is doing so woeful nowadays.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 10.5

Info

3-4 Rupert Court
London
W1D 6DY
Phone +44 (0) 20 7434 1128

Cha Cha Moon 2

I had always wanted to come back to see if my judgement of Cha Cha Moon still hold true. I think it is now suffering from a case of over popularity, as the quality has decreased, while the prices has increased.

Food

XO Vermicelli (£4) - Prawn, choi sum, XO sauce, rice vermicelli was slightly hot, but the noodles were soggy and uninspiring. 4 solitary prawns is the only other ingredient served up. Singapore Char Kway Teow (£3.50) - Chinese salami, fish cake, clam, Chinese chive, beansprout, egg, ho fun was very stingy. A very small plate of the wok-breathed, soy sauce noodle only made you want more Chinese, preferably at a real Chinese restaurant, where you can choose from more than 2 dishes of flat noodles. Taiwan Beef Noodle (£4.50) - braised beef, mooli, preserved cabbage, mustard green, wonton noodle had a generous amount of bitey noodle, passable pieces of braised beef and a simple soup makes this the best dish of the day.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

Let’s just say this. I can’t believe that I trekked for 15 minutes to come here, and then had the privilege of lining up for 30 minutes to get a seat. The line was so long it went out the door and down the street. It meant the atmosphere was great though, with many people coming and going.

Rating - 1.5

Service

The usual Asians waiters with their purple t-shirts. Rude but efficient.

Rating - 2

C-factor

Well, the prices are no longer £3.50, making it not that worthwhile.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 9

Info

15 - 21Ganton Street
London
W1F 9BN
Phone +44 (0) 20 7297 9800

The Blackwell Ox Inn

Food

The Sunday lunch menu was in operation. I skipped the entrée, but had a taste of the others. I was not very impressed with the Crab Cakes, Lemon Mayonnaise and Dressed Leaves. I could taste mostly potatoes in the crab cakes, and it was bland and dry. The lemon mayo wasn’t that great, but did the job to help the crab cakes go down. The Smoked Salmon and Caper Terrine was very ordinary too, I don’t think they even bother doing anything except put some smoked salmon and capers together.

Mains were either a roast or a vegetarian option. Well, as expected, we all went the roast. The description of the roasts were as follows:

• Sirloin of Beef Roasted on the Bone with Yorkshire Pudding and Gravy
• Braised Should of Lamb with Mint Gravy
• Roast Loin of Rare Bread Pork with Spiced Apple and Clove Gravy

But on delivery, all the different meats were all served with a Yorkshire (very nice it is too) and the same sauce. Of all the meat though, the lamb was the best, juicy and not tough…the worst was surprisingly the beef, which was too tough. There was also a big helping of vegetables (bland!!) on the side too.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

Again, following the country pub formula. They have a front room with the bar and a roaring fire going. But we were going in the “dining room”. Well, we did want to dine at 3:30pm, so they opened up the dining room just for us. We got the prime bay window spot (well…no one was fighting for the spot with us), and it felt kinda weird dining, as all the tables around us were set up for breakfast the next day, and here we were, sitting in the almost darkness, enjoying a meal by ourselves. Everyone left us alone, except for the waiters who would wonder in and out to see if we were ok. I can see the room would be a lovely breakfast spot, but for lunch at 3pm on a gloomy Sunday…maybe not.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Generally very good. They came to check up on us quite a few times to make sure we had everything, but they neglected to ask us for any drink order.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

All starters and desserts were £4.95 and mains at £8.95, so a bargain really. They even do a 2 for 1 on main courses booked through Toptable, but Slokky neglected to book the deal.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 11.5

Info

Huby Road
Sutton on the Forest
York
YO61 1DT
Phone +44 (0) 13 4781 0328
Website

The Grapevine Café

It was cold, it was late on a Sunday, but this place was totally empty. Not a good sign, but there was not much else that was open and doing breakfast, so in we go.

Food

We ordered the Large Breakfast (£5.25) - Sausage x2, Mushrooms and Bacon, Black Pudding x2, Egg x2, Beans and Tomatoes, 2 Slices of Toast - which really wasn’t that large. Everything was cooked well, but the ingredients weren’t that first rate so it was nothing special. The tomato was especially bland. The Soup of the Day and Crusty Roll (£2.95) was mixed vegetable, which was very nice. I didn’t really need the crusty roll as there was plenty of bread that came with the Large Breakfast, but hey, the roll was nice (and crusty), so I’m not complaining.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

A quaint little place with a collection of old vinyl records stuck on the wall. Very few tables, a makeshift bar at the front, the menu posted on the wall. It’s all very original and quite homely.

Rating - 2.5

Service

VERY family oriented. As is, they do it all within the family, you do feel like you are in a guest house or something. Casual and caring, and they were very amused, and surprised, that we swapped food. It seemed they were quite worried about us, they kept telling us that we could get sauce from the counter – even though we didn’t want any sauce – maybe because they know that the food would need the sauce…

Rating - 3

C-factor

Not really that cheap, but we are in a resort town afterall.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 12

Info

2 Grape Lane
Whitby
YO22 4BA
Phone +44 (0) 17 2382 0275

The Wheatsheaf – Brigsteer

Food

I started with the Mixed Entree Platter - smoked salmon... which was well done. The Deep-Fried Fish Cake, Poached Hens Egg, Lemon and Dill Dressing, Baby Leaves, Herb Oil (£5.65) was actually a bit boring. I definitely tasted more potato than fish, although the salad was well done. We’ve had so many terrines by now that we expected a lot from the Pressed Terrine of Local Game and Pistachio, Blueberry Gastrique, Dressed Seasonal Leaves (£5.90). This one ranks around average out of all those that I tried. It was a little dry but the game flavour was carried through nicely.

For mains, we had the Braised Daube of Local Beef, Oxtail Ragout, Garlic and Horseradish Mash, Roast Veg, Truffle Jus (£13.95) which was very disappointing. The beef was really dry and tough. The Belly of Local Pork, Mustard Mash, Caramelized Apples, Braising Juices (£13.50) flared a little better, but not much. The pork was also dry, but the crackling was nice. The Fish with Capers and Lemon sauce with Potatoes was as nice as UK fish can be. The sauce helped to lift the dish.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

There seems to be a formula for Michelin Pubs in the country. This one is made up of a comfortable sitting room, followed by a small bar, then opening out into the main dining room and more adjoining rooms. The space has been modernised somewhat. We sat next to the (unlit) fireplace, and had a good view of the rest of the room and the various diners that came.

Rating - 2

Service

Young, eager and polite. They did well enough, but would benefit from a bit more experience. They also need to employ someone who can write legibly and in a straight line for their Specials blackboard.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

The portions were average size, the prices were not outrageous, but leaning towards the expensive side for a pub, even a posh one at that.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 10

Info

Brigsteer, Kendal
Cumbria
LA8 8AN
Phone +44 (0) 15 3956 8254
Website

Sharrow Bay Country House

Home of the original Sticky Toffee Pudding!! I was so excited, after I taste-tested some at Harvey Nics, I knew I wanted to come and try out everything else.

Food

We were given an amuse of Meat wrap with tomato chutney while we pursued the menu. It was a bit different to what we are used to, and quite nice. The menu was a choice of 4 courses. We chose:

Entrée

• Suissesse Souffle of Stilton, Spinach and Roasted Onion - a big dish with a strong enough cheese flavour not to make it boring.
• Roast Breast of Quail on Truffle Fettuccini with Brandy and Wild Mushroom Sauce - I don’t think it’s game season, but the quail is still nice.
• Dressed Crab, Rosette of Local Smoked Salmon and Sautéed Scallop with Pineapple and Mango Salsa - lovely and sweet crab, good quality ingredients.

2nd course:

• Roast Parsnip, Chestnut and Apple Soup - not strong in any particular flavour, but palette cleansing.
• Fillet of Plaice with Tomato and Olive Risotto - much better than sea bass, but the risotto could do with a bit more work

An inter-course of Sharrow Fruit Sorbet followed, a refreshing pink grapefruit…but I think I felt quite full afterwards.

Main:

• Scottish Fillet Steak with Steak and Kidney Pudding with Marinated Cherry Tomatoes, Seasonal Vegetables and Burgundy Sauce
• Best End and Braised Shoulder of Herdwick Lamb with Creamed Savboury Cabbage, Dauphinoise Potatoes and Tomato and Thyme Sauce - a big hunk of lamb, with beautifully paired sides of vegetables.
• Breast of Gressingham Duckling with Braised Red Cabbage, Apple and Raisin, Sharrow Black Pudding and Apple and Sage Sauce - not too much duckling taste

Dessert:

• Francis Coulson's Famous and Original Icky Sticky Toffee Sponge served with Cream - this didn’t disappoint. It’s definitely not like this sweet imitation sweets you get. The sponge retains its moisture and the sauce was very nice.
• Sharrow Christmas Pudding with Brandy Butter and Rum Sauce - very heavy rum taste and heavy on the raisins. As far as Christmas Puddings go it was a good one, but I never like Christmas pudding anyway.
• Iced Cranberry and Grand Marnier Parfait, Almond Florentine and Caramelised Clementines - this was beautifully executed. A not too sweet milky textured dessert with yummy clementines.

We finished with some tea and coffee of course, since this place is a well-known tea house. The teas were served in the proper cups and saucers, with some Chocolate and Flapjacks as petit fours. I was so full I couldn’t really drink or eat, but it was so nice just to be sitting on the comfy couches again, that I nearly fell asleep.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Spectacular, it’s like a big country house (and it was for the guests, who could wonder downstairs from their bedrooms to have tea, sit by the fire or have a formal dinner). We were seated in one of the sitting rooms, with a piano, lots of period furniture, and given some amuse, before we were finally led into the dining room. We secured one of the best spots, tucked away in the corner, with a window that looks out onto the lake beyond, and the sun shining in our faces (which, incidentally, is a GOOD thing). After our very full meal, we relaxed again in the sitting room while we had tea and coffee. I really didn’t want to leave.

Rating - 3

Service

Very polite in that English stiff upper lip kind of way. I thought the food was a bit slow, but that was probably a good thing, as it gave us time to digest the food.

Rating - 3

C-factor

£50 including coffee or tea and petit fours. Pretty expensive, but the servings were generous and the setting was magical, so I can’t complain too much.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 14.5

Info

Sharrow Bay
Lake Ullswater
Penrith
Cumbria
CA10 2LZ
Phone +44 (0) 17 6848 6301
Website

Rhodes 24

This is supposed to be the flagship of Gary Rhode’s empire, if you can find the entrance and can drag yourself away from the view to look at the food.

Food

We went for the set lunch menu, which, like Lindsay House had 2 choices for each. We had:

• Salmon Terrine. A bit unfortunate – or is that fortunate that we got exactly that at Lindsay House as well. In this case, the Lindsay House version wins, no question. This one was very plain and boring, nothing to wow you to say that this is a Michelin star rated terrine.
• Celeriac Soup – very creamy and nice, with the subtle nuttiness of the celeriac. I expected a bit more though.
• Black chicken - nice, just suffers from chicken blandness.
• Baked Cod – I love this dish. The cod was cooked perfectly, silky smooth
• Iced tangerine mousse, warm chocolate doughnuts - sounds better than it actually tastes, but nicely balanced flavours.
• Bramley apple pie, blackberry, apple and macadamia nut crumble, apple ice cream - Very homely, with the fruit cooked very well. I thought the filling could have done with a bit more thought and the ice cream was very ordinary.

We ended with some Petit Fours of caramel fudge, fruit cake, which was well done but boring.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

Well, so much for the credit crunch. This place was filled to the brim with suits on a Monday lunch. What’s more, they were going the whole hog, with wine to match as well. We actually felt quite out of place even though I had come straight from work…since my suit wasn’t black. It was noisy and busy, and people actually seem like they were regulars…except for a few out of towners, who were dressed in jeans, and actually bought a copy of Gary Rhodes’ cookbook.

And of course there is the view, we were lucky to be there on a sunny afternoon, so we can see the city, except for all the bits blocked by the gherkin, with Canary Wharf in the background. The only thing that let the side down – the security. The fact that the restaurant was inside an office block was already difficult enough, they don’t even display the name of the restaurant outside. Luckily I looked it up beforehand so I knew where to go. Then you have to go through a whole security process, where you have to sign in, take a pass, and take all these different lifts, confusing…especially when you are running late.

Rating - 2.5

Service

Service was a little slow for lunch – but I guess this is more a lingering sort of place. Otherwise, things were great except one thing which kept annoying me – our waiter kept taking away our bottle of water when there was a good 2cm left at the bottom. Seems like a cheap way to make a buck if you ask me…especially considering the number of clients they have.

Rating - 3

C-factor

I prefer Lindsay House, but this is definitely a nice place to take visitors.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 13

Info

Tower 42
25 Old Broad Street
London
EC2N 1HQ
Phone +44 (0) 20 7877 7703
Website

Tayyabs

After hearing praise upon praise on this place, I knew I had to come and try, and before we move out of the neighbourhood, so I joined the crowd and queued on Saturday night. I am happy to announce though, that I have finally found a replacement for Janani.

Food

Luckily, as I was ravenous from the wait, they plonked down some Mixed Poppadoms with some raw onion, tomato and cucumber, tomato and red chilli chutney and mint and yogurt. It wasn’t just because we were hungry, the flavours were so good I would’ve licked my plate. The food certainly arrived quickly though. We had watched tray after tray of sizzling meat go past us as we queued, so I knew that I would definitely be getting the Lamb Chops, which came coated in Tandoori paste and was actually a bit tough. The Seekh Kebab on the other hand, was one of the best I’ve had, with beautiful spicing.

We opted to share some curries for main. I loved the balance of the spices in the Karahi Chicken Keema. One of the tests for a curry house is of course the dhall. The Dhall with Eggplant absolutely delicious, smoky eggplant and the thick dhall mixed to a thick paste.

Bread is another standout of Tayyabs. The Tandoori Naan (£0.90) was beautifully done, not oily, but with nicely developed air pockets (yes, I am particular about my naan). The Tandoori Roti (£0.70) was more leavened than I thought, but absolutely delicious. And of course, we ordered the very economical Mango Lassi Jug (£5), which was not one of the best I have had, tasting more like a Mango milkshake. I think I will try the sweet lassi next time. And yes, there will definitely be a next time.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

We stood in the blue glow of the light and waited for 40 minutes before we got a table, but the wait definitely worth it. We spent the time by reading all the newspaper clippings and awards they have framed up, as well as observing all the sizzling plates coming out of the kitchen. There just seemed to be a constant stream of young hip things pouring in. Everyone (loaded up with BYO alcohol) looked like they were fuelling up before a night out on the town. This seems to be THE place in town to be.

Rating - 2

Service

If you want to take a lesson in efficiency, this is where you find it. The waiters have the timing down to a pat. I observe them serving about 4 tables at once and getting the timing perfectly. I wouldn’t say the service is warm or friendly, but I admire their skills and the fact that they didn’t put a foot wrong in what to any other restaurant would be a chaotic scene.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Everything came to £27.80. I will definitely be back.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 14.5

Info

83-89 Fieldgate Street
London
E1 1JU
Phone +44 (0) 20 7247 9543
Website

The Wells

Off to posh suburban Hampstead Heath for a weekend stroll, and what better way to go about this than filling our stomachs at this cosy pub.

Food

The menu was one of those where you just want to order everything. We finally settled on Natural Smoked Haddock, Champ Potatoes and Poached Egg with Mustard Beurre Blanc (£13.50), which was delicious. I still haven’t got enough of champ yet and wonder why it’s not on more menus. I actually preferred the sides to the main deal in the Wild Fallow Venison Haunch with Curly Kale, Butternut Puree, Crispy Parsnip and Blackberry Game Jus (£14.95)…don’t get me wrong, the venison was cooked just right, but I love kale…and pumpkin…and parsnip, so what can I say. The Roast Angus Sirloin Beef with Roast Potatoes, Yorkshire Pudding, Roasted Root Vegetables, Greens and Gravy (£15.95) was one of the best I’ve had. The Yorkshire was nice and crisp, and the roast was juicy and not tough at all.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

It was really crowded inside, with groups of locals it seems – as some have even brought their dogs along, and babies seem to abound. We didn’t book as it was a last minute decision to go, but instead of waiting for a table, we decided to take advantage of the weather to sit outside. They turned on the heaters for us, but it really didn’t do much in the cold...Even though we were cold, it did allow us to observe the neighbourhood – and just how neighbourly it is compared to where I live now.

Rating - 2

Service

The service was excellent. They made us feel welcomed and were flexible enough to cater to our wishes of sitting outside (well the fact that everyone else followed our lead meant they probably doubled their usual business) and making us as comfortable as possible. They knew we weren’t be able to attract attention easily, so brought us everything we needed (including the bill!) so we never had to get up to do anything.

Rating - 4

C-factor

I expected a bigger serving for the price, but we are in Hampstead afterall, so you would expect to pay more.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 14

Info

30 Well Walk
London
NW3 1BX
Phone +44 (0) 20 7794 3785
Website

Pizza Express Canary Wharf 4

Food

Another two for one deal. I went for the special list of pizzas by celebrity chef Theo Randell. The Teo's Favorita (£9.75) - With santos tomatoes marinated with fresh oregano, once baked this pizza is scattered with hand-torn for di latte mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma, nicoise olives and rocket was bit cold around the edges, and went cold quickly, but otherwise very tasty, with tomato to the edge and a crispy base. Probably the best Pizza Express pizza I’ve had by a long stretch.

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

As usual, filled to the brim. It was so packed and so noisy, and there was a huge queue out the front! I still don’t understand the logic behind that.

Rating - 1

Service

As usual, really slow and not very attentive. They delivered all the pizzas except for mine, and they didn’t give any explanation, so I was about to get up to find out what happened, when they finally bought mine out, about 5 minutes later, without any explanations. Everyone waited for mine while their pizzas got cold, so I felt bad. We couldn’t attract any attention to pay our bill, so I actually had to walk up to someone to settle it.

Rating - 1

C-factor

It must be because of the two for one voucher that explains the crowds.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 10

Info

200 Cabot Place East
London
E14 4QT
Phone +44 (0) 20 7513 0513
Website

Walkabout Convent Garden

The first time I saw a Walkabout, I was surprised and curious, about the fact that someone actually themed an Aussie pub. When I realised it was a chain, I lost a bit of interest, but the fact that there are so many of them must mean they are doing something right?...Or maybe it’s because the beer is cheap so they are too drunk to notice…

Food

Our free meal voucher entitled us to a Classic Beef Burger (£5.75) Topped with juicy tomato, crisp lettuce and mayo. It's a classic but truly awesome! - and it was bad. The bun was a bit lacklustre, the pattie a bit tame, dry and processed. It’s paired with one fried onion ring, some lettuce, tomato, but no sauce. With a generous dollop of tomato sauce, it was passable. The chips and salad on the side was boring as too. I guess you shouldn’t expect too much from a free meal.

Rating - 3

Atmosphere

Well I can tell you this much. I’ve been to a few Aussie pubs in my life and this does not look like any Aussie pub I’ve been to. They have a long bar down one side, and various screens with any kind of sport they can think of every meter or so, so I guess it’s popular with the sporting crowd or the hoonies. We were there quite early so there was no one there. The worst thing about the place though, a terrible bleach smell that permeates the place.

Rating - 0.5

Service

Well, the person at the bar was very rude to us, they then deliver our meals without a word, and don’t tell us that they were going to bring us sauce later, so we ended up searching for it ourselves. Terrible even for counter service.

Rating - 0

C-factor

If our burgers weren’t for free, I would never set foot in that place. I am sure no genuine Aussies hang around there anyhow.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 4.5

Info

11 Henrietta Street & 33 Maiden Lane
Covent Garden
London
WC2E 8PS
Phone +44 (0) 20 7379 5555
Website

Lindsay House

Food

The degustation menu sounded interesting, but I wasn’t in the mood to indulge. Instead, we opted for the Pre-Theatre menu, with 2 choices for each course. Easy, one of each please.

• French Onion Soup with Croque Monsieur - beautiful. Intense caramelised onion flavour , with a lovely cheese toast.
• Ballotine of Hake wrapped in ham, Herb Gnocchi and Spinach Puree - beautifully cooked fish, with the ham adding saltiness.
• Warm Chocolate Fondant with Candied Lime and Mascarpone Sorbet - well executed dark chocolate, with the sorbet bringing it above the ordinary
• Smoked Salmon Terrine, Fennel Salad and Dry Bread - I thought this would be boring, but the creamy sauce really tied the salmon together, and the fennel salad was delicate and added balance.
• Rump of Lamb, Black Olive Herb Crust and White Bean Chorizo Stew - melt in the mouth lamb with a separate pot for the chorizo stew, with the beans absorbing the flavour of the chorizo
• Cardamom Brulee with Warm Clementine Soup - I love this dish. The brulee was nicely flavoured with cardamom which did not overpower, while the Clementine was sweet and refreshing

These were excellent. So good that I am considering coming back to try the degustation….maybe when they have a sale. They were nice enough to give us some petit fours after the meal, even though we didn’t order coffee. They were…..

Rating - 9

Atmosphere

The location is very central, yet the restaurant is situated in a conservatively decorated Victorian terrace house with several pokey rooms. It reminds me of Clos Maggiore actually. We were seated in the upstairs dining room. As we were quite early, the room was relatively empty, but I imagined when it was full the noise would be quite loud, as the tables, although spacious, were quite close together.

Rating - 1.5

Service

We were told that because we were ordering the pre-theatre menu, we would need to vacate the table by 8:45pm (we arrived at 7pm)…this would be a rush for some people, but we were quite happy to be in and out – and that also had to mean that food would be served promptly. In fact, the meal was very nicely paced, we didn’t feel rushed at any stage, and we got out of there by 8:30pm, and could even get home to enjoy some time out. In terms of the wait staff…most were above average, with one or two of them who seem to be a bit below the high standard that has been set.

Rating - 4

C-factor

For food of this quality, definitely worth it. The pre-theatre menu worked out to be £25 for 3 courses.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 16.5

Info

21 Romilly Street
London
W1D 5AF
Phone +44 (0) 20 7439 0450
Website

Bonds Restaurant

All the restaurants are running specials now for the credit crunch. Our Aussie friends wanted somewhere close to the city to eat, and what better way to show off City life than dining right in the heart of Bank?

Food

Things didn’t start off too well. We were left with nothing but water for a long time. When the Bread Basket finally arrived, it was very dull, with a selection of either white rolls or brown rolls. The bread itself, although warmed, was dry and tasteless.

Starters were very nice though. The Pumpkin Soup with Pesto was one of the sweetest pumpkin soups I’ve had for ages. I actually don’t mind the sweetness. The Venison Terrine with Berry Compote was definitely my favourite. The terrine was rich and gamey, yet smooth and melt in the mouth, and paired very well with the slightly tart berry compote.

There was a choice of 3 for mains. We went for the Butter Roasted Scottish Salmon was very nice. The salmon had a nice charred skin, the flesh lightly poached with a slight too strong broth of vegetables. The Slow Cooked Bavette of Beef, Beetroot Marmalade, Vichy Carrots, Red Wine Sauce was the most disappointing. The beef was cooked to medium rare, and was tender enough. The red wine sauce was too salty and over-powering, even for beef. I loved the carrots, which were sweet and buttery and tender.

Desserts were very ordinary. The Treacle Tart, Vanilla Ice Cream was standard, with an ok crust, well executed tart, very supermarket like vanilla ice cream. The Baked Apple Crumble, Calvados Ice Cream was nothing to get excited about. The crumble mixture I have made better before, the ice cream was pretty terrible. It’s not that it was bad, but I could have made them better myself.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

This reminded me a lot of 1 Lombard Street, in that it is situated in a heritage building with very high ceiling. As soon as you walk in, there is a huge bar area with people drinking and snacking. Like Lombard, you have to work your way through the crowd to reach the dining area, situated at the back. The dining area itself was small, with some comfy but very low chairs. The feeling is corporate opulence, with browns being dominant. The clientele seems to be corporate as well.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Pretty terrible. When we wanted attention, we didn’t get any. It took us so long before we got someone to order and to get the bill. Our meals took a long time to arrive, and they actually got the order the wrong way around, so even though I had a spoon on my place setting, I was given the venison instead as a starter!

They kept coming to serve us when we didn’t need it though, topping up our water every 2 or so minute, and coming around often to ask if the food was ok, and folding our napkin when we got up to leave, and pushing our chairs in when we sat down. I would rather they focus on serving us when we needed than to add all these extra touches that doesn’t really work. Maybe they are used to high flyers here with loads of cash and plenty of time to spend, but for me, I would rather a more personal but efficient service, without all the extra fluff.

Rating - 1.5

C-factor

From the fact that they kept pouring us water, and then charging £4 for a bottle, meant our meal ended up being over £23 per person all up. It’s about on par for what we can get nowadays for a dinner in the city, but usually we can eat from a less restricted menu for the same price.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 9

Info

5 Threadneedle Street
London
EC2R 8AY
Phone +44 (0) 20 7403 8403
Website

Knife and Cleaver

Food

I was amazed that we were actually brought an amuse to start, consisting of Prawn ball and Relish on Toast, and while it wasn’t spectacular, did keep us busy while we debated what to order. We also munched on some delicious Seed Bread and Foccacia while we waited for the meal to arrive. The Smoked Haddock Chowder (£5.25) With Parmesan Cheese Straws was very lovely, fishy and creamy, with delicious Parmesan cheese straws. The Deep Fried Whitebait, Gremolata (chopped parsley, lemon, garlic olive oil) (£6.00), sounded more interesting than it tasted, although the gremolata sauce was great.

For mains, we got the Gourmet Steak Burger (£9.75) Home Made Bun, Crispy Pancetta, Chunky Cut Chips with Tomato Relish which was simple and done well, while the South Coast Dab Baked Whole with an Anchovy and Shrimp Butter (£12.25) was a welcome departure from the usual way that fish is served in restaurants. As well as the mains, we got an accompaniment of ratotouille, potato gratin, buttered leek, which was really tasty, showing they know what they are doing in the kitchen. Slokky finished off the night with some Cafetiere Coffee, which tasted like any other coffee we get from a restaurant – terrible – no matter how good the food is.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

hmmm...dead. Besides us, there was a loved up older couple who were obviously staying at the hotel and enjoying a night out, dressed to the nines. It was cold and the cold and wind outside made it kinda scary. We didn't hang around.

Rating - 1.5

Service

This is definitely a family run, or casual affair. Basically the person running the front desk of the hotel, is also running the bar and is the waiter in the restaurant. At least she wasn’t the cook as well…Since there were only two tables of customers, that wasn’t a problem. The food was great, she came in a few times to check on us, otherwise she stayed in the front room of the hotel. This works well for me.

Rating - 3

C-factor

The portions were huge and so cheap.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 14

Info

The Grove
Houghton Conquest
MK45 3LA
Phone +44 (0) 12 3474 0387
Website

Pen-y-Bryn

I didn’t know that Pen-y-Byn is run by the same people as The Armoury, but as soon as we saw that fireplace, we knew.

Food

They have a few more dishes on the menu than The Armoury, and the portions are definitely bigger. After our huge lunch at Black Boy Inn today, we opted to skip the starters.

After a whole day of seeing sheep roam around the fields, we opted for the Braised Half Shoulder of Welsh Lamb with Dauphinoise Potatoes, Vegetables and Rosemary Sauce (£13.95). Another great choice, with melt in the mouth welsh lamb, accompanied by a balanced sauce and lots of vegetables. The Slow Roast Belly Pork with Roasted Apple, Sage & Onion Mashed Potato and Vegetables (£11.45) was no slouch either, the succulent pork mixed with a layer of fat. The apple actually came in the form of a whole apple, with the core stuff with sausage. Innovative and very nice.

I cried defeat after the main, but Slokky couldn’t resist dessert, especially when Eton Mess (meringue with fresh raspberries, strawberries and cream) (£4.95) was on the menu. Although I am not a fan (meringue is not my cup of tea), this was one of the better ones – with very nice cream 

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

We arrived pretty early, and the place had not filled up yet, but more and more people came, making it more and more lively. Still, it’s a big space and the tables are pretty spread apart, the noise is not too loud and you never feel that crowded. Like The Armoury, they have a fireplace and walls filled with old books, but being such a modern space, (with a fantastic skylight – although I didn’t see it in action of course), it didn’t really suit.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Pretty much the same as The Armoury. I am glad they train them so even the service is the same for all their pubs.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Very good value for the portion size.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 12.5

Info

Pen-y-Bryn Road
Upper Colwyn Bay
Conwy
LL29 6DD
Phone +44 (0) 14 9253 3360
Website

Black Boy Inn

As we were right in the heart of Welsh territory, we felt it was only right to dine in a traditional pub.

Food

There was a range of Welsh classics on offer, but we opted for the Traditional Caernarfon Lob Scouse (£8.95) – Chunks of Steak Cooked with Onions, Root Vegetables and Potatoes in a Great Stock, Served with Chunky Bread, which was not dissimilar to an Irish stew – only less alcoholic. A was expecting maybe like 3 sardines in the Special of Sardines with Salad (£7.95) but we got about 6, and a huge slab of salad on the side. There was so much food that it was difficult to eat as the sardines were falling off the plate. The sardines themselves were fat and juicy – but as good as the ones we get in Oz mind you, but definitely meaty enough to satisfy. Add to that the Snowdonia Ale from Purple Moose Brewery, and I could hardly move at the end of the meal.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

The inn consisted of a series of dinky little rooms, where everything is crooked and low, very authentic, especially considering they still have their Good Pub 1970 sticker up. We sat in the front bar, and as most of the seats were occupied, had to make do with perching in a corner. You couldn’t see the other people, but you could certainly hear them.

Rating - 1.5

Service

It took such a long time for the food to arrive. This was supposedly because there was a huge group there. The bar staff were telling everyone that there was at least a ½ hour wait for the food, but somehow they neglected to inform us. If we’d know we probably wouldn’t have dined there as we were in a hurry…Anyhow, we ordered, so we waited…at least the food was good when it finally did arrive.

Rating - 2

C-factor

Considering the size of the servings, this was definitely a cheap feed.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 11

Info

Northgate Street
Caernarfon
Gwynedd
LL55 1RW
Phone +44 (0) 12 8667 3604

The Armoury

Good vibe, good food, let down by some lacklustre desserts.

Food

The menu was a wonderful mixture of everything I want to eat. I chose an entrée of Pigeon Breast, Bacon and Black Pudding Salad (£6.25), which was sparse on ingredients, but big on taste. The pigeon was delicate and gamey, paired with some good quality bacon. I didn’t really think the black pudding added much though. I only wish there was more of everything. The main of Spicy Moroccan Lamb Shoulder with Olive and Almond Cous Cous (£14.95) was excellent too. Melt in the mouth lamb shoulder, with a flavoursome but not overpowering Moroccan sauce. The desserts were a bit disappointing though, the Belgian Waffle with Honeycomb Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce (£5.25) was definitely NOT made to order. The waffle was very dry from being heated again, and the chocolate sauce was sickly sweet, and the honeycomb ice cream only added more sweetness. The Sticky Toffee Pudding with Toffee Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream (£5.25) has been done to death at a million places, yet we cannot help but order it, as on a good winter’s night, a good pudding can do wonders. Unfortunately, this pudding was not good. It suffers from some overheating in the microwave, so that the pudding was so dry, a large amount of sauce was needed to rescue it. If the sauce was great I wouldn’t mind – but this one was just thick and sweet.

A great start was ruined by some lacklustre desserts.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

The place was really pumping on this late Friday evening, with big groups of young and old, all having a night out “on the town” I suppose. There were also a few couples scattered here and there. We made a beeline for the fireplace and the seat next to the floor to seat bookcase with a collection of old books. They have managed to make the big loft style place quite cosy, and the vibe was excellent.

Rating - 2.5

Service

The wait staff were quite trustworthy I think. They let us order whatever (without keeping a tab), and just told us to settle the bill at the end. Considering the amount of people that are going in and out of the place, they are definitely working on trust alone.

The staff were really nice and really pleasant though.

Rating - 3

C-factor

Compared to London, a bargain, as always, but for the country, average.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 12.5

Info

Victoria Quay
Victoria Avenue
Welsh Bridge
Shrewsbury
SY1 1HH
Phone +44 (0) 17 4334 0525
Website

Maggie May’s

The quintessential hangover cure, Maggie May’s is famous throughout Northern Ireland for delivering grease on a plate at unbeatable prices.

Food

We didn’t want to be TOO over the top, not on our first go anyway, so we balanced out the excess of the Traditional Fry Up – bacon, sausage, tomato, mushroom, soda bread, potato bread, pancake, fried egg (£3.99) with the Fried Irish Soda Bread with Sausage and Fried Egg (£2.99) . The traditional fry up, while greasy, wasn’t really that huge… and because we didn’t get the version with hot chips. The food certainly hits the spot, as well as clog your arteries. The soda bread especially, was very yummy. We washed it down with a definitely passable cappuccino too, which goes go show that if you do the simple things well, you will pack them in.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

It was wonderful and buzzy, exactly how you would imagine a breakfast den should look like in days gone by. We were lucky to nab the last booth, as the place filled to bursting soon. Ture to form, there were a lot of students, (and pretenders like us).

Rating - 1.5

Service

”Love” seems to be the term used by the waiters, who all look like they have been there for 20+ years, and could very well be your trailer park mum. It’s no nonsense, speedy service here, which is just as well if they want to churn them in and out.

Rating - 3

C-factor

The food is nothing to write home about but then again,

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 12

Info

50 Botanic Avenue
Belfast
County Antrim
BT7 1JR
Phone +44 (0) 28 9032 2662