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