The Chandlery

Food

We started with a very small serving of bread with butter and a tomato chutney, which was very pleasant. I ordered the house red, which was the Aresti Montemar 2065 Merlot, Curico Valley, Chile. My 175ml glass was certainly very generous. The entrees were quite boring, so we skipped them in favour of dessert. After driving through the countryside, I was hankering for lamb, and the Loin of Welsh Mountain Lamb (£15.95) - Lamb and potato torte, cumin infused swede, rosemary jus delivered. The cutlet was really tender, but didn’t have that much "lamb" taste or smell. The potato torte was excellent with melt in the mouth lamb. The 8oz Welsh Sirloin Steak (£16.95) - Tomato, mushroom and green salad with a choice of chips, new potatoes or mash potato didn’t really need the Green Peppercorn Sauce (£1.95), but we didn’t know that when we ordered. The steak was succulent, and definitely had a "beef" taste. The mash was well done. We also got to try some chips, which were fat and crunchy.

The Banoffi Tart (£4.95) - Banana, toffee, fresh Jersey cream and shaved chocolate was definitely unlike the ones I get from the canteen. For once, there’s fresh banana, and not any custard in site. I found the whole thing a bit too sweet as the banana itself was already very sweet, but the cream was very nice. For the Selection of Handmade Ice Creams and Sorbets (£4.95) , the sorbets were certainly more interesting. Out of berries, orange and yoghurt, and tangy sweetness of the yoghurt wins hands down.

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

The place was much bigger than I thought, the clientele is varied, from older couples to what looks like a group celebrating a 21st. The setting is like an upper class family restaurant, no fancy cutlery or tablecloth, but everything is nice, with some side table ornaments, fake fireplace, floral arrangements and the likes.

Rating - 1.5

Service

The waiters were quite friendly and efficient. The restaurant wasn’t full so they handled things well.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

Prices are very good for the quality of the cooking, but then again, things are cheaper in Wales.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 13.5

Info

Lower Dock Street
Newport
NP20 1EH
Phone +44 (0)16 3325 6622
Website

St John Smithfield

Now that St John has moved to No 16 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurant, I was really looking forward to this, especially after the lovely breakfast at St John Bread & Wine.

Food

We got 2 wine recommendations, the ANJOU BLANC Loire (2007) (£20.40) Domaine des Sablonnettes 'Le P'tit Blanc' was not to my taste, but the red…. Was much better. Some brown bread, with beautiful butter got us started. I knew we had a lot of food, so I restricted myself to one slice.

After a long wait, our entrees arrived, their signature dish was Roast Bone Marrow & Parsley Salad, which I must say, wasn’t quite what I expected. Whole bone marrow arrives with some toasted bread. You scoop the marrow out with a crab pick, sprinkle with salt and add parsley salad. My overall impression was of an overwhelming amount of oil, yet the marrow itself didn’t have much taste. The Langoustines & Mayonnaise was much more pleasing. The langoustines were so fresh tasting, the meat firm and juicy, and the mayonnaise was so heavenly.

The piece de resistance, and the whole reason we came to the restaurant, was for the Whole Roast Suckling Pig. They informed us that they couldn’t get a big enough pig, so we got a juvenile one instead. I missed the ceremony of when they carted it out and chopped its head off, I only saw the head on a plate, but I did catch the carving. Luckily, the pig tasted great. The meat was meltingly soft, which even made up for the not remotely crunchy skin. I chewed some of the ear, but Slokky gave up trying to poke bits of the brain out of the whole. We think the stuffing was a mixture of bread and herbs, but the bread must have soaked so all the juices, as it was glorious. They gave us a choice of 2 other mains. The Whole Roast Fish Baked on Green & White Vegetables was pretty disappointing. The vegetable base was great, but the fish itself was a white mash. The Roast Beef & Horseradish was quite pleasant, on the other hand. The meat was still pink and juicy, and the horseradish was good enough to lick. It was served on yet another bed of bread, which was yet again, very tasty. So I guess they must excel in bread.

We were really looking forward to dessert, the Eccles cake I had from St John Bread & Wine was so good, we ordered it again here, but I was really disappointed. The Eccles Cake & Lancashire Cheese came with a huge wedge of cheese. The pastry this time was really tough, and the filling too was really hard. I wonder if they had over baked it? The cheese itself was nice, but I was so full I couldn’t really eat very much of it. The Steamed Marmalade Pudding & Custard was really good. British cooking at its best, the custard was real custard, not like that supermarket stuff you get.

Overall, it was a good experience, just to be able to sample all these food, but I definitely don’t think it deserves to be No16.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

Much like St John’s Bread & Wine, the walls are white, with hooks all alone for you to put your stuff on. There is an open kitchen. The entrance is kinda like a garage, with a path leading to the restaurant proper. We were seated in “the dining room”, a large raised space. As can be expected, the place was full and buzzing. The tables were long and it was noisy, so it was hard to have any decent conversations except with people next to you.

Rating - 2

Service

Well, things didn’t start very well. Several of our friends arrived before us but could not get seated and had to wait at the bar, but I was able to sit at the table straight away. Apparently they were rude too but I didn’t have any problems. The waiter did flatter me by telling me that she really liked my top. Otherwise she recommended one very good and one quite bad wine. The service was very slow. We told them to serve us entrees for ages but didn’t get anything until nearly 8pm. By the time we finished dessert, it was past 11pm. For the price, the service is very casual, which fits the feel of the place really. Everything is served n platters and you just help yourself.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

I was really disappointed. The bill came to £47 p.p. True, we had a lot of food, but we didn’t need that much and it felt like the whole thing was a waste. It wasn’t as if the ingredients used were very expensive. For that amount of money I could have eaten a lot better. I have a feeling though, that if we dined in a smaller group, it would be better, as I usually never have good experience with large groups.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 11

Info

26 St John Street
London
EC1M 4AY
Phone +44 (0) 20 7251 0848
Website

Ping Pong St Katherines Dock 2

Back again, this time the staff were not on training and weren’t going to get evaluated, so I was very keen to see if they have kept the standard up, and more importantly, to get another dumpling fix.

Food

Barely a month has gone by, and they have already introduced a new menu. I decided to try one of their new cocktails, so went for a Tequila, apple and celery martini (£6.75) - José Cuervo Tradicional tequila, green apple liqueur, apple and celery juice while waiting. This definitely sounds better than it tastes, with the whole concoction reminding me of Chinese date medicine.

I was sad to see some of the old favourites have gone, but was keen to try out the new stuff:

• Chive dumpling (£2.99) - King prawns and chives in green chive pastry - an old favourite, and still great.
• Har gau (£3.19) - King prawns and bamboo shoots in translucent white pastry - these were lovely, the pastry excellent as usual, the filling was not too prawn like though.
• Scallop and shitake dumpling (£3.39) - Scallops and king prawns with shitake mushrooms in wheat flour pastry - this was my favourite on the last visit. These seem to have gone a bit smaller, but the flavour is still superb
• Spinach and mushroom dumpling V (£2.99) - Spinach and mushrooms seasoned with ginger and garlic in wheat flour pastry - again, I love this one.
• Spicy chicken dumpling (£2.99) - Chicken and vegetables in chilli sauce in translucent white pastry - really surprised by how good this one was.
• Crispy Thai chicken spring roll (£2.99) - Chicken and prawns with chilli, coriander and lemongrass wrapped in bean curd skin and served with chilli fish sauce - quite crispy and good balance of flavours and filling.
• Chicken puff (£3.19) - Honey roasted barbecue chicken in hand made puff pastry topped with pineapple - very sweet filling, but the pastry was well done.
• Traditional Sticky Rice (£3.39) - Rice with chicken, pork and king prawns wrapped in a Lotus leaf - I tried the seafood sticky rice last time and was disappointed. These weren’t too great either. I think it’s because they don’t want to use ingredients like pig fat and preserved sausages. I found a prawn in mine, so I will be giving this a miss in the future.
• Crispy aubergine V (£3.10) - Fried marinated aubergine chunks with garlic and sesame oil - you don’t get many, but the quality made up for it.
• Green-lipped mussels (£2.99) - 2 steamed green-lipped mussels in black bean sauce with sweet basil - very fresh and simple, a winning combination.
• Soft shell crab (£4.29) - Whole soft shell crab in a crispy coating - juicy and crisp, but you only get 1 for the price.
• Choy sum V (£3.19) - Steamed choy sum in soy sauce topped with garlic - not worth it.
• Pak choy V (£3.19) - Steamed pak choy in ginger and garlic sauce - even more of a rip-off than the choy sum
• Sprouting broccoli V (£3.19) - Steamed broccoli in soy sauce - I couldn’t believe how little of this we got.
• Mixed Mushrooms Tom Yum Sauce (£3.39) - not great, a tom yum sauce too sour and too overpowering.
• Duck Puff (£3.99) - again, the pastry was good, but the filling, although not too sweet, was a bit dry and tasteless.
• Valrhona chocolate bun (£2.49) - 2 buns filled with dark rich Valrhona chocolate and coconut purée in a fluffy white bun - I was surprised. The chocolate was really good quality, and the bun was definitely better than last time. But I still don’t think white buns and chocolate go that well together.
• Mango pudding (£2.50) - Traditional mango pudding served in coconut milk - this was very good. Smooth and full of mango flavour

So, it seems, the dumplings win again, while the vegetables and the more "traditional" dishes were a bit of a let down.

Rating - 7

Atmosphere

The place was relatively empty when I arrived, but by 8pm, the whole place was packed. We had extra arrivals, and people who said were coming but didn’t, and in the end, we squeezed 9 onto a table of 8, which was ok by us. It’s only been a month, but they not only changed the menu, but the wallpaper on the ceiling now is in a pattern of Chinese character. It’s still as good looking as always though.

Rating - 2.5

Service

The wait staff was definitely much worst than the training day. They were still polite, mostly, but it took so long to get anyone’s attention, and the drinks took forever to arrive. We had to flag them down several times to get anything.

Rating - 2

C-factor

They actually gave us all our drinks for free, so all the food came to £17 per person. Some things, like the vegetables, were definitely overpriced, but others are quite good value for money, so I guess if you order well, then things are good value. Now I am thinking of trying the Sunday all you can eat yum-cha special.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 13

Info

Quayside, Tower Bridge House
St Katharines Docks
London
E1W 1BA
Phone +44 (0) 20 7680 7850
Website

The Manifold Inn

We stopped off here for a quick meal before our drive back in London.

Food

Maybe because it was a Sunday night, but their normal menu was not available. Instead, we had to choose from a specials board consisting of only a selection of their normal menu. Never mind, after going on the “Red Shanks & Roasties” walk, I could only think of lamb shanks, so I knew I had to order the Braised Lamb Shanks on a Bed of Mash (£9.95). These were as lamb shanks should be. Melt off the bone, but still pink on the inside, with a rich, gravy-consistency sauce and heart-warming mash. We didn’t know that we were going to get vegetables with our meal, so ordered the Leek and Mushroom Bake (£6.95). We really should know better, how good can leek and mushroom bake taste? Leeks themselves serve more as a flavour enhancer than as a dominator, whereas mushrooms need something strong to absorb, so combining the two together, without a power player, meant that the dish was bland. The mound of mash on top only meant that we were eating a lot of potatoes. The free vegetables were Carrots, Red Cabbage and Spinach and weren’t that special but they were generous portions. And at least they didn’t give us more potatoes!!

I was going to have a beer but Slokky decided not to order one for me, and since he had already paid for everything else on the credit card, I really couldn’t be bothered buying one, so I will never know how good the beer was.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

This is definitely a traditional English pub, from the building to the old style fittings, the open fire, to the Sunday night karaoke that was due to take place which we didn’t have time to enjoy. Even the clientele seem to be local – who bring their whole family, babies included, to enjoy a Sunday night dinner. The staff seems to know the people by name, and the crowd was definitely already rowdy by 7pm, so I guess karaoke should be a big success.

Rating - 1.5

Service

You order at the bar and they deliver to you. It was service country style, so don’t be alarmed if you get called “love”. I didn’t feel they were particularly friendly though.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

We saw lots of pubs offering very cheap meals, often 2 courses for under £10, so this is not so cheap in comparison. However, the portions were very generous and you will definitely not be hungry.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 11

Info

Hulme End
Buxton
Derbyshire
SK17 0EX
Phone +44 (0) 12 9884 537
Website

The Druid Inn

Food

The menu was very appealing. A few café favourites, a few pub grub, some local produce, a few specials, so it took us ages to decide. Everyone else went for the lamb, but I decided to test the recommendations of the waiter (bad idea). But first the entrees. The Crispy Bakewell black pudding, crispy streaky bacon, brown sauce onions, poached free range egg (£6) was stock standard, reminding me of breakfast really. The Lump White Crab Meat, Marie-Rose Sauce, Deep Fried Soft Shell Crab (£10) was very nice, presented in a martini glass with the crab crawling out. The batter was light, the crab still retained its juice from the frying, and the sauce had just the right zing.

I was kinda disappointed with my Lemon Sole with Capers and Asparagus (£20) . I guess it’s the seafood again. Even though the waiter did promise me the sole came fresh off the line, I still felt it wasn’t quite there. The asparagus were nicely blanched but didn’t quite more that spring asparagus taste, and the butter and capers was not enough to lift the fish. The Aged Bakewell market Ribeye steak, creamed Ashbourne field mushrooms, chunky hand cut chips (£19) was better. The steak was cooked to medium rare as requested, with some lovely mushrooms and a jenga style stack of very chunky chips. Said Hand cut chips (£3) also appeared, in a bowl, for the table to share. They were lovely and buttery, but perhaps cut just a little too thickly for chips, as there was not much crunch. For “potatoes” they were sensational, but for chips, a little misleading. I did try some of the lamb, which was sensational.

I had ordered a ½ pint of Druid’s Ale, which was a slightly sweet, nutty ale, which made me too full for dessert. Slokky had the Sticky toffee pudding, toffee sauce, gingerbread ice cream (£6), which was very ordinary. I still have to say that my sticky date pudding is much better.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Well, for a country pub, it was huge, sprawling over 2 levels of the original house, and then over to an extension, and then to a separate self-contained building. They actually managed to fill up most of the tables on this Saturday night though, so it was very loud. There were all sort of people, girls nights, big family dinner and also the romantic couples, and not to mention a couple of muddy foodies from London.

Rating - 2

Service

Things started off very well. We were quite early for our booking, but they accommodated us no problems. The waiter was humorous and good natured, but things got worst from there. The service became slower as the room filled up. I asked for a refill of our water several times before my request was met. We waited for a long time for the bill, and had to ask two different waiters for it. It took so long to arrive we actually considered walking out. Another thing too, the recommendation from the waiter was not great, so either we have different taste or they were trying to make more money by recommending the more expensive meals!!

Rating - 2

C-factor

Acceptable for generously portioned food and a nice surrounding, pity it was all let down by the service.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 12

Info

Main Street
Birchover
Matlock
DE4 2BL
Phone +44 (0) 16 2965 0302
Website

Royal China Riverside

My last salvation at Canary Wharf. I have heard so many good things about Royal China, I was really looking forward to this. Good food at Canary Wharf, but sadly I was proved wrong.

Food

There’s definitely no trolley pushing here. In fact, you don’t even have to mark anything off a list, it’s a la carte dim sum. We decided to choose from a selection of classic favourites, and not try anything too weird, to initiate the yum cha newbies.

• Scallop Dumpling (£2.85) - these dumplings are only good when they are freshly prepared, unfortunately, the nice filling was ruined by a less than savoury skin.
• Prawn & Chive dumpling (£2.85) - again, let down by skin
• Spicy Chicken Feet (£2.40) - not as tender as can be, the sauce could do with more spice.
• Pork & Radish Dumpling (£2.40) - very unlike the ones I am used to. The filling was just wrong, but at least the pastry was good.
• Glutinous rice in Lotus Leaves (£3.20) - quite dry and bland, not enough soy sauce. I was really surprised they put prawns in this too.
• Turnip Paste (£2.40) - this is normally one of my favourite dishes, but unfortunately this was completely spoiled by the Royal China variety. They were definitely very generous, with thick slabs of the turnip cake on order. However, thick is not better here. The cakes looked like they weren’t even fried at all, being mostly white in texture, only a few bits were starting to take a brown tinge, but was nowhere here the degree needed to make these taste good. The cakes were too heavy on the flour, with not enough turnip, and certainly not enough of other ingredients.
• Roast Pork Puff (£2.40) - not great. The pastry was not hot or fresh.
• Beef Cheung Fun (£2.85) - went really quickly, so I didn’t even have time to try it out.
• Fried Dough Cheung Fun (£2.85) - was only warm. They didn’t give you the peanut and hoi-sin sauce for dipping, so you only have soy sauce. Otherwise, it didn’t seem that fresh but the flavours were ok.
• Pork Dumpling (£3.30) - surprisingly, the best dish of the day. The dumplings were encased in beautifully slippery skin, the sauce poured on was vinegary and slightly hot, a good combination.
• Fukien Fried Rice (£8.80) - egg fried rice topped with creamy assorted seafood & chicken - was executed very well. The rice was nicely coated with a superb sauce. I wonder if non yum-cha dishes would be better choices at Royal China.
• Milk & Egg Tart (£2.40) - was cold and disappointing. This is usually something that the Westerners lap up, but even they were unenthusiastic with the offerings.

In conclusion, a major disappointment. I wonder if location has anything to do with it, but I have decided to give the franchise one more go before I dismiss it. With the dismal state of UK yum cha, I don’t really have much choice.

Rating - 5

Atmosphere

The décor definitely sat more in the traditional sense than the modern. I actually expected more as I always thought Royal China was a flashy restaurant. The décor was more trashy than flashy.

Clientele wise, mostly Western office workers, having dishes that they serve on top of a silver plate lifter – I haven’t seen one of those since eating in HK in the 80s.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Generally efficient, although I did have to ask for the bill twice. They were very busy though, so the service was not bad

Rating - 3

C-factor

Well, I have heard that Royal China was expensive, so when our bill came to a little over £11 each, I was quite happy as I was expecting more. However, they did slug us a 13% service charge, that is just wrong!!

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 9.5

Info

30 West Ferry Circus
London,
E14 8RR
Phone +44 (0) 20 7719 0888
Website

1 Lombard Street

This is probably the closest Michelin Star restaurant to our home, almost our local really, so were really hoping it will be special enough for us to come back.

Food

The a-la carte menu sounded very tempting, but we were here to take advantage of the 3 course special for London restaurant week. There was only one choice for the evening, but fortunately I was very tempted by what they were offering.

We started off with an appetiser of Celeriac Soup, which was actually rather boring and didn’t really show any flare or creativity. Better was the bread, as fitting for a 1 star restaurant, there were plenty of choice of bread. I tried the Poppy seed, olive and white, and all came hot with a crunchy crust and moist inside.

The meal proper started with Smoked Haddock Risotto with Quails Eggs, English Mustard and Lemon Veloute. I love the quail eggs which were still soft and just set, however the risotto was actually a bit bland. Pave of Angus Sirloin Steak Morel and Vin Jaune Sauce, Vegetable Fondant was cooked to medium as requested, however, it was a very boring dish. The steak was not even of the best quality I’ve had (I guess we aren’t paying top price for it afterall). The vegetable had had no special treatment either.

We had fun trying to figure out all the ingredients that went into the Apple and Mango Granita, with banana being a very popular choice, but surprisingly, mango didn’t feature. My favourite of the whole meal was definitely the dessert. The Gratin of Rhubarb with Elderflower Sabayon Honey and Vanilla Ice Cream was superb. The rhubarb retained its crunchiness and was rendered to perfection. The sabayon was what drew me though. Sweet, perfectly balanced, and a little different.

Some friends ordered from the a-la carte menu and were very satisfied with their choices, and also, we were the only ones ordering from the special menu. Which makes me wonder, did they skim on the London restaurant week menu? Because I thought the whole point of it was to show off their skills so that the new market of customer they were attracting would find it worthwhile to revisit again? Based on the performance today though, I won’t be back. It was good, but for a one start restaurant, I expect a lot more.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

It wasn’t quite what I expected. To get to the restaurant, you have to pass through the brasserie, which actually looked very spectacular. Situated in a big open space, with a huge dome just above the bar. The restaurant though, was tucked away at the back, behind a set of curtains. There was really no discerning feature there, although some of the banquette seating was very nice. After being to so many Michelin star places, I was really expecting more.

The restaurant itself was very small, with only small groups. None of them seem to be dining on the restaurant week menu though. Considering this restaurant was the only one not booked out for the special offer, I was wondering why.

Rating - 1.5

Service

We had booked 3 separate tables. I rang them to try to combine them into one, but was informed that they were only able to cater to a max of 6 per table. Going into the restaurant, I could see why. They simply didn’t have room for more. They were nice enough to arrange for us to sit at 2 adjacent tables though. In the end, 2 people pulled out, so we all squashed onto a small table. Never mind, they took it all in their stride, transferring our cups, plates. There was a sweeping of crumbs off the table and napkin folding too, plus all the waiters spoke French again.

Rating - 4

C-factor

For a 1 star restaurant, the prices are not that different to other restaurants in London, so in that sense, it is not that expensive. I don’t see though, how this place is better than some of the other places I have been to.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 12.5

Info

1 Lombard Street
London
EC3V 9AA
Phone +44 (0) 20 7929 6611
Website

Pizza Express Canary Wharf 2

Back again, this time for a girlie lunch. I was determined to try the pizza this time, and to my surprise, they didn’t come out too bad at all.

Food

I tried out the “new” Romana pizzas, which promises that the dough is rolled for longer to create a thinner, bigger and crispier base so that the bold flavours stand out even more. It is also made with mozzarella and their famous tomato sauce… Well, I decided to top my impressive sounding base with Pinglestone (£9.25) Smoked pancetta and a free range egg, topped with fresh watercress leaves and shavings of grana padano.. As they proudly state on the menu, this pizza recipe was created by their Alresford restaurant and won ‘Best International Dish’ at the 2006 Watercress Festival awards. Hmmm, it’s not as if they’d won a Michelin star or anything. The base was certainly impressive, so thin and so crispy, and charred just right at the bottom, however I’m not so sure about the topping. The tomato base was pleasant enough, the egg was too quality and had real egg flavour, but however it was cooked to well done. The watercress isn’t strong enough to stand up to the flavours, and the pancetta was a bit too salty, even with the tomato base. The grana padano was shaved on at the last minute, and because the pizza wasn’t hot enough when it was delivered, didn’t even melt at all. Still, I found it was better than GPC.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

It was very busy again on Wednesday lunch. It was hard for our table to hear the conversation, since we were seated on a long table.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Pretty much the same. Our waiter was a bit cuter than last time, and was efficient.

Rating - 3

C-factor

I still think it’s expensive, especially when I can eat at a fancy restaurant for about the same. But for Canary Wharf, it is probably one of the better choices.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 11.5

Info

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

Pattersons

Food

I started the day with some yummy bread and a Glass of Rioja, Heredad Ugarte, Crianza 2004 (£6.00). We had to order 3 courses to get the special, so…

• Slow Roast Belly Pork, Red Cabbage, Cauliflower Puree with a Seared Scallop and Thyme Jus - was a bit dry, the meat overwhelmed with flavour. The scallop is the usual tasteless offering. The cabbage was like sauerkraut, but pleasant.
• Squab Breast, on Potato and Apple Parmentier, with Foie Gras Parfait and Madeira Jelly - definitely the better entrée, although Slokky did manage to drop half of the squab onto the floor. The Foie Graf parfait was very strong, it comes with bread sticks for dipping, but I think works best paired with the gamey yet tender squab.
• Fillets of Dover Sole with Langoustine, Confit Leek, Jerusalem Artichoke Mash, Wild Mushrooms and Sauce Duglere - I love this dish, and I think if I didn’t have this, I wouldn’t think this restaurant was so good. This was easily the best fish dish I’ve had for awhile in London, and that includes Le Gavroche (but I am not comparing this to Tajima-Tei as that wouldn’t be fair). The fish was very succulent, but the accompaniment and sauce simply blew me away.
• Prime Sirloin of Beef with Celeriac, Stewed Shallots and Chestnuts with a Braised Oxtail and Potato Puree Gratin - the steak was cooked a bit more than medium-rare, but that suits me as I like medium. The beef was well cooked, but certainly not the best I’ve eaten. The sauce was too salty as well. I found more interest in the oxtail, wonderfully stewy and meaty, and the celeriac mould was interesting, sweet and savoury, yet with the texture of potatoes.
• Chestnut Soufflé Tart with Vanilla Ginger Ice Cream - I was really looking forward to this but was so let down. The flavours just didn’t really go together, and even the ginger ice-cream didn’t save the day.
• Valrhona Chocolate Fondant with Iced Double Cream - This was much better than the chocolate cake from Wet Fish Café, the shell had been hardened, and good quality molten chocolate filled the centre. The ice-cream was a letdown again.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Strange. I am not so sure if the décor is to my taste. On one hand, everything is quite modern, if a bit boring. However, they have a huge fish tank in the front room, and other aquatic colour scheme happening. It makes the place look a bit like a hotel lobby, and actually detracts from the elegance of the room.

Rating - 2

Service

I was very impressed by the excellent service by a very professional team who were also friendly and warm. They took our coat, readjusted the table for the cancellation, and was humble, with no trace of pretensions, even though we weren’t behaving as expected, throughout.

Rating - 4.5

C-factor

It definitely wasn’t that cheap, even with our 50% off offer, but the food was great and the service first rate.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 15

Info

4 Mill Street
London
W1S 2AX
Phone +44 (0) 20 7499 1308
Website

Wet Fish Café

Funny enough, I have not eaten at a café in London before now, and realised how much I actually miss the café atmosphere.

Food

I started off the evening with the Cabernet-Malbec, Finca los Prados, 2007, Argentina (£4), described as medium-bodied with strong red fruits, spices and chocolate. Never mind that, it was good. The dessert menu sounded divine, so it was the consensus to skip entrees. The Welsh lamb cutlets with Jerusalem artichoke mash and lamb jus (£14) came recommended, and it was very good indeed. Simple food with simple flavours done well. The Spicy Slow-Simmered Mutton with Aubergine, Dates and Wild Rice (£13) probably didn’t taste as good as it sounds. The mutton has absorbed some wonderful flavours, but the date and wild rice was only ordinary.

Desserts were fine, being more homely in flavour than anything else. My rhubarb, ginger and almond crumble (£5) hit the spot. The rhubarb was quite tart, the almond crumble satisfying. The warm soft chocolate cake w red berries & cream (£5.50) was a bit disappointing. The cake was a bit dry, and the chocolate sauce was not made using that great quality chocolate.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

All around us people seem to be doing the same, whether it was a glass of wine or a cup of coffee, it was one of those places you could lounge around in the whole day.

The name comes from the fact that this use to be a “wet fish” shop, and they have restored it so that the original tiles and sign is visible. The room is very dark, illuminated by some candles. The vibe is definitely a relaxed chilli, very fitting for the Hampstead crowd.

It’s also a wine store, you can buy bottle or case loads of all the wines on their menu.

Rating - 2.5

Service

Daylight saving had just started, and I think the chef forgot, because we were not able to order food until 7pm. It was ok for us though, as we nursed some drinks to get us in the mood.

The wait staff were super cool and accommodating, but it was not really that busy and they don’t really need to “service” you as such.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

The prices is certainly not cheap, especially if you take in the fact that if you use a special on Toptable, you could eat for around the same price at so called higher priced restaurants. Never mind, it is aiming at well-off people in the Hampstead area that wants to have a relaxed dinner and not be fussed about.

Rating - 0.5

Brownie Points - 12.5

Info

242 West End Lane
London
NW6 1LG
Phone +44 (0) 20 7443 9222
Website

Katies Tea Room

A traditional tea room in the heart of Chester by day, by night it becomes MDs Restaurant. We were attracted by the claim that the building contained remnants of a 14th century house.

Food

The menu was huge, with your café favourites, as well as some more substantial and regional offerings. Seeing all the old English style architecture had me yearning for Traditional Roast Beef served with Yorkshire Pudding, and I was not sorry for the choice. The last time I tried Yorkshire Pudding, I was really disappointed, but after today, this has definitely turned around. The crunchy and soft texture was wonderful. Even though it was just flour and water and fat, it tasted so good. It actually overshadowed the beef, which was fine, but a bit tough, and the gravy too salty for my taste. Mixed with some of the carrots, potatoes and broccoli that came on the side though, and it was fine. The potatoes were so creamy and buttery. Pork Loin Steak (£7.50) - Grilled Pork Loin Steak Served on a Bed of Mashed Potato with a Creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce was a bit heavy handed with the cream, otherwise a satisfying meal. I was really looking forward to the Apple Pie served hot or cold, with Custard, Cream or Ice Cream, but this turned out to be quite disappointing, kinda like store bought stuff.

Rating - 6

Atmosphere

Certainly popular with the over 50s. This place is not cool or hip, but it has heart. The building is lovely, the furniture has that homely touch, think doilies and plastic flowers. The place is very big, so even when filled with people, you don’t feel too claustrophobic. It’s one of those places you feel like you should go to when on holidays.

Rating - 2

Service

Very good. A bit forgetful at times, like when they delivered the apple pie with custard instead of ice-cream, but changed it straight away with no questions asked.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

Cheap!! I had a generous two course meal for £9!!

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 13.5

Info

38 Watergate Street
Chester
CH1 2LA
Phone +44 (0) 12 4440 0322
Website

The Wizard

Another country Bib to cross off the list.

Food

The menu didn’t look very exciting, with the very usual restaurant selection and nothing out of the ordinary. The bread though, was very cool. We actually got some brioche, served with butter. I ignored the butter and the brioche tasted fine.

We decided to stick with the safe options this time, so ordered the Pan fried chicken livers, griddled bruschetta, Madeira cream (£7.95) for entrée. Chicken liver really taste just about the same everywhere, however the saucing was a bit disappointing. The Pressed ham hock & asparagus terrine topped with a poached egg (£6.50) was again disappointing as the egg was too well cooked. The terrine was quite good in terms of flavour.

For mains, we had the Wizard shepherd’s pie with cheese mash & fresh vegetables (£11.00) , which was really really disappointing, as I’ve had this dish a few times in pubs and it has always been very nice, so I was looking forward to seeing what this restaurant could do with it. Unfortunately the execution was terrible, the mince was way too salty, and the cheese gravy was not good enough to lift it up, plus it was too heavy to balance the saltiness of the meat. Slightly better was the Oven baked fillet of hake, rocket & parmesan salad, balsamic dressing (£14.50), although the salad seemed to be repeated from the entrée, and was also extremely boring. Needless to say, we didn’t stick around for dessert.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

The building was lovely, old and lovingly restored, with exposed beams, antique furnishing, fireplace (fake). It was all very homely, although the chairs were not that comfy as a result. They also have a tearoom which they open for lunch, which I would love to try out.

Rating - 2.5

Service

Very casual I thought, they don’t even dress so you can identify them as waiters, but it is suitable enough for this place. We were seated in the front room, so it was difficult at times to get their attention.

Rating - 2.5

C-factor

Even more expensive than the Mistley Thorn, not worth it.

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 10.5

Info

Macclesfield Road
Nether Alderley
Cheshire
SK10 4UB
Phone +44 (0) 16 2558 4000
Website

Yang Sing

We chose Yang Sing as it was recommended by a friend and also because there were at least some Chinese people eating there. It has won heaps of awards for being the best Chinese Restaurant in Manchester.

Food

The food was quite good, not good compared to Oz or HK or Rotterdam of course, but better than anything I’ve had in London. There is no trolley or anything, you choose your food from a list (all in Chinese, which was a good sign…but we couldn’t read about a quarter of it, which was bad). We had:

• Chau siu
• Vegetable dumplings
• Prawn dumplings
• Pan fried Meat bun
• Steamed meat bun
• Sticky rice

The highlight was definitely the sticky rice and the vegetable dumplings, the low point, the meat buns which were too oily. The chau siu was quite nice, but a bit too salty and strong on its own, it really needed rice, but it was our fault for not ordering any. Their chun fun machine was broken so we couldn’t have any which was sad though.

Rating - 6.5

Atmosphere

I think Yang Sing must’ve been very modern and impressive about 10 years ago. You don’t get your classic Chinese décor, but it’s not quite modern either. All the fixtures were starting to wear, and not as spiffy as you would expect from such an expensive Chinese place. It’s situated in the basement, with some skylights looking out into the street, so it’s all very strange.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Good for a Chinese restaurant, ok for a normal restaurant. They were quite apologetic when they didn’t have the chun fun, and generally refilled water and took away things at the right time. The bill also arrived quickly, but then again, they weren’t that busy.

Rating - 3

C-factor

It’s cheap on a London basis, but I think it’s actually one of the most expensive restaurants in Manchester. It was £26.15 for 3 people, and we didn’t leave hungry.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 12

Info

34 Princess Street
Manchester
M1 4JY
Phone +44 (0) 16 1236 2200
Website

Ping Pong St Katharines Docks

We scored an invite to test out the soon to be open Ping Pong on the staff training day. I had been intrigued about Ping Pong for awhile, but I am always a bit apprehensive about Westernised yum cha. Well, I have to say I am impressed.

Food

Imagine the Wagamama concept, except for dim sum. We started with some drinks from the scrumptious drinks menu. The Kumquat mojito (£5.75) – Santiago de Cuba Blanco rum, lime, mint, sugar and kumquats was everything I expected, tangy, sour and sweet, it was definitely refreshing for the food. The place was really hot, and I wonder if they do this on purpose so you would order more cocktails? The Flowering Jasmine Lily (£1.95) – green tea buds, infused with jasmine, hand tied around lily and jasmine flowers was a bad choice considering it was so hot. I really only ordered it so I could see the flowering bud. It looked spectacular, but tasted like water.

There were 8 of us at the table, so we were able to try a large variety of dishes. The menu is broken out into different sections, with the steam stuff winning hands down in terms of both variety and taste.

• Wasabi three bean mix (£.99) – soy beans, green beans and black beans coated in spicy horseradish - I was so surprised that these were very hot and very fresh. A very good start.
• Char sui bun (£3.10) – honey barbecue pork in fluffy white bun pastry - not as good as the Chinese restaurants. The pastry a bit hard and the filling too dry and bland.
• Seafood Sticky Rice (£3.30) – rice with king prawns and scallops wrapped in a Lotus leaf - not much seafood. I think seafood only sticky rice doesn’t really work in this dish as you need a bit of meat to bring out the flavour.
• Crispy Thai Chicken Spring Roll (£2.99) – chicken and prawns with chilli, coriander and lemongrass wrapped in bean curd skin and served with chilli fish sauce - the skin was crisp on the outside and still soft on the inside, the filling was great too.
• Chives (£2.99) – king prawns and chives in green chive pastry - lovely balance of flavour, and the pastry was well done.
• Crystal (£2.99) – sauteed vegetables in transparent crystal pastry - this one was a bit cold when I ordered, but it was pleasing nevertheless.
• Scallop and shitake – scallops and king prawns with shitake mushrooms in wheat flour pastry - my favourite dish of the night, great flavour and great skin, everything a dumpling should be.
• Pork shu mai (£2.99) – pro and king prawns in open shu mai pastry topped with a Chinese wolfberry - very different to the ones you normally get at yum cha. I think for the better. The pork was certainly better quality.
• Seafood (£2.99) – snow crab, prawns and scallops in carrot tortellini pastry - not as good as I thought, the carrot pastry didn’t really work.
• Honey Glazed Ribs (£3.99) – 3 pork ribs roasted with Ping Pong’s special spices, glazed with honey - a little dry but the meat was very generous and quite tender.
• First Emperor’s Treasure (£4.50) – steamed salmon dumpling with lime leaves topped with trout eggs - this didn’t work well together, the flavours did not combine well.
• Qin Shihuangdi Dum Sum (£4.50) – steamed scallop, prawn and pork dumpling topped with lump fish roe - quite pleasant, like a rich man’s version of normal dumplings.
• Coconut puff (£3.20) – baked puff filled with coconut, topped with honey and sesame seeds, served with a scoop of coconut ice cream - the puff was a bit dry, the coconut filling was not too sweet – tasting like a BBQ pork puff, only with coconut texture. The ice-cream was heavenly.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Ping Pong looks good, and I can see that this would be a real attraction to Westerners. There is a big bar area, with the dining area consisting of small and large tables. They have thought of the little things as well. Shelves under the seats allow you to pop your coat, and there are hooks for your bags under the table, although the hooks can’t always support your bag, and it does get in the way of your legs.

Décor is pretty much funky Chinese furnishing, rendered in black. It does get very noisy and very busy and hot, but that means they have replicated the

Rating - 1.5

Service

It was staff training day and the staff gets evaluated, so they were all on their best behaviour. Several people served us, and we did make things very difficult for them since we had two separate bills and menus going, but they managed it quite well. Our server was very good too, so I wonder what the place would be like if they aren’t on training.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

We got all our food for free as it was a staff training day, so we only paid for drinks. If they can keep this standard up normally though, it is definitely worthy for a meal.

Rating - 2

Brownie Points - 14.5

Info

Quayside, Tower Bridge House
St Katharines Docks
London
E1W 1BA
Phone +44 (0) 20 7680 7850
Website

The Mistley Thorn

Another one of those hotel restaurant combination in a “country town”. I fell in love with this as soon as I saw it, and luckily, the food lived up to my expectations.

Food

I wanted everything on the menu, and actually, between the four of us, we got to try quite a lot. Feeling especially greedy, we started with some Colchester Native Oysters served raw with ginger shallot mignonette (£1.75 each) and Mersea Isalnd Rock Oysters served raw with ginger shallot mignonette (£7.50 ½ dozen) to share. The Colchester were a bit like Sydney Rocks while the Mersea were like Coffin Bay ones. They each had their good points, and I was very happy, but that could also be due to the fact that I was downing a skippers, a locally brewed beer.

Entrees:

• Grilled whole sardines in garlic butter (£6.95) - was actually the weakest entrée of the night. I guess the nicest sardines are the ones that are simply grilled, with nothing else. These sardines are not as nice as the ones my parents buy, so …
• Saffron and Glove Artichoke Risotto with Parmesan Cheese (£6.95) - was a huge plate, even though I had asked for the “small”. The risotto was actually better than the one from Midsummer House, nicely balanced by the saffron, the grains al dente.
• Roasted Pear Salad (£6.25) with Endive, Hazelnuts, st Agur Blue cheese and Walnut Vinaigrette - I only tried a little bit of this, but the sauce was out of this world. The salad leaves were so fresh, I think they might’ve come from the back garden.
• Dayboat Calamari a la Plancha with Chilli, Garlic, Coriander - was cooked to perfection, not chewy, with a slightly tangy sauce.

Main:

• Roast Rack of Lamb in a Herb Crust with Wholegrain Mustard Mash, Mint Vinaigrette & Seasonal Vegetables - a very good choice. There weren’t that many pieces, but it was about quality, not quantity. The vegetables were outstanding again.
• Grilled Skate with Caramelised garlic, Smoked Paprika, A Mano Olive Oil, Local New Potatoes & Alison's Organic salad Leaves (£13.95) - was a little heavy on the spicing, but luckily it suited this fish well. The potatoes were so heavenly. They were so soft and buttery.
• Cioppino a "Cal Ital" Seafood Stew with Local Fresh Fish, Shellfish, Tomato and herbs served with garlic crostini - I only got a small bite of this, but they balanced the flavours very well, I don’t know how good the quality of the seafood is though.
• Roasted Deben Duck Breast with Red Wine Cherry Sauce, Root Vegetable Rosti & Savoy Cabbage - for me, the best dish of the night. The duck breast was gamey, with just the right amount of fat for flavour.
• Handcut Fries (£2.25) again tasted like those new potatoes, so buttery and creamy

Dessert:

• Warm Sticky Toffee Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream
  - stock standard. Not that it’s bad, it’s just that by now I expected a lot more.
• ice cream and sorbet - quite nice, but again, nothing out of the ordinary.

sick of seeing the usual foam, Espresso was the order. As usual, it was not good.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

This was another hotel and restaurant and pub combination that litter the English countryside. We found that it was very modern, with clean lines in the design. There was an open fire, and the clienteles are local, enjoying a drink at the very modern and not at all seedy bar, before settling down to dinner and a chat with the waiters. There was a complaint about the wicker chairs though, it hurts if you have no fat in your bum, but I had no problems with that one.

Rating - 2.5

Service

The waiters were quite casual, but very accommodating. They were friendly, which I liked. It seemed they had a long day with the lunch crowd though, and were a bit disorganised for dinner to start with. They did manage to pull themselves together later to offer us a very enjoyable experience.

Rating - 3.5

C-factor

They normally have a 3-2-1 special, where you can eat 3 courses each for 2 people and pay only £25!! Unfortunately the deal was not available as it was a Bank holiday, but I think it was still good value for the quality of food we enjoyed.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 15

Info

High Street
Mistley
Essex
CO11 1HE
Phone +44 (0) 12 0639 2821
Website

Café Zoot

We were looking for a feed on this Easter Monday, and there weren’t many choices available, so we were very relived when we spied Café Zoot, open and warm, as we were ravenous and cold.

Food

Surprisingly, the coffee was not bad at all. We have decided to always order lattes (£2.30 large) to avoid getting the mountain of foam that is associated with cappuccinos in the UK. They use illy beans.

We decided to be slightly healthier, so Mushroom Omelette (£3.95) - mushroom and three-egg omelette served with crispy hash browns was the way to go. The omelette was so tasteless, and the mushrooms did not look like they had benefited from any butter at all, so I guess it was a pretty healthy breakfast, if not a particularly tasty one. I really liked the hash browns though, still lumpy, with a bit of pepper, and done so it’s just crisp on the outside. The Toasted Teacake (£1.50) - with butter and jams was ok. We were given a huge choice of jams, but they all taste very ordinary, some home-made stuff would’ve been great.

Rating - 5.5

Atmosphere

Situated in the hub of Lincoln, the street is filled with restored shop fronts all promoting afternoon tea, Café Zoot definitely stood out from the crowd. It’s a modern, minimalist space, doing Mediterranean leaning café fares and hearty breakfasts.

Rating - 1.5

Service

Maybe our waiter was in a bad mood, but she was quite rude, plonking things down and she got annoyed at us when we took too long to decide on what to order. However, the other waiter who served us was very friendly, but managed to hear our order wrong. Never mind, they didn’t charge for our mistake, and everyone thanked us and waved us goodbye at the end.

Rating - 2

C-factor

Eating out for breakfast in the UK, unlike Oz, is a pretty cheap affair. This is more expensive than going to the pub, but is fair value for the quantity we got.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 10

Info

5 Bailgate
Lincoln
LN1 3AE
Phone +44 (0) 15 2253 6663
Website

Midsummer House

2 Michelin Stars, so we were very keen to compare this with Le Gavroche

Food

We were very impressed from the start. They had delivered some “thinking snacks” while we deliberated on the menu.

• cheese stick - looked spectacular, and were very more-ish
• balsamic vinegar foam and crisps - wonderful balsamic foam and crispy crisps!
• green olives - so fresh and so beautiful

I was sad that they took this away very early on, but in hindsight it was a good move, as I was already filling up on this, and there was so much more food to follow.

Based on the quality of the start, we decided to go the whole hog and get the tasting menu.

• foccacia - was soft and beautiful
• brown bread - ok, but the butter was excellent.
• Grapefruit and Champagne foam - was dramatically presented, a decanter was brought out and our foam squirted into lovely pink glasses. The coldness combined with the texture was heavenly. Nothing disappointing so far.
• Tiger Prawn, Cucumber and Cauliflower - this was a soup that has also been “foamed”. The prawn was so delicious, the other flavours quite light, a great start to the meal.
• Langoustine and King Crab - I really like this one, the crab was encased in a tortellini with the most delicious pastry and the best texture, the langoustine did not pale against the crab either.
• Piquillo Pepper Cannelloni - was totally not what was expected. A liver mousse was wrapped, lolly-pop style, with red peper sauce for dipping. Looked wonderful but I don’t think the taste quite work.
• Sauteed Scallop, Bay Leaf, Pigs Trotter - as usual, the scallop didn’t have the scallop taste, and the bay leaf didn’t add much flavour. The pigs trotters were little cubes and tasted like fried croquettes.
• Risotto of Parsley, Garlic Snail, Yeast Foam - I was really looking forward to this one, but the risotto was actually quite disappointing, the rice being still hard. The garlic snail was presented in an ingenious way. The snail is skewered on the end of
• Roast Zander, Red Wine and Nettles - again, the fish taste was a bit of a letdown, and I’m not that keen on the nettles, but the fish was perfectly cooked and the red wine sauce helped to impart some flavour.
• Pousse Café - an appetiser of cream, egg and sweet stuff. Different, interesting, if not that refreshing.
• Bourbon Smoked Pigeon, Iceberg Lettuce, Sweet Potato - the flavour of the pigeon was excellent, so gamey and moist. The lettuce was still crunchy, the bourbon sauce a bit sweet
• Camomile, Lemon and Ginger - presented as a jelly of three flavours, I especially like the camomile layer, but make sure you mix them together to get the best taste.
• Pear, Black Olive and Fennel - the olives certainly didn’t taste like olives, instead, more like grapes, and very strange. I am not so sure what the point of this one is.
• Coffee, Chocolate and Passion Fruit - I thought this was literally what it was, but it turned out to be 3 rectangles of foam of the flavours. The coffee was the best, white the passion fruit didn’t quite carry through.

I was very very full after this, but Slokky decided he needed coffee to help his long drive, so we ordered Cappuccino (ummm… as usual, very very foamy), which actually came with:

• Baignet with crème anglais and plum sauce - so so so delicious. It was warm, lightly dusked with icing sugar, and the dipping sauces so so good, I actually ate too even though I really couldn’t fit anything else in.
• chocolate – mandarin, pineapple, green pepper, dark - surprisingly, the best was the green pepper, even though it was encased in white chocolate. They have definitely used very good quality chocolate. These are some of the best I’ve tasted, and I would come back just for that!!

I really can’t fault the technique and the presentation. I like it that they are willing to experiment, but some worked much better than others.

Rating - 8

Atmosphere

This literally was a house, but a big one at that, with a garden on the side and a stream running down the back. We were seated in the back room which had large open windows looking out to the garden. The weather was horrid, snow, wind and periods of sun, so we really enjoyed watching the changes during our 3 hour meal, after which we retired to have coffees and petit fours upstairs, where there was a small bar and a balcony, and views of the river.

You must definitely pay a visit the bathroom to check out the pictures they have in there. They are very cheeky and totally not what you would expect to find in a restaurant like this. The clientele seems to be intellects, dressed smartly for lunch but not too stuffy.

Rating - 3

Service

Excellent, as you would expect from a two-star restaurant. Attentive, polite, and good wine recommendation. We didn’t feel like we were rushed at all.

Rating - 5

C-factor

At lunch time, you could choose from a limited 3 course menu for £30, but we decided we might as well go the whole hog and try the tasting menu, which at £80, is not something you should have very often. The price is really justified by the amount of work that goes into preparing those beautiful dishes.

Rating - 1

Brownie Points - 17

Info

Midsummer Common
Cambridge
CB4 1HA
Phone +44 (0) 12 2336 9299
Website

Clos Maggiore

I was a bit dubious about Clos Maggiore, as it was situated in the middle of tourist attraction of Convent Garden, but I was very happy to be proved wrong.

Food

We had the 3 course pre-theatre menu., starting with some onion foccacia, which was very caramelised and scrumptious, not at all oily, and brown roll, which was very boring. The 3 of us just about tried all the items on the menu:

• Foie Gras & Oxtail Terrain - pickled silver skinned onion - was beautiful, as it should be, the onions were not quite as caramelised as I liked though.
• Boudin Blanc with beans and game sauce - great quality produce, much better than the ones we bought from Paris, and the beans were so fresh, you could almost taste spring.
• Pan Fried Fillet of Pollock - terrine of purple potato & globe artichoke - at least it wasn’t sea bass. It’s tasty enough, cooked perfectly. I just wish for a bit more seafood taste, as usual. The accompaniment were great though.
• Slow cooked Elwy Valley Lamb Belly -pus pulse & lamb jus with olive oil - a great time for lamb, and this was lovely and tender. I’m a sucker for good pus pulses and these were very good indeed.
• Passionfruit and Chocolate Ganache, Coconut Sorbet. - was definitely the highlight. The chocolate was so good, which was accompanied by the tangy passionfruit, and the coconut sorbet was like eating a ripe, fresh coconut.
• Vanilla Cheesecake & warm Red Berries - good, smooth, but not spectacular. I haven’t really had a great cheesecake at a restaurant yet, with maybe the exception of the Cheesecake Factory.

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

Everyone raved about the setting, and I can see why. Clos is situated in one of those terrace houses, so the restaurant consists of a series of rooms. We were seated next to a blazing fireplace, in a room which also had a sky light and a flower canopy. Scrumptious French wallpaper complete the setting.

Rating - 2.5

Service

The wait staff were absolutely lovely. Most of them are French. There was a French couple at the next table and the waiters were all talking to them in French. One waiter was especially charming, explaining the dishes and helping us with choices when we needed.

Rating - 4

C-factor

The pre-theatre menu was 3 courses for £19.95, which didn’t have a lot of choice, but it was good value for the quality of food we got. Gripe, we got charged £4.95 for a bottle of still water!! Warning though - order before 6:30 if you want to make your 8pm show. We were quite rushed at the end.

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 15.5

Info

33 King Street
London
WC2E 8JD
Phone +44 (0) 20 7379 9696
Website

Tajima-Tei

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

Food

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

Rating - 7.5

Atmosphere

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

Rating - 1.5

Service

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

Rating - 3

C-factor

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

Rating - 1.5

Brownie Points - 13.5

Info

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

La Tasca Canary Wharf

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

Food

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

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

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

Rating - 2

Atmosphere

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

Rating - 0

Service

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

Rating - 0

C-factor

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

Rating - 0

Brownie Points - 2

Info

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