Because of the spontaneity of the evening, we didn’t do much planning on where to go to eat. Bam-bou is very central, just north of Oxford Street in Fitzrovia. Walking by it as often as I do (my office isn’t too far), I’ve always remarked at how busy it always seems to be. It’s not super-cheap and doesn’t have a lot of the buzz so many of the restaurants – whether deserving or undeserving – in London have these days, but with the crowds even on random weekdays were a good sign.

The food is Vietnamese-French, which I consider to be less Asian-fusion (such a dirty word!) in the restaurant sense and more of a nod to a not-so-pleasant piece of history, since France ruled Vietnam as a colony until 1954.

But that’s not so much to the point. On to the food.

By far the best starter we had was the duck roll. Coming out of the kitchen  like little mini-burgers, the duck patty was almost flakey in texture, complemented perfectly with a fragrant plummy hoisin. Unfortunately we weren’t particularly impressed with the bland veggie summer rolls or the slightly too greasy calamari (though the spicy aioli served with the latter had a lot of pluck. I like that in a dipping sauce).

Mains across the table were made up of a combination of curries, pork skewers over vermicelli mostly reminiscent of bun cha and a lovely spiced duck with a salted plum sauce, which – despite having a similar description to our duck starter – couldn’t have been more different in preparation.

All of them were quite lovely too. The duck, though somewhat of a small portion for £15.50 (not including any sides or rice) was a bit steep, but expertly cooked. Loved it. The curry sauce was almost  intoxicating, and the pork beautifully tender.

Most of the time, restaurants with a melting pot approach to Asian food are a dime a dozen and rarely anything to shout about, but Bam-bou breaks the mould.

Here’s the evidence…

Crunchy tofu

All this for just £10/person and soooo much better than Chinatown

Yak dumplings

Proper Peking duck

Sweet tofu with edamame

Hot pot beef with dumpling and chilli

A yak feast in Tibet (lots and lots of yak - which wasn't really all that nice)

1. La Basque for pizza
2. Alex Plaice for fish and chips
3. The Haandi House for curry
4. Woody Grill for a messy kebab at 3am

I was ready to find somewhere to sit down, and the first place we tried was Arianna II, an Afghan restaurant on Kilburn High Road and an absolute gem of a place. Brilliant food, cheep and cheerful, and BYOB. Can you think of a better combination?

We started with the Kadoo Buranee, a wonderfully aromatic warm pumpkin dish perfect for a winter evening. Along side, we enjoyed some fresh hummous, pita and some piping hot  meat samosas, smacking of ground cumin and chili.

I was insanely excited for the Kabuli Palow, and it didn’t disappoint. The shank was so tender that as soon as I picked up the bone (see Exhibit A), the lamb literally slid off the bone. Served on top of a sort of pilau with carrots, raisins, almonds and pistachios, it was the perfect combination of savoury and sweet.

Exhibit A

DQ went with the slightly more boring, but all together tasty Chicken Kebab. It was surprisingly spicy, and certainly enjoyable, if not a little predictable. He’s a boy who likes his chicken though, so what can you do?

Dessert was Firnee and Afghan-style pistachio pudding with a consistency not unlike a flan. After this much food, it was a welcome, light and slightly sweet note to end the meal.

All this, plus BYOB meant that our bill came to £25.00. That’s in total. Not per head. Rock on, Arianna II. We’ll be back.

In no particular order, here are my most memorable, most delicious and most unique meals of 2011…

Kateh – Maida Vale
Although I’m no longer in Maida Vale, Kateh would be a reason to return. One of London’s only Persian restaurants, I still dream about the Koofteh Berenji starter of Persian meatballs I had. As an added bonus, it’s next door to the Windsor Castle pub – hands down the most delightful in a neighbourhood of over-priced drinking holes

The famous Meat Fruit from Dinner

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – Knightsbridge
Heston’s first London outpost made many-a-list this year, and it’s no surprise why. Our entire meal from beginning to end was expertly crafted and executed. I can say with certainty that the ‘Meatfruit’ deserves the amount of praise it received, as did the rest of the menu.

Heron – Paddington
Heron has made a little bit of noise over the past couple months. Rarely am I the early adopter of food bloggers, but finding Heron almost by accident in October was a real treat. It is hands down the most authentic Thai experience you can have in London. The menu is all in Thai, the food will make your eyes water and the random karaoke will have you in a fit of giggles.

900g of lobster at Fjöruborðið

Fjöruborðið – Iceland
Lobster is the name of the game at this tiny seaside restaurant. About 40 minutes drive from Reykjavik, it’s worth the trip. You will leave stuffed and happy.

Arianna II – Kilburn
It’s a bit of a cheat, because I haven’t written this up yet, but Kilburn’s only Afghani restaurant is (so far) my favourite restaurant in my new neighbourhood . With cuisine somewhere between Moroccan and Middle Eastern, it was a cheap, cheerful and delicious.

I know that I’ve slowed on the blogging in general, but I fully intend to pick it back up in full force in 2012. I may not be the best food blogger or the most influential or even with the ‘in’ crowd, but that’s not what this is about for me. It’s a love of food and dining out that keeps me going – and I hope that I will continue with it for many years to come.

Thanks for reading :)

‘Hello! How are you?’ These are that questions you should say to every beer you drink.

If it doesn’t answer you back (in a manner of speaking), you’re not having Brew Dog.

Luckily, the six beers I tasted at BrewDog’s new bar in Camden were full of words. They wouldn’t shut up, to be honest. Considering, I’m not the biggest beer drinker, this was a good thing. However, I still brought along the boyfriend (nicknamed DQ for the purposes of this blog) to give his expert one-line, beer-loving opinion along with my totally amateur one.

1. Tokyo
   Me: This is the first beer I tasted, and it actually wasn’t part of the event, meaning that I had a half pint of an 18.5% beer that that tasted like a chocolate-covered cherry. Trust me, that gets a 5’3” girl tipsy in about 3 sips.
   DQ: A beer that tastes port. Yes.
2. Punk IPA
   Me: A bit strong, sort of citrusy. If you don’t like beer a whole lot, I would skip it
   DQ: Nice, tastes a bit weird, but I like it (Editor’s note: we were back at Brew Dog two nights later, and he had two pints, so I think ‘like it’ is a bit of an understatement)
3. 5am Saint
   Me: Almost like a bitter honeycomb. We’ve been told it’s been boiled for 90 minutes and hops are added after fermentation, sort of like brewing tea.
   DQ: I like this. Full of flavour.
4. Scotch Ale
   Me: It’s dark like the Tokyo, and I’m immediately disappointed that it’s not.
   DQ: It’s like coffee and beer had a love child (Editor’s note: can you tell we were a bit far gone by this point?)
5. Hard Core IPA
   Me: Yes, hardcore. Way too hardcore for me.
   DQ: Very hoppy, slightly acidic, overall pleasant
6. AB08
   Me: I can’t really taste anything at this point.
   DQ: Smells like a farmyard, but in a good way. It’s a combination of hay and manure, but tastes like coffee and honey

Beer isn’t the only thing at Brew Dog, though – and that’s where I come in. There is a very small menu devised by Masterchef winner Tim Anderson, which features a rolling menu of burgers, pizza and cheese plates.

During the tasting, we tried the Santa Ana pizza – a hot little tamale of corn, onions, chilli, spicy salami and crème fresh. If you’re sensitive to spice, it’s not for you. I loved it, though.

Later on and still hungry, we bought the Milwaukee burger (£6.95), and absolutely perfect blend of pork, sauerkraut and a sauce I can’t quite remember, that is surely a contender for best burger in London. It was amazing.

Actually, the whole place was so amazing that DQ and I found ourselves back there two nights later. I’ll be honest, I’m not the hugest fan of Camden, but Brew Dog is enough to sway me. I’ll be back in a heartbeat.

Crazy Homies is crazy, no doubt about it. Whatever you think about the name and/or the decor though, I can’t fault the cuisine. The place is routinely lauded as some of the city’s best Mexican, and for this American food blogger abroad, I’d have to agree. In fact, the only  negative part about my experience was realising that I lived about 15 minute walk away from the place for 3 years, and it took me having an American visitor/new UK transplant who was desperately missing black beans, to finally go.

I had told my compatriot the harsh truth -  that Mexican food in London is largely hit and miss. A sea of takeaway street food lunch burritos (of which there are some gems), Wahaca, a smattering of unremarkable chain restaurants and the obligatory lone nacho starter that so many dreary pubs and bars tend to have on the menu. Not the best state of affairs.

Luckily for us, Crazy Homies breaks the mould. It’s a fresh, and authentic approach that includes all the staple goods like the oh-so-tender slow cooked Pork Picadillo Taquitos (£6.95) and appropriately goopy Spiced Chicken Nachos (£7.95)  we shared as starters.

For mains, I wanted nothing more than the Beef Carnitas Enchiladas (£11.75), which – if I’m honest – was a rip off for the size of it, but was still very tasty – the black beans especially. (Side note: WHY aren’t black beans more popular here? They’re so lovely and versatile!)

The burritos on the table got similar reviews, though I can’t confess to having had a taste. This was the part of the meal where the only sounds you could hear at the table were those of belt buckles expanding.

It was a fantastic evening with fantastic food and fantastic friends. I feel slightly guilty for complaining about the fantastic price tag, considering (it ended up being about £40/head with nibbles, wine and beer), but if you go, you can certainly dine for less.

I had a £60 voucher to spend given to me by their in-house team – and trust me, £60 will get you VERY far in this restaurant. Three starters, two mains, rice and a bottle of wine to be exact.

Despite a couple misses, the food I’m happy to say was actually really good. The only thing I could fault is the presentation, which is why I’m not going to post many pictures. I don’t know if my camera was acting up or what, but the photographic evidence of our meal was not pretty. However, if you’re curious and don’t judge books by their covers, head to my set on Flickr.

Here’s the one that came out alright – Tamarind Crispy Fish with Thai Basil Glaze (£8.45):

Tasty, it was, too. So many cheaper East Asian restaurants rely on gelatinous gloop that serves as ‘glaze’. This was light and accented the fish perfectly, which incidentally, did stay crispy throughout the meal.

We also really liked the Char Grilled Blackened Chili Pork (£8.25). It was an incredible deal considering the amount of meat on the plate. It was blackened, but not burned, something I’ve never been able to achieve at home.

The Spiced Lamb Lettuce Wraps (£5.85) were quite lovely and aromatic. If there’s one thing Banana Tree isn’t afraid of, it’s spice. Not so much hot spice, but full and flavourful accents of clove and star anise that this style of food is built upon.

The only misses of the night were on the starter/nibble side. I found the Sweet Corn Cakes (£3.25) and the Vietnamese Spring Rolls (£4.25) way too oily – like they’d been sitting in the fryer for the length of the bible.

Overall, though, a great experience. Service was pleasant and snappy. Most of the staff looked like they were actually having a good time, which always bodes well. Happy staff = happy service = happy customers. I’ll be back.

Disclosure: As above, I was given a £60 voucher to try out Banana Tree. I had a completely anonymous dining experience, typical of any off-the street patron. Again, I can’t say how glad I am that PRs and restaurants are finally offering bloggers anonymity. It’s fantastic.

DQ and I went for an admittedly rushed breakfast before having to pick our friends up from the train station. Huge windows mean that on a bright and sunny day, the atmosphere is really quite pleasant and light, despite the heavy fabrics and dark colours used for decoration.

The menu, mostly a combination of British and American items, was fairly basic. DQ went for the Full English (£7.50), which with its light and fluffy scrambled eggs and streaky bacon was a hit.

I was less enthused with my French Toast (£3.75), however. Even though I ordered it with all of the syrup and butter on the side, it came out of the kitchen clearly having been drenched with the stuff and sitting under a heat lamp for quite some time, making it an overly sweet, soggy mess.

Luckily the edges  – the only part not swimming in syrup  – were delicious and crispy, which makes me think if they had got the order right, it would have been fantastic.

I get the impression breakfast is a new thing for The Big Chill House. It’s quite competitively priced and the staff were very friendly (although our meals took AGES to come out). But that said, I think they’re doing some good things on the whole.

Give them a bit of time to work out the kinks, and The Big Chill House’s breakfast could be a great start to the morning.

Full disclosure: I was given a voucher from The Big Chill House to come in and try their breakfasts at my leisure. My experience was ‘off the street’ and thus, anonymous. This review reflects my true opinions on the food and service provided

Kopapa is situated at the apex of the SE spoke Seven Dials spokes. It has a pretty slick, but equally comfortable interior. Despite it being Tuesday, the place was hopping and we very nearly didn’t get a table. I’m so glad we did though because I truly enjoyed the experience, not least of which the service, which from start to finish was perfect.

The menu is small plates-based, but with no particular affiliation to a cuisine. In one menu you go from pork belly to bruschetta to soft shell crab tempura. It could have been a disaster, but on the whole (barring one stand-out miss) it stood up to scrutiny. A credit to executive chef Peter Gordan and his team.

The aforementioned pork belly (£8.80) was savoury and sweet, with sweet potato dumplings and chilli pickled plums, though the crackling lacked the crunchiness that would have made it perfect.

Spring rolls of slow roasted duck leg, Sichuan pepper, feta & guindilla chillies with tamarind aioli  (£8.10) were surprisingly meaty’, not just your average duck spring roll starter.

We also enjoyed the butternut squash risotto and burger, both massive portions and altogether enjoyable.

In fact the only true miss of the night was the calamari, which was unfortunately overcooked and way too salty – a real shame as the aioli it was served with was excellent.

Desserts were lovely, although there was a distinct lack of chocolate-based treats, if I’m honest. I went with the passionfruit brûlée and palm sugar tapioca substituting a mouth-watering honeycombe ice cream for the coconut sorbet it was meant to be served with (hate coconut, sorry).

I always feel weird gushing about a place, especially if I learned about it through a PR pitch (full disclosure below), but honestly Kopapa was great. With drinks and wine and a few extras, it wasn’t a super cheap meal (£120), but anyone on a budget could certainly scale it down. I’ll definitely be back.

Full disclosure: I was given a voucher in the amount of £100 to dine at Kopapa. Though I did not personally pay for the meal (apart from the £20 we went ‘over’), I was completely anonymous and the evening represented a typical ‘off the street’ experience.

In this instance, it was because I wanted to be ‘healthy’. I opted for a salad. BIG mistake.

My salad was made up of exactly two prawns, about 10 corns kernals, a sprinkle of black beans and three slices of avocado – all for the bargain price of £8.95. Luckily (sarcasm alert) they did not skimp on the lettuce as the bowl was overflowing with it. I reckon their overheads for this salad was probably in the region of 75p at the end of the day, which really just makes me a chump for assuming £9 would net me more than two prawns. Silly me.

On the other side of the health scale were the aforementioned pancakes DQ ordered, which were delicious and everything one could hope for in an American breakfast. Fluffy buttermilk goodness with fresh maple syrup and crispy, salty proper bacon. Well, proper for me anyway. At £6.95, they were slightly overpriced, but certainly didn’t break the bank.

You know, I really like the restaurant choices at Westfield, but I’m steering clear of  Balan’s for next time. Sorry kids, but even nice pancakes did not erase my hatred of paying £9 for romaine lettuce.