22 August, 2011

Wagamama – Westfield (an ode to Pork Dumpling Soup)

Food bloggers don’t normally write about chain restaurants unless there’s a *slightly* more sinister reason behind it (like Chris of Cheese & Biscuits’ amazingly hilarious encounter at the Aberdeen Steak House. Best post ever).

Most chain restaurants are either horrible, or just good ol’ reliable places to eat that don’t really warrant any sort of commentary. For me those reliable places are Nandos, Busaba and Wagamama. I eat at all three fairly regularly, but have never felt the need to say anything.

Until now.

Because last night at the Wagamama at Westfield, I tried the Pork Dumpling Soup, and I was blown away.

wagamama pork dumpling soup

For £9.10, you are treated to a bowl of tender sweet char sui pork dumplings, slices of spicy sausage, a hard-boiled egg, leeks, spinach and spring onion served brimming to the top in a lovely aromatic lemongrass and coriander broth. It was fantastic – and it’s probably the first single dish at a chain restaurant I’ve gone out of my way to praise.

Wagamama is almost always reliable (the Chicken Katsu Curry DQ had was just as good as it always is), but I do love how every once in a while, ‘reliable’ can still be amazing.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cheap Eats, Japanese, Quick Lunch

Tagged as , , , , , ,

19 August, 2011

Bob Bob Ricard – Soho (revisted)

Those who talk about Bob Bob Ricard generally mention three things: the awesome ‘Press for Champagne’ button installed at every table, the absolutely stunning and unique decor and the staff’s reluctance to ever let anyone order tap water. It’s always ‘Still or Sparkling’ as pointed out in an Evening Standard article earlier this week. The latter certainly remained true, as every time someone at our table took even a sip of our £4 per bottle water, it was promptly refilled, clearly in an effort to make sure we worked our way through as quickly as possibly so we’d have to order another.

This was my second visit to ‘the Bobs’, the first being a blogger event, and just as before, the incredibly eclectic menu of both British and Russian favourites did not fail to impress me.

I started with the only dish I’ve had there before, the Scallops, Black Pudding and Apple (£10.50), and it was just as good as I remember it. It even managed to change the mind of a staunch Black Pudding Hater at our table.

Unfortunately, the Chilled Tomato Soup (£6.75), complete with a futuristic over-the-top presentation, was a total miss. The first sip was pleasant, but shortly after it descneded into what I can only describe as the Gardens of Hell. A bit like drinking grass, really.

Across the mains, the Vareniki (£14.50) were lovely little dumplings bursting with a fantastic combination of truffled potato and mushrooms, topped with tiny fried onion rings.

The Veal Holstein with Quail’s Egg, Anchovies and Truffled Mashed Potatoes (£21.50) was quite the hearty portion or pounded veal, served schnitzel-style. It made me very glad I didn’t go with the extra side dish our server tried to up sell. The serving of potatoes was much more than ‘a garnish’, as she tried to suggest.

I was tempted by dessert. The souffle looked lovely, and I remember just about dying for the salted caramel ice cream, but as our food settled, I felt as if my stomach might pop if I put anything more into it. Still, when a small plate of Profiteroles (£6.50) arrived at the table on the house (presumably because I tweeted I was going that night), I couldn’t turn them down. The Rose Petal and Earl Gray and Chocolate, in particular, were fantastic.

The buzz around Bob Bob Ricard seems to have decreased since last year, but I still found it to be fairly consistent with my last experience there. If one ‘not great’ dish and overly attentive service are the main detractors, I’d say they’re doing alright.

Leave a Comment

Filed under British, Russian

Tagged as , , , , ,

9 August, 2011

Princess Victoria – Shepherd’s Bush


The Princess Victoria is in Shepherd’s Bush, but just barely. It’s a good 20 minute walk West from Shepherd’s Bush Market station down a rather unpleasant stretch of Uxbridge road, which in 30 degree heat and a pair of high heels isn’t very nice at – especially when you’re late for a working lunch with a journalist friend.

But upon arrival, you’re immediately transported into the refined and elegant surroundings of what clearly is a gastropub with a fantastic interior design budget. Gorgeously striking navy walls, vintage chandeliers, old newspaper clippings framed on the wall and the sort of chairs and tables that cost £600 a piece at Portobello Road Market make it a rather lovely place to have lunch.

The menu is standard posh gastropub with a rather large selection of nibbles, bar snacks, starters, mains and desserts – probably a good 30 dishes in all.

We decided to go for a variety for starters, including the Chorizo Scotch Egg (£3.50):


It was small, but packed a punch. I know I’m going to cause some groans from a few readers on this, but there is a thing as too much chorizo. The casing completely overpowered the quail’s egg. I really wish they would have opted for a full-size hen’s egg instead.

The Gazpacho (£5.50) was a more popular choice, especially for such a hot summer day. It was fresh, light and perfect. It could stall other gazpachos flat, I was assured.


There was a similar reaction to the plate of Oysters, and unbelievable value for £10.50.


For my main, I went with a sharing plate normally reserved for the starters section: the Pork plate (£12.50):

So much pork has made my memory a little fuzzy as to what was on the plate (and the Princess does not list her menu on her website, for shame), but I do remember some salami, pate-type spread, homemade blood sausage and something I can only describe as shredded-pork heaven rolled in bread crumbs and fried to perfection. Yum!

Also on the table was the Potted Shrimp (£8-ish), which on the smaller side of starters-as-mains. We weren’t impressed as a whole, especially at the layer of butter over top that weighed down the sweet, fresh prawns.

The one proper main on the table was the Guilt Head Sea Bream (£15-ish):

A generous portion of fish, but unfortunately no sides unless you count the smear of pureed cauliflower (which I do not). It was a decent dish, but from my view it looked a little too oily once you got past the thin layer of skin, and my friend left hers half uneaten.

Despite the mixed bag, I really did enjoy the Princess Victoria. We made a few wrong choices, but I’m quite confident there is enough on the menu for even a table of 10 to be happy all around. For those who live in the area, I can imagine it being a fantastic place for a lazy Sunday lunch or a post-work drink.

Princess Victoria on Urbanspoon

Leave a Comment

Filed under British

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

4 August, 2011

om nom nom’ing in Iceland: Cheap eats in Reykjavik

Two things about Iceland that you need to know before you read this post:

  1. It’s awesome
  2. I’ve always always always wanted to go, so regardless, I’m probably going to be a bit biased

But seriously, what an amazing, bizarrely wonderful place. In three days, I managed to hit the beach, see a glacier, trek through mountains, get up close and personal with a giant waterfall, go whale watching (though admittedly I spent the whole time below deck, violently sea sick), eat puffin and whale (perhaps in retaliation for not being able to see them on a boat), and not once see the night sky.

It’s also not as expensive as one would have you believe – at least food wise. Our proper nice meal was lobster at Fjorubordid in the slightly dodgy-looking/slightly-charming seaside village Stokkeyri, but in all honesty, it deserves its own post.

Instead, here is a quick roundup of cheap eats in Reykjavik should you find yourself there on a limited budget.

In terms of Icelandic cuisine, you must absolutely not miss what is literally the most popular restaurant in Reykjavik: Baejarins Beztu Pylsur. Just your normal everyday hot dog stand.

For about £2, you get ‘the works’ a classic Icelandic mix of spicy mustard, sweet mustard, fried onion, raw onion, and remolaði – a mayonnaise-based sauce with sweet relish. It was amazing.

Also not to be missed, the lobster soup at Saegreifinn - The Sea Baron. Luscious and rich, with huge chunks of fresh lobster. We ate outside looking over the harbour of fish boats, and it was a total delight.

And of course, what trip to Iceland could be complete without trying those adorably cute puffin and morally-compromising whale? We tried both at Tapas Barinn, an Icelandic/Spanish small plates restaurant in the heart of the city that had a dining room darker and redder than Satan’s soul – which means none of my pictures turned out. So here’s this instead:

The verdict? I liked both. Smoked puffin tastes like smoked duck, and surprisingly Mink Whale tastes like beef. They weren’t the kind of thing I’d jump through hoops for, but both were pleasant enough!

My surprise of the trip was the hamburger at Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar (“Búllan”), considered to be the best in Iceland. For about £8, you get a burger, fries and a coke. It was an absolute bargain, and truly was up there with the best I’ve ever had. It put #MEATEASY and The Meat Wagon to shame.

It is more than possible to eat well on a budget in one of the most expensive countries in the world. Reykjavik isn’t huge – only about 180,000 live there – so you really can see and do (and eat!) quite a lot in a few days. It was one of the best trips I’ve had, and for about two weeks I’ve been telling everyone to go. If you get the opportunity, take it.

 

3 Comments

Filed under American, Burgers, Cheap Eats, om nom'ing abroad, Seafood

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

21 July, 2011

Kateh – Madia Vale/Little Venice

A hidden gem, would be the only way to describe Kateh - mainly because it is actually quite hidden. Tucked away on a quiet tiny street just off the canal in Little Venice and next door to my favourite local pub (The Warwick Castle), it’s barely visible unless you know it’s there.

Kateh promises authentic Persian cuisine and ‘service of the highest standard’ in a ‘warm and relaxed’, and I’m happy to say they delivered on all fronts. Though converted from a typical Madia Vale mansion, the restaurant is tiny – only 75 covers – which unfortunately makes it a bit noisy during the dinner rush. We contributed with the ‘Oohs’ and ‘Aahs’ of delight with our meals.

To start, we were brought ‘Persian Olives’:

Great, meaty ‘grow hair on your chest’ olives, is more like it! Absolutely brilliantly paired with a walnut paste, which was more the consistency of a pesto, and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds for a bit of zesty sweetness.

My starter was the Koofteh Berenji (£ 5.50):

Definitely my favourite dish of the night. Delicious Persian meat balls with a lovely surprise centre of plums. I’ve never had a meatball that melted in my mouth – It was incredible.

The second starter was Tiger Prawns (£8.50):

Although slightly overcooked, the garlic, peppers and slightly citrus-y sauce made it a winner.

On to the mains, and my only complaint is a lack of variety. Each dish in the ‘meat’ section looked strikingly similar. Generally, a skewer of lamb with rice and only a slight difference in how it was prepared.

Mine was the Chenjeh (£ 11.00):

Amazingly tender, which I always consider a feat when grilled on a skewer considering the size of the pieces. The kitchen clearly had a grasp on cooking times. The marinade, with spices I could quite put my finger on, was a perfect balance of rich salty and sweet. However, the saffron rice, as you can see above, was a bit of a cheat being a quarter saffron and three-quarters regular.

The other main was the Koobideh (£ 8.50):

Anything minced and grilled is bound to be a bit more tough, so I’m definitely glad I went with what I did. Still, the spices were spot on.

Desserts were an absolute delight, particularly the Koolouche Roodbar (£ 5.00):

Continuing with the sweet fruit/rich nut theme I found in my starter, we were presented with a warm date and walnut cookie with homemade cinnamon ice-cream, which I can confidently say is the best dessert I’ve had all year. It’s reason enough to make the journey to Maida Vale .

The Persian Saffron Ice Cream (£ 4.00) was also lovely, though it couldn’t hold a candle to the cookies.

As of the date of this post, Kateh has a 100% score from reviewers on Urbanspoon. It deserves it thoroughly. Go, go now.  (Although I almost don’t want to tell you that for fear of it being too busy for me to get in next time.)

Kateh on Urbanspoon

2 Comments

Filed under Middle Eastern

Tagged as , , , , ,

5 July, 2011

The Hideaway Bar and Kitchen – Tufnell Park

The Hideaway Bar and Kitchen is one of those local haunts that most people in London (bar those who live in Tufnell Park or around) will have never heard of. Although ‘kitchen’ is in the name, I suspect the ‘bar’ part is a more accurate description. Looks like they’re trying to change that though.

I first heard about the place through my friend Alice who was doing the marketing for them. She suggested I come down for the relaunch of their menu, specifically their locally-acclaimed pizzas.

DQ and I had a table booked for 6:30, which is *slightly early* by London standards, but apparently unheard of at The Hideaway – we were the only people there for about an hour and a half. It’s always slightly disconcerting when your server can hear your every word, especially when they know you’re reviewing.

The menu is limitied, mostly just pizzas with a few nibbles and salads, but considering pizza is what they’re known for, it’s probably best they stick to it! As they say, Jack of all trades, master of none.

We chose to split the Chorizo (£8) and Carni (£9) pizzas:


The crust at The Hideaway is thin, but luckily still manages to pass the ‘droopy’ pizza test. I love that. There’s nothing worse than picking up a piece of pizza only to have all the sloppy toppings slide off.

Both pizzas (despite the amount of pork on them) felt much healthier and fresher than London’s thinner-crusted competitors. The toppings were fresh, but I could have used a bit more on the Chorizo, which seemed a little sparse. Much better was the Carni, which with salami, parma ham, chorizo and pancetta was bursting with savoury goodness.

The verdict…Was it the best pizza place I’ve ever been to? Not quite. It was consistent, service was friendly and it seems like it would be a great place to have a drink and a pizza on a Friday night.  Tufnell Park, Kentish Town and Camden residents should check it out, but for those outside the vicinity, I wouldn’t say it’s one to go out of your way for.

…unless of course you’re a fan of the show Spaced, in which case you can kill two birds with one stone by taking a picture outside the house used as the location of ‘23 Meteor Street’, which is located just a 10 minute walk away. Awesome.

Om Nom London was a guest of The Hideaway through a personal connection to the rstaurant. This connection in no way influenced the review

2 Comments

Filed under Pizza

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

30 June, 2011

Patara – Soho

What an absolutely polarising experience, Patara was. On one hand, you have excellent, melt-in-your-mouth, near perfect main courses; and on the other you have what is probably the worst table service I’ve experienced all year. Somewhere in between were our starters.

DQ and I came to Patara‘s Soho restaurant for his birthday after a special screening of Senna at the Curzon Soho. It was a late dinner, 9:00pm, and most of the diners were on their way out. We sat down, ordered a couple glasses of wine, and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally after about 15 minutes, we were able to order starters.

We shared the Kong Nueng Ruam – Assorted steamed handcrafted dumplings with prawn, chicken and pork fillings – (£6.75) and the Porpia Tod – Crispy spring rolls of prawn, crabmeat and vegetable fillings – (£7.25), but unfortunately, that isn’t what arrived. Instead of the spring rolls, we were brought satay. Ok, fair enough – it happens – but we had to wait another 20 minutes to have it corrected.

Mistake aside, we mostly enjoyed what we had. The dumplings were perfectly steamed with three distinctly different fillings. The only slight disappointment was the shrimp dumpling, which was really quite dense and made chewing a bit more difficult than average.

Spring rolls were creatively packaged and lightly crisp. The crab rolls off to the left in the picture had clearly been sitting in the fryer too long, but the seasoning and lovely soy dipping sauce made it less noticeable.

If I sound a bit down about the starters, it’s only because the mains were so absolutely frickin’ brilliant in comparison. I’ll admit we were both a bit boring by going for the same type of meat (duck), but with both being cooked in different ways – and both being delicious – it showed me whoever was on the grill that night was a skilled DuckMaster™.

We had the Phed Tod Sauce Makham – Spiced crispy duck leg confit in piquant tamarind sauce and roasted pineapple – (£14.75) and the Phed Pad Graprao – Slices of Gressingham duck breast stir-fried in garlic and chilli sauce with crispy basil – (£14.50), with sides of rice (brown and white).

But again, there was a mixup, and I was brought brocoli instead of brown rice. We told the server, she apologised and promised to correct it. So we waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, I started tucking in to my duck before it got cold.

And it was delicious. So tender it fell of the bone. The roasted pineapple’s tart juice mixed perfectly with the sweetness of the tamarind sauce. With just a bit of heat and a few bitter garnishes, this dish achieved brilliantly what all Thai food strives for: the perfect balance of the sweet, spicy, bitter and sour.

DQ’s duck breast was equally tender, and the crispy basil was rich and fragrant, giving a delightful texture to the dish overall.

But guess what? Despite us trying to make eye contact with every server that walked by, my brown rice never showed up. It was fine because DQ shared his with me, but it really shouldn’t have happened in the first place.

By this time, it was nearly 11:30, and the thought of staying another estimated hour for dessert made me ill. With my credit card out and waving in my hand, we flagged down the server for our bill, and sure enough, we were charged for the missing brown rice and the satay instead of the spring rolls. I let him know, he disappeared for another 10 minutes. I still had my card out, clearly ready to pay, but as he returned the new receipt, there was no credit card machine to be found. Another 10 minutes passed before he came back with one. I swear, I couldn’t make this shit up.

I really really want this to be one bad service experience because, honestly, the food was gorgeous, but I’m not sure I could take a repeat of that dinner.

Patara on Urbanspoon

1 Comment

Filed under Thai

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

21 June, 2011

Viajante (Second Visit) – Bethnal Green

I do tend to go on quite a bit about Viajante. I went once last year for the 3-course lunch, and it ranked no.2 in my best restaurants in London list behind Launceston Place. This time, I went back for dinner. A full six plate extravaganza, which  – with all the amuses and a special bonus dish sent over to our table by the restaurant’s lovely comms guy, Richard - ended up being about 13. It’s a lot to take in, and you don’t need to know my every thought, so I’ll be succinct. The pictures say a lot more about the complexity of what we ate, so I’ll let the visuals do the talking.

Part 1 – The amuse bouche and bread and butter:
Crab doughnuts, Thai Explosion II and Duck Ham

Mackerel with lemon and Wood Sorbet

Fresh Cheese with Peas and Flowers

Bread with Chicken Skin Butter and Black Pudding Butter

I’m still in love with the Thai Explosion II and it’s delicious crispy chicken skin, but what really took it for me was the Black Pudding butter. It certainly wouldn’t win any healthy eating awards, but my god, it was worth it.

Part 2 – The starters:

Squid with Ink, Pickled Radishes and Sea Lettuce

White, Green and Wild Asparagus with Milk Skin

Leek Heart with Lobster and Leek Consumme

By far, my favourite was the lobster. Shocking, I know. There was something about the charred leek and richness of the lobster that worked well together. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the asparagus, mainly because of the cold asparagus jelly it was served over. It was a difficult texture to take in.

Part 3 – The Mains:

Cod and Potatoes with Egg Yolk and Saffron



Iberico Pork with Cereals, Hot Potato Gel and Clams

The cod was fantastic (especially with the perfectly formed egg yolk in the middle), but the pork wins hands down for best dish of the night. I only wished it was bigger. The meat was so tender, I could cut it with a spoon.

Side note: The pork was so good, in fact, I’ve nominated it for a food competition that So Feminine is running to find the best dishes in the UK. I was asked a couple weeks ago if I wanted to submit something, and honestly, I couldn’t think of anything more deserving. If you want to check out the other nominations, check them out at So Feminine on their food page. Hopefully, Viajante’s pork will be showcased up there soon.

Part 4 – The Desserts:

Frozen Maple with Shiso and Green Apple

White Chocolate with Grapefruit and Lemon

Pickled and Raw Cucumbers with Milk Sorbet

Having a tasting menu means the server will always ask if you have any allergies. This is the first time I haven’t said cucumber, and what happens? A cucumber dessert. *le sigh* While the smell did turn my stomach, I was assured by my friend that it was actually quite tasty. Out of the three, though, it was all about the white chocolate, bitter grapefruit contrast. Refreshingly different.

We finished off with Viajante’s classic petite fours including two chocolate truffles and the luscious Vanilla Cream:

All in all with two cocktails and three small glasses of wine each, it was a budget-breaking £220 for two (aka more than I’ve spent on dinner pretty much ever).  It was lovely from beginning to end, and it’s no wonder the restaurant earned its first Michelin star last year. However, next time, I will probably stick to the slightly more manageable lunch or go to The Corner Room (the newest Viajante venture I can’t wait to try)

Viajante on Urbanspoon

Leave a Comment

Filed under Fancy Schmancy, Portuguese, Random European

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

15 June, 2011

Belgo Noord – Chalk Farm

I’m no stranger to Belgo’s Lobsterfest. Taking place every June, the Belgian restaurant chain stops pushing their ‘moules et frites’ and goes full-on crustacean. I’ve been invited the past two years to take part, and every year it gets better.

This time, DQ and I were invited to a Belgo Lobster Quiz* in celebration. Yes, an entire quiz solely about lobsters. Despite my lobster research just hours before dinner, we lost. Badly.

Luckily the food was much more of a winner. I started out with the Lobster Bisque (£6.35):

Creamy, rich, buttery and more creamy…Usually I have trouble finishing a bisque because of those, and this was no exception. However, I take that as a good thing.

DQ, not being a fan of pretty much anything creamy, started with the Warm salad of smoked bacon, shredded duck, eggs & black pudding with garlic croutons and a Dijon mustard dressing (£6.50):

I really really really liked this, and luckily he did too. The saltiness of the black pudding was a perfect complement to the mustard dressing. Highly recommended.

And on to the main event: lobster

We tried the two mains available during Lobsterfest: Surf and Turf (£21.95) and Whole Lobster (£24.95)

With any lobster, you can’t expect to go in and not get your hands a little dirty. The more buttery and rich, the better, right? Both lobsters were tender, sweet enough and deliciously messy. Naturally, Belgo provides a ridiculous amount of napkins and wetwipes, though, so no complaints there.

For dessert, naturally some nibbles of Belgian Waffles with white and milk chocolate dipping sauces:

The main waffle dessert on the menu is £5.50 and comes with ice cream as well. Trust me, it’s a lot better than the waffles you get on Oxford street (no matter how good they smell)

Lobsterfest 2011, goes on through the end of the month

Belgo Noord on Urbanspoon

*I, along with about 20 bloggers, was a guest of Belgo for the Lonsterfest event

Leave a Comment

Filed under Random European, Seafood, Steak

Tagged as , , , , , ,

14 June, 2011

Naked Wines, Wine Scout and Mirabeau Rosé

Every once in a while, the PR gods smile upon me and invite me to a wine event even though I’m mainly a food blogger. I suppose they do go hand in hand, but I’m always surprised, mainly because since moving to London, my palette has gone to pot.

Back in my Michigan days, when I was working at Pacific Rim and even after, I got to try – on a regular basis – some of the best wines in the world. I found it easier and easier to identify flavours and smells and textures – even identifying dominant grapes and likely regions. Then, I moved to London, where I couldn’t really afford to drink anything decent at all. Within three years, all that wine knowledge I’d built up was poof(!) gone.

Photo courtesy of The Wine Hos, who also attended the eventThings are a bit better, but I’m not really inclined to spend three times mark-up on wine in restaurants, and when I have a bottle at home, something in the £10 and under range works just fine for me. Any help I can get in the right direction is usually appreciated, which is why I decided to go to wine events for Naked Wines and the launch of a new rosé – Mirabeau Rosé. I attended the Mirabeau event with a few fantastic bloggers at The Powder Room in Soho where I received a little pampering in the form of a girly manicure. A perfect estrogen-filled evening.

But on to the important part: the wine itself. Mirabeau Wine  is a refreshing rosé from Provence, which just went on sale at Waitrose this past Friday (£8.99). It’s light and fruity on the nose. I got a lot of strawberry with a bit of an apple/pear accent. It’s fairly acidic (a good thing in my book), and makes a perfect summer wine. I’d love to take it on my next park picnic – it’d be the perfect addition.

Also in the ‘competitively priced’ bracket is the online wine retailer Naked Wines*, where I attended an event launching their new iPhone app, WineScout. The event, at the Hoxton Grill (who, I might add, had absolutely fantastic nibbles. Seriously, wow) was a mix of food, wine and tech bloggers, and I got to see a few familiar faces including Luiz of The London Foodie, Uyen of Fernandez and Luluu supper club, Gail from 1million Gold Stars and Jeanne from Cook Sister.

Naked Wines is a completely different way to buy wine online. Basically, they invest in independent winemakers, in exchange for preferential prices. It’s a great concept, and a great way to discover something new, tasty and inexpensive.

I was given the chance to try out their new iPhone app, WineScout, in Beta. WineScout searches for you the best independent wines available at nearby restaurants and retailers based on your location. It acts as a social network for wines, allowing you to input your favourites, rate them and find the best food pairings. When it launches, it could be a valuable little search engine, but I imagine in the beginning it’s going to be in need of content. If you’re passionate about the wine around you though, give it a shot.

*Full disclosure: Naked Wines is the client of my company’s sister PR agency. However, I attended the Naked Wines event solely as a food blogger and not as a PR person. The connection did not influence my post positively or negatively.

2 Comments

Filed under Booze

Tagged as , , , , , , ,