Latest favourites and wishlist by Niamheen

Paul A Young Fine Chocolates - review by Niamheen

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:53:38 +0000

Paul A Young Fine Chocolates - review by Niamheen

Rating: 5.0

Location: 33 Camden Passage, N1 8EA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7424 5750

Website: http://www.paulayoung.co.uk/

Tags: artisan, luxury, treat, islington, chocolate

This really is an exceptional chocolate shop. A treasure trove of chocolate goodies, from salted caramels to chilli chocolate. It has an air of luxury about it and is a real treat. It's not cheap, but then why would it be? They sell gorgeous artisan chocolates and these come at a price. It's worth going alone for the hot chocolate, I had mine spiced with sichuan peppercorns and it was divine (check out the pic).

I say go and indulge, you'll thank me for it!

Melur - review by bellaphon

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:49:41 +0000

Melur - review by bellaphon

Rating: 4.0

Location: 175A Edgware Road, W2 1ET, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7706 8083

Website: www.melur.co.uk

Tags: lively, family & home feel, cheap eat, business, good value, malaysian, romantic

I know itâ¬"s early days yet, but this new Malaysian restaurant located in a basement on Edgware Road what has been Mawar, a Malaysian canteen of great repute is showing great promise. The basement ambience is modern and comfortably lit; unlike the predecessor the dingy character and dampness have all but disappeared. The Singapore Laksa and Mee Hoon Goreng (Fried Vermicelli) were delicious and obviously concocted passionately to retain a high degree of authenticity. When visiting try the de facto Malaysian drink of Teh tarik- this sweet combo of tea and condensed milk (a colonial influence I suppose) goes well with the food.

Like all new places of this ilk I sincerely hope that complacency does not fall prey on the quality of the cooking and superb service. In the meantime, welcome Melur.

Pho - review by DanWilkinson

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:08:15 +0000

Pho - review by DanWilkinson

Rating: 3.8

Location: 3 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 8AX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7436 0111

Website: http://www.phocafe.co.uk

Tags: vietnamese, dodgy beef stock, good value, pretentious, crowded

First off, let me say that I rather enjoyed the lunch I had here earlier in the week. I wasn't really all that disappointed. In quality terms I'd probably put it somewhere around Wagamama, maybe a tiny notch above.

However, if you're alongside Wagamama in the quality stakes, it's probably not that wise to bang on about authenticity and stellar quality in your literature, taking a bit of a holier-than-thou approach and generally being all po-faced about it.

And so it was that, with my appetite for supersonic Vietnamese food truly whetted, and their loving descriptions of 'true' Pho ringing in my ears, I opted for the Pho Tai (beef fillet Pho), hoping to be transported to the far east in no time. Unfortunately, it turned out that I've made better Pho at home, using ingredients from Tesco and a recipe by Gordon Ramsay.

I'm no Pho expert, but I do profess to know stocks, and this was a disappointingly thin, un-beefy concoction, packed with spring onions and shreds of overcooked beef. I can't work out what the problem could be, as making stock is pretty simple really. Overdilution? Underseasoning? Made too quickly? Either way this was closer to flavoured water than proper, gutsy stock and was entirely lacking in flavour, except for the overwhelming burn of the spring onions.

Noodles lurking in the bottom of the bowl were... noodles. I'd eventually tipped the entire plate of accompanying garnish (coriander, mint, red chillis, beansprouts) into the bowl to try to coax some flavour out of it, but to no avail.

So I'm being harsh, because whilst it wasn't an unpleasant experience, and whilst I felt it in itself represented decent value and a pleasant lunchtime diversion, it's nowhere near as good as it says it is, and that really annoys me.

Viet - review by hollowlegs

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:36:21 +0000

Viet - review by hollowlegs

Rating: 3.4

Location: 34 Greek St, W1D 5DJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7494 9888

Tags: vietnamese, cheap eat

After some rather naughty Tuesday night binge drinking, we decided to come here at around 10pm for some food. I have to say, a big factor was that it was BYOB.

Furnishings are very basic and lighting is stark. We chose a red curry, a green curry and a beef pho for myself, with some summer rolls nad banh xeo on the side.

The summer rolls were gorgeous; really fresh tasting and crunchy, definitely reminiscent of (our non-existent) summer as the name suggests. The beef pho I had was excellent. Tender slices of pink beef with a big bundle of rice noodles sat in a a fragrant broth accompanied by a plate of lime wedges, beansprouts, chillis and herbs. It was immensely satisfying.

I have to agree with other reviewers; the service wasn't exactly 'with a smile'. When our mains came, they brought out two bowls of pho, 2 green curries and a red; the extra pho we hadn't ordered. When we told the waitress this, she looked at us doubtfully and didn't seem to believe us until one of our party said "can you tell us why we would order 5 mains plus starters for a table of 4?"

All in all, a great cheap eat and nothing fancy. It definitely beat the insipid pho I had at the Great Titchfield Street branch of the Pho chain.

Sakura - review by professionalabc

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:39:23 +0000

Sakura - review by professionalabc

Rating: 2.8

Location: 9 Hanover Street, W1S 1YF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7629 2961

Sakura Japanese restaurant is the worst japanese restaurant I have ever been in my life. Awful services! I arrived the restaurant in the afternoon. And I and my frd requested another table due to the noisy environment. We sat down, and one of the staff came and requested us to move to another table due to the closure of the particular area. We moved to a 4 person table and the manager came to us, and took our menus away from us very rudely, without saying a word, and forced us to another table which is the original one. We refused and the guy just stared at us very rudely. I can never believe I have ever been to a restaurant like this!

Mosaica @ the Factory - review by blackpenwriter

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:48:06 +0000

Mosaica @ the Factory - review by blackpenwriter

Rating: 5.0

Location: The Chocolate Factory, N22 6XJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 8889 2400

Website: http://www.mosaicarestaurants.com/

Tags: romantic, international, good value

What a strange place to have such a fine dining and high quality restaurant! Based in a factory you really would not expect it! I think perhaps it initially put me off but once you are inside you would have no idea where you are eating! The staff are fantastic and so they should be â¬ it would have taken you weeks to get a table so first impressions are everything, and they really do make you feel welcome. The menu has lots of different choices so all tastes will find something they enjoy, there isnâ¬"t a huge choice for veggies, but who cares about them?!

Cafe in the Crypt - review by Izabel_blue

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:38:42 +0000

Cafe in the Crypt - review by Izabel_blue

Rating: 4.6

Location: St Martin-in-the-Fields, WC2N 4JJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7839 4342

Website: http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org

Tags: cosy, average brew, quiet & relaxed, quick bite

I've been going to the Cafe in the Crypt off and on for about 7 years now, and though I can't fault them for offering good-value dining in a busy area, it's not amazing. The food is very 'school dinners' and tastes of mass catering, and the hot food is always lukewarm.

That being said it's a quiet oasis away from the touristy din of Trafalgar square, and one of the few places in the area where you can get a decent, filling main meal with a glass of wine for under a tenner. The staff is friendly and there is a nice ambience due to the candles and stone walls. Just don't expect a culinary adventure, OK?

Haozhan - review by foodbymark

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:46:39 +0000

Haozhan - review by foodbymark

Rating: 4.0

Location: 8 Gerrard Street, W1D 5PJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7434 3838

Website: http://www.haozhan.co.uk/

Tags: chinese

It is a brave move for any restauranteur, in this case Jimmy Kong of New Fook Lam Moon, to open a new chinese restaurant in China town, and part of the attraction was former Hakkasan chef, Chee Loong Cheong, in the kitchen. Earlier in the day I came come across a review of Haozhan on Eat Like A Girl (Niamh from Trustedplaces).

The menu is not like that of an ordinary Chinese restaurant with much shorter list of tinges of Japanese, Taiwanese and Malay inspired Chinese dishes. I have to add that there are other inspired dishes such as Marmite prawns and baked silver cod with champagne and honey (very Hakkasan!).

Our dinner started with Curried Soft Shell Crab and Grilled Dumplings. Both delicious and presented well. Mains, served with perfectly steamed fragrant Thai rice were Sanpei Chicken, a clay pot dish of chicken cooked with three wines, and Haozhan Tofu, four silk-soft dessert tofu cubes with a purÃ©ed spinach top, carefully deep-fried topped with a firm sweet scallops garnished with fish roe - the contrast of texture and flavour of which are perfect. The meal was finished with Banana Kataifi and the Cream of Pumpkin. First being hard to eat and messy and the latter probably the most perfect way to finish the dinner if you must insist on having a dessert after a chinese meal.

I really like what Haozhan is doing. Clean, friendly and modern Chinese... in often unreliable China Town. The service is polite, prompt and friendly. Our waiters were eager to help. Just a touch over Â£46 for two appertisers, two mains, two dessert and tea for two plus tip.

This review is shortened version of the review which can be found on my blog with photos: http://foodbymark.blogspot.com/2008/10/haozhan-china-town-w1.html

Hache Burger Connoisseurs - review by bellaphon

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:50:41 +0000

Hache Burger Connoisseurs - review by bellaphon

Rating: 4.0

Location: 24 Inverness St, NW1 7HJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7485 9100

Tags: american, cheap eat, good value, crowded, burgers, french, lively

Talking burgers can quite often evoke and arouse disputations and deliberations among the beef patty cognoscenti on where to go for the best sandwich in town. Iâ¬"ve been prompted a few times that the burgers served at The Ivy and Maze Grill are the best in London. Iâ¬"ve tried the one (AA Gillâ¬"s determinate choice) at the former on two occasions and it was nothing spectacular, soggy and rather slapdash, and as for the latter I think Iâ¬"ll only go there for the steaks. If an equivalent of the Premiership league was suggested for restaurants serving the best burgers in the country then I will not hesitate to say that HachÃ© belongs to one of the "Big Four".

These posh tasting steak hachÃ© burgers are indeed bespoke and thankfully they donâ¬"t cost the earth. Wonderful innovations on the burgers are offered from the Atkins friendly version of Steak Au Naturel to the Le Sicilian (with Parma Ham and melted Premium Mozarella Cheese). Pescitarians can also be equally elated with HachÃ©â¬"s choices of delicious chunky Cod and Tuna burgers. Both fat and thin (to comply with the French theme) chips are available as sides. The puddings are pretty much accomplished; the delicious Banoffee Pie is gregarious in size so itâ¬"s not entirely applicable to the solo diner and the superior Chocolate Brownies served with Ice Cream are dangerous enough to postpone any imminent diets. The ambience is lively, crowded and the lighting in the dining room annoyingly incandescent. The service in restaurants of this ilk can be hit or miss, so good luck; but donâ¬"t let that get in the way of the food.

To the Casey family who owns this joint, I take me hat off and please do not turn your fine efforts into a GBK, FBC, ABC, or XYZ chain.

Magdalen - review by Browners

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:12:14 +0000

Magdalen - review by Browners

Rating: 4.2

Location: 152 Tooley Street, SE1 2TU, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7403 1342

Website: http://www.magdalenrestaurant.co.uk/

Tags: lively, british, expensive, romantic

My parents are obsessed with Mark Rothko. A bit like how Peter Stringfellow is obsessed with girls in plastic high heels and bikinis. It's a sort of pseudo-sexual thing. All encompassing and fascinating. So it was with great excitement that we went on a Brown family outing to the Tate Modern for their hugely anticipated "Rothko - the late years" exhibition on Friday for a private viewing. It didn't disappoint. It just served to reconfirm, if that was needed at all, that Rothko's work is as moving and haunting as Bach and Mozart. It was more like an existential philosophy exhibition than a gallery of paintings.

We returned on Saturday to be in the audience for the all afternoon seminar connected to the exhibition. We were surrounded on all sides by people with even more emphatic Rothko fetishes than Mum and Dad! Not that I thought this was possible. I guess it's a bit like thinking your pretty good at football having scored a few goals for your school side and then going off to the regional trials - only to see all the other boys can kick the ball miles and have all the kit! But I am pleased to say that the Brown family held their own. Mum has vowed never to wash her right hand again having shaken hands with Mark Rothko's son, Christopher!

Still buzzing from 4 hours of in depth intercourse about the ins and outs of the world of Rothko, we strolled along Bankside up towards Tooley street where we were delighted to find Magdalen. It's from the Anchor and Hope school of cookery. Or if you are from Bristol, it's similar to The Albany. The deep maroon walls made us feel like we were eating with the Seagram Murals hanging around us!

The menu excited me more than the others. I loved the 3 part simplicity of it all. But on the downside it means that it reads less flamboyantly than menus tended to a few years ago. Beds, jus, tranches and so forth are gone. Now it's all about guess work and trust. It's the sign of a confident restaurant.

I was in two minds about what to have. The devil inside me was whispering in my ear... telling me to have the grouse... but at Â£26 I couldn't. Instead I was delighted with my choice of potted crab which was as silky as a silkworm's sleeping bag, followed by an unctuous combination of shoulder and leg of pork - served with a mustardy sauce and the lightest crackling I have ever had. This was top class cooking. And brilliantly British.

The others had a very good cauliflower soup with walnuts and other earthy autumnal bits and pieces... and Dad had a Rothko coloured maroon on black seared haunch venison. The fish soup, slow cooked shoulder of lamb and halibut that followed were equally memorable. All bore the hallmark of a kitchen that is at ease with itself. Don't get me wrong - it was all very good food. But I wonder what they are capable when they push things a bit further?

I shared a blindingly good lemon tart with a burn sugar crust which was top class The pastry was thin and crumbled at just the right moments when you showed it the spoon. And the lemon custard was still warm and silky.

Our only criticism concerns 3 embarrassments.

1. The step at the bottom of the stairs is not the same depth as the other stairs... I almost tripped over twice in the middle of the dinning room.

2. I had to queue to get into the gents in full view of the restaurant. It didn't really feel right.

3. Dad had an altercation with the manager about their policy of automatically adding a gratuity of 12.5%. Our waitress had been fantastic all evening - so we wanted to give her a tip... but we disagreed severely with their tipping policy. Surely if the gratuity is at the discretion of the person paying... it is not up to the restaurant to behave like this. It leaves a very sour taste in the mouth and we hope that Magdalen changes their policy.

Tremendous food. The perfect place for a Rothko inspired dinner. O... and how are you supposed to pronounce the name?

Comptoir Gascon - review by up_shiraz

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 19:23:20 +0000

Comptoir Gascon - review by up_shiraz

Rating: 4.4

Location: 63 Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7608 0851

Website: http://www.comptoirgascon.com

Tags: french

There's no doubt the food is good in the pretty little Smithfield deli/bar/restaurant. Toulouse sausages were meaty and satisfying. A duck breast was just a teency bit tough but was good value.

The wall of wine shop/corkage system is interesting and offers a great insight into South West France, but that's all. I know it's unfair but i found myself longing to be at Vinoteca just round the corner to take advantage of their wine list/wall of the Gods.

Where it can let itself down is with the service. We were turned away once for wanting just a glass of wine at the (empty) bar. On the other occasion servers were pretty frosty and inconsistent. I think we hit an 'end of shift' sort of area, which might explain this aberration, but it did ruin the overall effect. In such a culinary rich area, i might pop back to buy their delicious breads, patisserie and pates to take away, but i won't be sitting down.

Umu - review by hollowlegs

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:27:39 +0000

Umu - review by hollowlegs

Rating: 4.0

Location: 14-16 Bruton Pl, W1J 6LX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7499 8881

Tags: expensive, japanese

I was treated to dinner at Umu by my wonderful boyfriend and what a treat it was. On approach down a back alley in Mayfair, the facade of the restaurant isn't particularly imposing. I liked the panel which said 'Touch Here' - by placing your hand on it, the entrance door slides open. A bit cool.

On first impressions, the restaurant was very sleek indeed. Dark wooden tables lined the windows and there was a central bar style of seating, with a chef concentrating hard on slicing some fish.

We were talked through the menu by our charming waiter, and a rather hefty menu at that. There was normal a la carte, and then a sashimi and sushi menu, and lastly the Kaiseki menus. Kaiseki is a speciality of Kyoto and is a banquet style of meal. It is said to be an art form that balances the taste, texture, and appearance of food.

We decided to go with a Kaiseki menu. Two seasonal appetisers came cold; delicious. The flavour combinations were very clever indeed. A highlight was slowly cooked eel wrapped in marinated ginger.

Next, the sashimi. Yellowtail, fatty tuna (I dribble at the memory) and sesame crusted mackerel. All super fresh, all delcious. Our waiter told us that the Japanese usually save a piece of fish for the end, whereby they wrap this fish and some grated daikon with the shiso leaf provided, and dunk it in the soy sauce. This we tried; it was interesting. The boyfriend proclaimed it delicious with the fatty tuna, but I found the slightly astringent tang of the leaf overpowered my yellowtail.

Next, a tofu-like (but was actually egg) stuffed with minced prawn in a savoury broth. Great texture and wobble. Here, our menus branched off as one of us had chosen the sushi royte. So while I had cold vegetables such as aubergine, pepper, turnip and okra with two pieces of octopus in a bonito jelly, the boyfriend had 3 pieces of nigiri. This was my least favourite dish of the meal. The flavours of the vegetables were very pure and fresh, balancing the octopus well, but there wasn't a lot to it.

We then had a Shabu Shabu; a box each, complete with stock and a fierce tealight to keep it all cooking. Vegetables such as mushrooms, leeks and cabbage were provided as well as some thinly sliced fish and dipping sauces. All good fun, and the ponzu sauce was a favourite.

The meal was drawing to a close with just a couple of courses left. A rather plain mushroom rice was jazzed up with all sorts of pickled vegetables and a deeply savoury red miso. Dessert was a highlight; plum seed jelly with seasonal fruits. Light and refreshing.

I loved the meal we had here; it's unlike anything I've eaten before, and it was all beautifully presented. The waiting staff were charming and inobtrusive. My only gripe is that they served some (ok, I counted; 3) of the courses while I had popped to the bathroom and so I missed some descriptions. So that's what that 1 remaining star is all about really.

Persepolis - review by FoodStories

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:44:28 +0000

Persepolis - review by FoodStories

Rating: 5.0

Location: 30 Peckham High Street, SE15 5DP, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7639 8007

Tags: rare finds

Entering Persepolis, (owned by Sally Butcher - writer of 'Persia in Peckham' cookbook) is like opening the door on an Aladdinâ¬"s cave. You are greeted with bright colours, floor to ceiling excitement, exotic ingredients crammed into every nook and cranny. Intoxicating smells waft across from the huge selection of sweets and baklava in the window display.

The shelves are absolutely jam packed with all manner of spices, herbs and exciting jars of undiscovered foodstuffs. I spied some smoked sturgeon minding their own business in a quiet corner. The shopkeeper, explained that this Iranian delicacy is traditionally eaten at New Year, fried or steamed and served with herbed rice (usually dill).

There are dried fruits, including sour cherries (SO delicious), sour orange peel, figs, limes and seeds, including roasted and salted and black melon seeds, which I shall be rushing back to get my grubby little mitts on (visiting the day before pay day, perhaps not the best ideaâ¬¦.).

I also want to stock up on some of the exotic teas, along with dried flowers - chamomile flowers, rose buds and â¬Ügreen flowersâ¬".Time to start working out what to do with them! You can also buy all manner of legumes, lentils, dried herbs (sabzi) and mixes for falafels, pasta for ash-e-reshteh (a kind of soup) and reshteh polo (Iranian noodles).

Food isnâ¬"t the only reason to visit Persepolis though, you can find tagines, rugs, hookahs, tea sets, books, â¬ÜI love Peckhamâ¬" stickers, shoppers, t-shirts and even greeting cards. Yes, greetings cards, specially commissioned with a unique Peckham stamp.

Persepolis is special, not only because the owners keep their shelves stocked with the most dizzying array of ingredients but because they are a true local shop. Sally is a passionate and active member of the Peckham community, hosting story-telling evenings, promoting local events and artists and even producing a newsletter to keep us up to date on the whole lot. Yes, Peckham has its problems but Sally does what many others donâ¬"t and that is highlight the positives. The community is a proud, diverse and vibrant one and Persepolis is right at the heart of it.

Inshoku - review by jan08

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:58:03 +0000

Inshoku - review by jan08

Rating: 4.5

Location: 24 Lower Marsh, SE1 7RJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7928 2311

Tags: japanese, family & home feel, cheap eat, business

Located on Lower Marsh, close to Waterloo railway station, this low key restaurant is very popular as a lunch stop for local workers. This restaurant has a very relaxed feel (you do not have to use chopsticks for instance!) and is great value for money if you go for a set-lunch menu. Decor is a little dated, but for the prices they charge it's expected. I can recommend the Bento boxes but the sushi is also good, and for a filling, cheap bite, go for yakisoba. If there's one negative, it's that the staff appear to be so busy that they can come across as distant rather than friendly.

Cafe in the Crypt - review by jan08

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:50:24 +0000

Cafe in the Crypt - review by jan08

Rating: 4.6

Location: St Martin-in-the-Fields, WC2N 4JJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7839 4342

Website: http://www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org

Tags: cosy, proper food, good brew, crowded

Excellent location close to Trafalgar Square. I love the ambience of this place - a large cavernous, cool space underneath St Martins-in-the-Fields Church. The crypt has brick vaulted ceilings, big stone pillars and gravestones within the stone flooring.
The food is excellent and very good value. The service is canteen style so you need to queue and the choice is limited - but then you know that it is freshly cooked. Desserts are oftern old British favourites such as apple pie and custard! It is very popular and well known so can get overcrowded but if you can go there at a quiet time you will really enjoy it.