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Busaba Eathai - review by mvk0016

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:01:58 +0000

Busaba Eathai - review by mvk0016

Rating: 2.9

Location: 22 Store Street, WC1E 7DF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7299 7900

Website: http://www.busaba.com

Tags: lively, oriental, cheap eat, good value, crowded, thai

Busaba Eathai is a very good quality chain of 3 restaurants, and the one in Store Street is in my opinion the best out of the 3. They offer simple food in a Wagamama-style setting (everyone shares a table and you are seating next to other people, sometimes with barely enough space for your plate to fit) although the decor is much nicer than Wagamama and more atmospheric. The dishes on offer vary from the everpresnt Thai curries (the duck curry and the pumpkin one are highly recommended) to more unique dishes of Chicken in Pandan leaf (a favorite for most, as you can see it in almost every table) and Thai calamari (a starter you shouldn't miss!) and some good noodle and stir-fry dishes. The hot and cold tea are all wonderful (hot tea comes in a little pot and is accompanied by coconut cookies) but unfortunately there are no desserts which is a surprise. The food is quite cheap (a tiny bit more expensive than Wagamama prices) and worth every penny of the money you will pay for it.

Dollar Grills & Martinis - review by VickieMac

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:41:30 +0000

Dollar Grills & Martinis - review by VickieMac

Rating: 3.3

Location: 2 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4PX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7278 0077

Tags: lively, seafood, international, brasserie, expensive, romantic

I went here early on a Saturday evening for a special occasion meal and I was overwhelmed. First, it's beautiful inside. The upstairs has gorgeous lighting and the seats were super comfy. The downstairs is very plush and would be a great spot for a cocktail on a date. It has little alcoves that offer the right amount of intimacy for a public place. ;o)

But it wasn't the decor the sold me, it was the cocktails - A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I had the pleasure of enjoying (among others) the Porn Star Martini and to this day have not found a drink I enjoyed more than this one. I take great pleasure in telling people that this is my favourite drink!

We also had food and although at the time I thoroughly enjoyed my fish soup thingy, it was only good enough to be remembered as a fish soup thingy. The cocktails simply stole the show.

I would definitely go here again and have but only for drinks. I'll have to try the burgers next time!

Busaba Eathai - review by Snowy

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:00:36 +0000

Busaba Eathai - review by Snowy

Rating: 2.9

Location: 22 Store Street, WC1E 7DF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7299 7900

Website: http://www.busaba.com

I used to work near here and we'd go a lot for lunch and I really enjoyed it but I went back recently for an evening meal and it was not so good. It was really busy which probably did not help. I ordered a squash curry and it was really spicy and there was loads of liquid but not much content - bit more like a soup really. I had the over all impression that it was expensive for what you got. And my friends were not too keen on being squashed onto the benches with other people. I don't they will be going back which is a shame because the food itself is very nice.

Plantation - review by Emma1973

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:56:12 +0000

Plantation - review by Emma1973

Rating: 4.0

Location: 221-223 Cheltenham Road, BS6 5QP, Bristol, United Kingdom

Phone: 0117 907 7932

Website: http://www.plantationrestaurant.biz

Tags: african & caribbean

We ended up at Plantation on the Gloucester Rd in Bristol after a search for a different dining taste, in this spot have been several restaurants that have been rated fantastic but have all gone under in months. A jinxed position perhaps? Could be, but I think its more a lot more to do with the fact theres absolutely no parking to be found. The surrounding streets are densely populated so be sure to leave at least 15 minutes to find a parking space and walk back to the place.

Its quite nice in Plantation, very open and spacious, lots of white paint and wooden tables broken up with large potted plants and Caribbean-influenced paintings on the wall. Dare I say a little plain? The atmosphere was quite lacking, even with your ears being entertained by reggae music. Perhaps the fact that only two other tables were occupied didn't help. With the tables so far apart cosiness is not a factor here.

We order our obligatory drinks whilst perusing the menu, and managed to get several shocks! The drinks list is very expensive, I cant remember individual prices as we were drinking soft drinks, but the soft drinks were Â£2 each! Ah well, couldn't run out now so got 2 Lilts ( being adventurous here!), then came the other shock. I can honestly say I have never and never have since been served a drink in a plastic bottle with a glass! You know those 500ml ones you get in the newsagents? Yep, one of those! Considering how much drink you get the price wasn't too bad, but if this restaurant wants to be a bit more upmarket and serious they may well have to change this.

How would I get my food? In a McDonalds Burger Box?, a take-away foil tray? Only time will tell!

So I'm for the Ackee & Salt Fish with Johnny Cake(dumpling) at Â£.4.95 and Alans gone for the lamb Cocktail Patties at Â£3.15 for our starters.

I've never had Ackee & Salt Fish before, but I was impressed, the Ackee (a fruit) really does look like scrambled eggs and the texture is reminiscent of the same, there was also plenty of salt fish as well. I'm quite unsure as to what I was expecting, but it wasn't as spicy and tasty as I expected it to be, it was actually quite mild but I wouldn't go as far as to say it was bland.

Alans Patties had a bit more of a kick to them, certainly the sweet chilli sauce bought tears to my eyes! I do absolutely enjoy patties and travel over to St Pauls just to buy them on regular occasions. Being the stingy person I can be I couldn't help but consider that I could have bought 4 big patties for the price we paid for this smaller one. Sorry, its a horrible habit of mine in restaurants, I cant help but compare when I get in restaurant to what I could buy in Asda!

You can also go for Peppered Shrimp, Aloo Balls or Salt Fish Fritters

Having dispensed swiftly with that, then we're on to the main course, I had a little more difficulty here, a little, not much! You can get a main course version of Ackee and Salt Fish, whole snapper and Brown Stew Fish. Maybe half a Jerk Chicken or BBQ Chicken, all of which ranged from Â£7.25 to Â£9.95 for the fish. Not that we had any of those, we both opted for Brown Stew Chicken. Alan just saw the word gravy and that was enough for him!

Annoyingly absolutely none of these come with any side dishes, vegetables, rice, etc, you have to pay for them all separately, which when you've just forked out nearly Â£8 for a main course can bump the price up considerably, and its just stingy!
So we had Rice and Peas, which surprisingly was rice and kidney beans cooked with coconut cream, thyme, ginger and scallion (Â£2.60), but no peas, and Sweet potato (Â£2.60) which I love. This is where you find the real Caribbean stuff, Yams, Plantain, Bammy, etc. I do think Â£2.00 for steamed cabbage or carrots is a little on the expensive side though!

Enough moaning, its here! And it looks good! Plenty of chunks of chicken and a wonderfully thick gravy that smells fantastic and plenty of it! The side dishes were also on the large side, unfortunately I didn't like the Rice and Peas, hate kidney beans, do awful things to my digestive system! I was a little confused by the sweet potato, only because it was white, every sweet potato I've had before the flesh has been red or pink. Perhaps I just haven't come across the type or perhaps I got Yams by mistake, either way they were so cooked they were almost mash. Just perfect for dribbling that gravy over! If Alan had a spoon he would have supped the gravy up!

What may put some people off is the fact that the chicken is on the bone, that is to say the chicken is just chopped up, topped and unfeathered as it is and chucked in to cook. Needless to say you then have to watch out for bones in your food. But it wasn't really a problem, I've had worse things in my food!

Did we want a dessert? Tough, they don't actually do any, and to be honest I cant think of any Caribbean desserts anyway!

Oh and course I should mention that our food was indeed served on plates and in bowls, not foil trays! The service was really good, but then they were not exactly rushed off their feet so had time to be attentive. The fact that the kitchen is open plan and the head chef is also the owner means she can see everything they are doing!

Did I enjoy it? Well yes, I did, but I cant say it was the most spectacular meal I've ever had, probably worth the money. Are we going back? Nope, I've tasted what I wanted to and theres nothing else on the menu that makes me want to return any time soon, good if you fancy a change though.

Myself, I think I'll stick to the usual patties and wait for the St Pauls Carnival!

Busaba Eathai - review by hollowlegs

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 20:18:23 +0000

Busaba Eathai - review by hollowlegs

Rating: 2.9

Location: 22 Store Street, WC1E 7DF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7299 7900

Website: http://www.busaba.com

Tags: lively, thai

Now I've been to the Wardour Street branch and thought it was fine, if a little unmemorable.

I came to this Store Street branch at lunchtime and ordered the jungle curry with steamed jasmine rice.

The curry was horrible. I had to send it back. Full of woody bits of lemongrass, it was fiery yet tasteless. It also had goose-pimpled pieces of chicken skin floating around in it and it was throroughly off-putting. I know that often cheaper cuts like thigh and leg which have skin on it are used as they have more flavour, but the ratio of the skin and the meat was disproportionate.

When I told the waiter I couldn't eat it, he gave me a withering look and said "Maybe I should have told you that the jungle curry comes with chicken skin and is quite spicy".

Err - yes, perhaps they should have told me that it would be garnished with flabby skin. But they didn't. It annoyed me that he tried to patronise me like that. I have spent many weeks in different parts of Thailand, and I never came across chicken skin curry after all.

Everyone else declared their mains as delicious.

Busaba Eathai - review by Coffeegeek

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 14:08:29 +0000

Busaba Eathai - review by Coffeegeek

Rating: 2.9

Location: 22 Store Street, WC1E 7DF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7299 7900

Website: http://www.busaba.com

Tags: lively, cheap eat, good value, crowded, thai

This is one of those places people rave about and thereâ¬"s often a queue to get in. Once youâ¬"re in you get to share a table with noisy strangers and order some basic Thai food. The foods reasonable but itâ¬"s hardly authentic and the green curry I had tastes like itâ¬"s out of a jar. However, it's not expensive and the food is filling and tasty. The dÃ©cor and layout is stylish enough if a little cramped. If youâ¬"ve had a few drinks and there is a crowd of you I think it would be fun.

If you havenâ¬"t had a few drinks and thereâ¬"s only a few of you, itâ¬"s noisy, cramped and the service is quick and blunt. Youâ¬"re in and out before you know whoâ¬"s been elbowing you and shouting across your table. Thereâ¬"s better Thai food in London and more fun places for a crowd of people.

Doubt I would go back.

Ritz Caribbean - review by danxherman

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:29:59 +0000

Ritz Caribbean - review by danxherman

Rating: 3.5

Location: 450 Yonge Street, M4Y 1W9, Toronto, Canada

Tags: african & caribbean

$3.99 lunch special is the best deal in town.

Dollar Grills & Martinis - review by Cedric

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:06:07 +0000

Dollar Grills & Martinis - review by Cedric

Rating: 3.3

Location: 2 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4PX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7278 0077

Tags: american, business, good value, expensive

Sometimes you can be tempted by some unsofisticated meal. And for me a burger is part of that kind of league. The no brainer choice. Two piece of bread, a juicy steak in the middle, and fries to get along. When we stepped in this restaurant we were not expecting what we found on the menu. A great diversity of burgers with some interesting twists. Overall this was a great surprise. The deco is nice with the neon signs and the stone walls, and there is a lounge like-bar downstairs. A bit boho, but that is to be expected from a restaurant that serves above-Â£10 burgers, otherwise go to McDonald's.

Busaba Eathai - review by gizmogirl

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 22:52:31 +0000

Busaba Eathai - review by gizmogirl

Rating: 2.9

Location: 22 Store Street, WC1E 7DF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7299 7900

Website: http://www.busaba.com

I thought the food was Horrible...I just don't understand why my friends recommend this restaurant to me...If u want real thai food, this is not the place to go for...
The curry kinda taste....strange..?

Busaba Eathai - review by Anna_Chan

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 16:08:30 +0000

Busaba Eathai - review by Anna_Chan

Rating: 2.9

Location: 22 Store Street, WC1E 7DF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7299 7900

Website: http://www.busaba.com

Tags: thai, pretentious, crowded

I went to Busaba on a Friday evening for my birthday in a party of 9 people and I was very disappointed that they spoilt it with an awful service. Firstly, they do not take reservations and would not give us a table until absolutely everyone was there which was frustating. When everyone had arrived we still had to queue outside for a while.

The worst part was it was my birthday and I had brought a cake along to celebrate only to be told that we could not eat it there!!! Turns out they have a no desserts policy, how strange. The waiter told me I could go elsewhere and that he didn't want to get sacked over allowing me to have my birthday cake, but he said you can take pictures of it but no eating (?!?!)

The service was very rushed, unfriendly waiters rushed us to order before we've even had a chance to look at the menu and the bill lands on your table before you've even had time to put down your chopsticks. The only good point is the food is delicious and well presented.

When my friend asked him how are the stir fry dishes presented, i.e. do they come with a side dish of rice? He rudely patronised her by demonstrating with his hands what a stir fry looks like to someone who's evidently Chinese (it's like trying to describe what curry is to an Indian person).

Definitely a fast food restaurant only good for casual dining but a bad place to go for birthdays as they really don't care that it's your special day. The only thing they care about is turnover, getting you in and out as quick as possible. I have to say Wagamama which is similar offers a much better service and at least they allow people to celebrate their birthdays happily, which isn't too much to ask for?!

Busaba Eathai - review by sevs

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:28:54 +0000

Busaba Eathai - review by sevs

Rating: 2.9

Location: 22 Store Street, WC1E 7DF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7299 7900

Website: http://www.busaba.com

Tags: thai, good value

i've been going to the wardour branch of busaba ever since it opened, but found that over the past year the portions have got smaller and the staff terser, i was once 'told off' like a small child for sitting at a window by one member of staff because the other had failed to mention we'd requested this and then we were hurried out of our seats before we'd even finished our meal. that was the last time i set foot in there, i was told by a friend goodge street was better and it is. the portions are still of a good size, even though the prices have been hiked up a little not making it the cheap eats place it was. it's quiert and the staf are more friendly and remember you. it's worth it for a quick bite after retail therapy or before going out but not for lingering.

Dollar Grills & Martinis - review by msjennings

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:17:04 +0000

Dollar Grills & Martinis - review by msjennings

Rating: 3.3

Location: 2 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4PX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7278 0077

Tags: american, crowded, expensive

Firstly, my girlfriend ordered the mussels starter, of which at least half the mussels had not fully opened. She mentioned this to the head waiter who said that she was wrong and that in fact the mussels were fine as they were open a few millimetres (literally) and that this was normal for well cooked mussels. Aside from the fact that upon trying again to open one of these mussels the shell broke and she sprayed sauce over herself, she is also from a fishing village in Spain and spent her life growing up eating shellfish and knows what well-cooked mussels should look like (not uncooked or dead like these!). They are meant to lie open in the bowl and be easily opened by hand, not need to be forced open using your fork/spoon, and not so unwilling to open that the shell should break. These mussels should not have been served by a reputable restaurant. However when the head waiter tells you that you are wrong there is not much you feel that you can do. Then, as our mains, we had the Argentinian mignon steak (from the Specials) and the monkfish. I asked for my steak medium-rare, and while I accept that it was a very good piece of meat it was barely pink in the very middle, was quite charred on the outside, and must have been approaching well done. My girlfriend's monkfish was similarly quite chewy, as were the prawns that came with it (gave the impression of being frozen and re-cooked), and my chips were so crisp they were practically crisps and I couldn't get my fork into most of them. We didn't bother with desserts after this, and didn't bother mentioning these problems to the head waiter either as he would probably have tried to persuade us that it was all in our heads once again. This is all a bit of a shame really as we have eaten at this restaurant on many occasions over the last couple of years and all our previous meals have been excellent, and we have never had any problem with the service, that is why we have come back so often. I am not sure whether they had a new chef in but when you bear in mind the prices that they are charging are comparable with places like the Top Floor at Smith's for meat dishes, most people could have made a similar effort for themselves at home. Also, there really wasn't any excuse for the attitude of the head waiter who wasn't just rude, but clearly didn't know what he was on about either.

Dollar Grills & Martinis - review by totuck

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:52:19 +0000

Dollar Grills & Martinis - review by totuck

Rating: 3.3

Location: 2 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4PX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7278 0077

The beautiful downstairs bar servs up a wide array of exotic & original mixed drinks. Drink's aren't exactly cheap, but they're of the highest quality and definitely worth the money. Dinner upstairs wasn't as exciting as I might have expected after drinks downstairs. The food was good, but I wasn't exactly blown away.

Busaba Eathai - review by lenalouise

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 17:57:09 +0000

Busaba Eathai - review by lenalouise

Rating: 2.9

Location: 22 Store Street, WC1E 7DF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7299 7900

Website: http://www.busaba.com

Tags: lively, moderately priced, modern, crowded, thai, trendy, restaurant

This is thai with a bit of a twist. It's slightly more modern than your usual thai food with some more interesting ingredients thrown in and little things just to make it a bit more funky. For example, the rice comes in a bamboo thing with a lid.

I had sen chan phad thai which is rice noodles with prawn, peanut, egg, green mango and crabmeat. Pretty spicy if you can take it. They were a bit stingy on the ingredients and I wasn't convinced on the green mango...I think it could have been left out. The flavour was pretty good though.

My friend had jungle curry with chicken, aubergine, bamboo shoots and french bean. Very tasty but again, it was lacking in ingredients. I thought the sauce was a bit liquid but he didn't seem to mind.

Generally, I'd come here again if I was looking for a quick lunch but I wouldn't have a full-on dinner here. There's better places to go.

The Croissant Tree - review by cubicgarden

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 12:10:01 +0000

The Croissant Tree - review by cubicgarden

Rating: 5.0

Location: 625 Church Street, M4Y 2G1, Toronto, Canada

Tags: cosy, teas, free wireless, wireless, poetry readings, amazing brew, free wifi, cool & smart, young professionals, electronica, quiet & relaxed, drinks, coffee, quick bite, trendy, friendly, cultured, relaxed, cool

This place is not only a great cafe to hang out at all day but it also has wifi for free to its customers. The speed is fast and the tea selection quite amazing.