Latest reviews by dafinki

Sen Nin (formerly Ah-So)

dafinki — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:19:57 +0000

Rating: 2.0

Location: 206 Upper Street, N1 1RQ, London, United Kingdom

Tags: expensive, pretentious, japanese

Please try harder, and charge me less!Really not impressed. First of all we witnessed the most lacklustre display of teppenyaki cooking ever. Then they forgot our gyoza. Then we got the billÂ â¬Â almost Â£50 for a lunch with no alcohol. Not good value for money.

When is there going to be a decent Japanese restaurant on Upper Street?

Indian Veg Bhelpoori House

dafinki — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:55:55 +0000

Rating: 4.8

Location: 92-93 Chapel Market, N1 9EX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7833 1167

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

Beat the credit crunch...You really couldn't top this place for value for money. It's a vegan indian curry buffet with five curries, three types of rice and lots of other bits like onion bhaji, popadum, roti, pakora, salads and dry snacks.

The curries are tasty but not clever. There are three potato-based curries which are fairly indistinguishable, another a bit like motor paneer except it must have been tofu, and dhal. However, when you can eat as much as you like for Â£3.95 you can hardly complain. It's always fresh and frequently topped up and the drinks are cheap too.

While you're tucking in you can cast your eye over the veggie propaganda covering the walls; probably more entertaining than informative. Apart from that it's very standard cafÃ© decor but what else do you need? It's cheap, it's ethical, it's tasty â¬Â a guilt-free meal out in these tough times is definitely appreciated!

Wong Kei

dafinki — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:39:17 +0000

Rating: 3.1

Location: 41-43 Wardour Street, W1D 6PX, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7437 8408

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

You've got to know the menuBack when the waiters at Won Kei were incredibly rude, I was a student. I used to go there at lunchtime with my chums and stock up on meat, tea and face-melting chilli sauce then spend the afternoon's lectures honking of garlic in an MSG coma. Those were the days.

Apart from the change in the demeanor of the staff (affable!) not much is different. You can still fill up on cold meat on hot rice for under a fiver. Barbecue pork crispy pork with extra sauce, beef brisket soup, Singapore noodles, monk's greens â¬ all these things are yummy. Go off piste and choose the mixed random animals or whatever it's called and you'll come a cropper.

Still, don't ever ask for your own table or you might find your dinner in your lap.

Kitchin N1

dafinki — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:08:35 +0000

Rating: 3.3

Location: 8 Caledonia Street, N1 9AA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7713 8777

Website: http://www.kitchin-n1.com/

Tags: italian, british, oriental, chinese, thai, indian, lively

A health hazardBeware the buffet, my parents always told me. And they were right.

Kitchin is a good looking restaurant, there's no doubt about that. Despite the glossy sheen, I'm wary of places that attempt too much at once. Indian, Chinese, Thai and Italian? Hm. Well, it didn't fail to disappoint. The food was uninteresting and strictly in the only-if-you're-starving category. The cuts of meat were the cheapest, the dishes were mostly filler.

What was really worrying was how ill my partner and I became after eating there. The food upset our stomachs quite badly, but we were prepared to put this down as a one off. However, a group of friends went this week and they suffered the same fate.

Health inspectors reading this: put this place on your radar, please!

Ten Ten Tei

dafinki — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:41:50 +0000

Rating: 4.8

Location: 56 Brewer Street, W1F 9TJ, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7287 1738

Tags: lively, family & home feel, good value, crowded, japanese

Top stuffI ADORE Ten Ten Tei. Although there might be a little queue, it's worth the wait.

At Â£15-18 the fixed dinner menus are good value. For that you get course upon course - I ordered a chicken teriyaki dinner and got sashimi, agadashi tofu, tempura, miso soup, chicken teriyaki, a huge pile of rice and some ice cream. We always order the ikura (salmon roe) and tobiko (flying fish roe) too - here at least you know it's going to be fresh.

Last time we visited, even though the restaurant was closing as we got our starters the staff told us not to rush and to take our time, so we sat and chatted while they ate their post-work dinners. There's certainly a family-run ambience to the place, and quality's assured in the fact that it's constantly packed to the rafters with Japanese punters.

Match Bar

dafinki — Thu, 22 May 2008 16:10:07 +0000

Rating: 4.3

Location: 37-38 Margaret Street, W1G 0JF, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7499 3443

Website: http://www.matchbar.com

Tags: relaxed, mature, cool & smart, young professionals

A good one to rememberWas looking for somewhere for a revitalizing drink after hitting the sweaty pavements of Oxford Street and remembered Match. Hadn't been there in a few years and was quite pleased to find it still there. Went on a Wednesday at about 8 and there was plenty of space, things started picking up a bit about 9, but there was enough room for four of us to spread out comfortably...but I suppose the football was on elsewhere so maybe that's why!

Music was inoffensive, drinks were decently priced and service was attentive. My mojito was smashing and others' cocktails were met with approval so can only say from this that the mixing was still up to scratch. Chips were nice enough but had a strange odour of fish! Crowd fairly suity but not in a loudmouth trashy estate agent way.

A good post-shop pitstop.

Cay Tre

dafinki — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:01:36 +0000

Rating: 4.2

Location: 301 Old St, EC1V 9LA, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7729 8662

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

Tags: lively, good value, vietnamese

A change of heartHave been to this place few times and hadn't been for a while, mainly because the times I'd gone I'd not found it to be up to much. However, took a group of ten people there last night and was very pleasantly surprised.

The interior had had a makeover, making the atmosphere much nicer than the minicab office-eque feel of it before. Staff were helpful and friendly, food was plentiful and fresh. My barbecue pork on cold rice vermicelli (Bun Cha) was delicious. Most of our party were Vietnamese and they said that although some of the spicing wasn't quite to the standard they experience at home it was pretty near, and rated it about 80%. Usually when we go to Vietnamese restaurants they hate the food, so I was impressed.

I'll definitely be back

Moro

dafinki — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:49:21 +0000

Rating: 4.4

Location: 34 - 36 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QE, London, United Kingdom

Phone: 020 7833 8336

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

Fabulous placeOne of my favourites.