• Added: 13th of April 2008
• Area: Piccadilly Circus
• Category: Restaurants

London W1D 7HA
020 7439 1330

SiReine said
Indian feast????
A.A. Gill wrote about Chowki: "one of the Stars of 2003".
After my meal there last night, my rudimental knowledge of astronomy makes me think more on the lines of "one of the White Dwarfs of 2008"!

Yes, the menu changes every month and yes, you get to sample authentic dishes from particular regions. For just under £15 you get starter, main AND desert...Big deal!

You're in Soho or "rip-off/tourist central” and therefore you pay for what you get i.e.: a very average meal!
It hits the spot but don't expect to leave the place feeling “stuffed”. The portions are small: 2 spoonfuls of pilau rice, lentils, spinach, and 2 to 3 pieces of meat per person. Starters were ok. Deserts: average.

The 3 stars were only given because I couldn’t do 2 ½ but the overall experience was very dull, and so was the food. The 3 of us all had Regional "Feasts" and a bottle of Chablis 2006 for £72.44 (serv. incl).

So … I put it to you, TP users/reviewers:
What is the rule or secret to find a good Indian restaurant in London?
- “for cheap and authentic head towards Algate, Southall or even Wembley”
- “if in the West End get ready to pay the price or abstain”

Right now, I’m thinking “I’m going to have to stick to my local because I won't be going back to Chowki even though their naans and mango lassis were fabulous!”

• Added: 11th of April 2008
• Area: Soho
• Category: Restaurants

London W1F 0TE
020 7734 8986

SiReine said
Food 4 the Body & the Soul...
These days, with nutrition being at the forefront of our minds and thanks to articles mostly found post-Christmas and pre-summer holiday, we are more or less aware that healthy food doesn't only consist of "salad leaves and grated carrots"!
So let me open the door of VitaOrganic and follow me in the world of Macrobiotic food….

Here you would encounter: people who buy personal hygiene products without paraben, SLS, etc…, the obvious veggie crowd and de-toxers (the “Fresh and Wild” type, basically!)
But don’t think for one minute that this is the same as eating at Fresh and Wild… Noooooo! You don’t have that feeling of people busying themselves around you, buying millet cereal for breakfast or rice crackers for their snack!
On the contrary, the atmosphere is very calm … Quite refreshing compared to any eateries on each side of Regent's st. which tend to be noisy and can make the whole experience quite "stressful" when you come to think about it!

In this restaurant, the food on offer is sweet and savoury, hot or cold, flavoursome, tasty, and vegetarian.
NB: You will have noticed the use of AND rather BUT “vegetarian” which coming from the carnivore that I am, is a huge surprise!
I was served 3 big scoops full of quinoa and brown rice, young stem broccoli, courgettes and green beans with a fantastic mushroom stroganoff. My plate was filled; it was delicious, well balanced and all for a meagre £ 4.50 (in the heart of Soho!!!)
I don’t tend to have juice with my food but I hear they are very nice (@ £3.60 a pop, they have to be!).

So students, people on a budget or just looking for a healthy option for lunch "Come and feed your body and your soul, chew the cod or think about what you are eating as you chew and … let me know what you think about this place!"

Madonna , Gwyneth … let’s meet up soon for a bite at VitaOrganic. We’ll swap Yoga tips!!

Love,
Sireine

• Added: 20th of March 2008
• Area: Shoreditch
• Category: Food and Drink

London E1 6SB
020 7729 0826

SiReine said
Beats any bagel from the Lower east side of NY
Andy's review is spot on (and v. funny).

I never really rated bagels till I had one of those. On a visit to the Big Apple I thought I could find a salt beef bagel that would beat the ones from Brick Lane...

Nop! Didn't happen...
They're so nice you can have them plain!

I have been known for leaving the shop with bags full of bagels which will then travel back to West London and end up straight in the freezer!

On a lazy Sunday morning...while you put a few bagels in the oven (2/3 minutes), you can rustle up some scrambled eggs, add a couple of slices of smoked salmon onto plates and Bob's Uncle!

Posh breakfast doesn't have to be time consuming... and that leave you more time for.... other things!

;0)

• Added: 19th of March 2008
• Area: Holland Park
• Category: Food and Drink

London W11 4UA
020 7727 8243

SiReine said
Carnivore Heaven!!!
A real foodie heaven!

I've made the BEST "escalope a la moutarde" with their veal!! (A real treat when I feel home-sick)

Deninitely go there:
- if you have a special dinner party
- you really want to impress a carnivore!
- over the Christmas season(order in advance)

Not cheap but we all know "in London you pay for what you get!"

• Added: 19th of March 2008
• Area: Covent Garden
• Category: Restaurants

London WC2B 5PG
020 7831 9442

SiReine said
Indian food Bollywood style!
As mentioned in another review, my palate is not used to the various explosions of tastes and flavours you get when visiting an Indian restaurant. But this doesn’t stop me from being a fan of Bollywood movies! The songs, the dancing, I'm a sucker for that kind of things…

So… the day I went to Sitaaray , the least I can say is that I had mix-feelings... I took me a few minutes to take in the settings (the place looked great and had a very distinctive feel!) The "Autographed" pictures decorating the walls, the background music, the vibrant colours and the screens scattered around showing various movies... So kitsch and yet so nice!

But, what about the FOOD?

We were a group of 6 and were seated on the balcony, (great for privacy whilst still giving you a good overall view of the restaurant). Our very nice waiter explained that their speciality (the “Indian Grill") was like a taster menu where anything brought to the table could be re-ordered as many times we wished.

Once the dishes started coming, this quickly became the opposite of what I recognised as Indian cuisine.
Starters were more like Indian tapas: chicken, lamb, salmon, vegetables, everything was delicately flavoured, herbs and spices all perfectly balanced.
Then various curries came with their side dishes...
Small portions kept coming one after the other (starters were a great success) and we ate very well but no space was left for dessert.

Here everything is small enough for you to re-order or even try things you may not have ordered otherwise.(great for indecisive eaters or groups...)
If you were an "Indian cuisine aficionado" you might already have your favourite joint anyway but I would still recommend you try this place for the shear exuberance and the originality!
Do get there with an appetite… The Indian grill menu is really worth the £19.50 and although drinks aren't cheap, by adding a bottle or two of wine you would just end up paying the average price for a good meal in the West end.

Sitaaray : 4 points (en français, of course!)

• Added: 17th of March 2008
• Area: Hackney
• Category: Cafes and Coffee Shops

London E8 4PH
020 7812 9829

SiReine said
A cafe latte with just the right amount of milk!
If you happen to be in the area and fancy a really nice cup of java, I bet you won't be disappointed by what the baristas at Climpson and Sons will serve you...
I say "serve" but because the place is so tiny (and always packed during the w-e) you more than likely will have to grab your cup and "sling your hook"!

For sure you'll then start walking towards Columbia Rd flower market and that's because your nostrils would have been so inspired by the smell of such a great coffee they'll be screaming for more inspiration!

• Added: 12th of March 2008
• Area: West Ealing
• Category: Restaurants

London W13 9RR
020 8840 1634

SiReine said
Great when you dont like Indian food
These are a few ways I would describe this restaurant:
"great introduction to Indian food",
"not your average Curry House",
"very modern verging on fusion",
"accessible"...

I've got to say that my continental palate was very impressed each time I had dinner there. It's everything Sarah described but I believe some "Curry purists" may find Cardamom slightly too wishy washy to their taste.

• Added: 12th of March 2008
• Area: Ealing
• Category: Restaurants

London W5 5AP
020 8566 0466

SiReine said
very average
Amongst others... one great thing about Ealing has to be the choice when it comes to Japanese food!

And for some reason Okawari doesn't do it for me.

The settings do keep your mind ocupied for the first 10 minutes as you settle down a the table, but then not only the service is average, but so is the food...

Unfortunately, when you are competing whith a few compatriots only a few yards down the road, you ought to up your game!

With the Japanese school situated in West Acton,there's a strong concentration of japanese expats families around the Ealing Common area and that's where the best Japanese restaurants (I believe) are.

So forget about Ealing Broadway and head for the Uxbridge rd ... Two doors down from Ealing Common tube station you'll discover an authentic Japanese cuisine with a hint of W5 (verging on W3)!
ATARI!!!

• Added: 12th of March 2008
• Area: Soho
• Category: Restaurants

London W1F 7JL
020 7851 6969

SiReine said
nice lunchtime canteen
A bit like Chris I don't thing foodies would be overly impressed by the cuisine at Ping Pong.
I guess with such a name noone can take them seriously for a start!!
It's just a nice canteen for Liberty's shoppers and staff from local media companies.
It is great fun as a group, but ask to be sat downstairs on one of the round tables.
It's also perfect for a light girly lunch, you'll each leave around £10 lighter having had a good gossip and a giggle!

• Added: 12th of March 2008
• Area: Ealing
• Category: Restaurants

London W5 2NX
020 8810 7066

SiReine said
Great for noodles, sushi... a good 'all rounder'
For dinner or lunch, with a group of friends even with kids!!!

You can see them cook your food: noodles and rice dishes, makis, sashimis ... everything is freshly prepared and brought to the table by 'nice enough' staff.

With portions that would even fill your average guy's stomach, Hare and Tortoise is always a good bet if you're in the Ealing Broadway area.