• Added: 9th of February 2007
• Area: Marylebone
• Category: Restaurants

London W1U 5HN
020 7258 8595

hallen said

Yum. Not too bad, for a vegetarian place.

Eat and Two Veg have realised that the secret is often in the sauce. By making really excellent sauces, they seek to compensate for using tofu, quorn or another substitute for meat. And it's not bad. The not chicken satays, for example (lumps of quorn, grilled like chicken satays) are served with a delicious peanut sauce.

In a similar vein, the cocktails from the bar are very good and the Illy cappuccinos are well made.

At the moment, the main courses are pleasant but a bit "samey" - hopefully they will refresh the menu soon.

• Added: 9th of February 2007
• Area: Vauxhall
• Category: Restaurants

London SE1 7TJ

hallen said
Can't get into Nobu? You won't be disappointed here
Chino Latino, a name intended to signify fusion cuisine. More than a passing similarity to Nobu and Zuma - I gather one of the founders was an ex-Nobu Chef.

First opening in the Park Plaza hotel in Nottingham and followed by a second restaurant in Leeds, Chino Latino recently opened a third instalment in the Park Plaza hotel in London... itself newly developed.

I have eaten in all three Chino restaurants nearly a hundred times. No exaggeration. The food is fantastic and the service is more than adequate. The prices are quite high, but when every single dish that arrives on your table is exceptional, you find yourself happy to pay. And next to Nobu and Zuma, the prices aren't actually that high.

Like many Japanese/fusion restaurants, the idea at Chino is to order fairly communally with your companions and to share every dish.

Edamame beans are the best I've had, lightly fried in a sauce with chillies.

The 'appetiser' size plates are delicious, my favourites usually involving scallops with lime, pork dumplings in a white sauce, raw tuna tataki, fantastic. Chino used to serve a range of kusiyaki (skewers) dishes which were very good, but for some reason they aren't on the latest menu.

The sushi is outstanding. Super fresh. Salmon and tuna are staples, with a generous fish-to-rice proportion for your nigiri, and lovely tasty chunks of sashimi. Some of the best ideas aren't on the menu (I ask for scallop and avocado maki rolls).

The main courses are exceptional, in almost every case. Chino has its own version of Nobu's famous black cod and it is exceptional - if you have never had it before, it will be a special experience for you. And may even corrupt your morals: I persuaded my best friend, a strictly non-fish-eating vegetarian of many years, to try it and she thought it was amazing and guiltily ordered it on her next visit.

Other main courses involve high-quality beef, sea bass, a delicious 'jungle curry' (why jungle?) of lobster and prawns, and several others.

Save room for dessert though, the Chocolate Fondant with homemade Ginger Ice Cream (in Nottingham) and Strawberry Ice Cream (in London) is also exceptional. I have treated more than a dozen friends to it and it scores 12/12.

My favourite place? Well they did give me one of their first loyalty cards - you can get your own online.

Highly recommended.

p.s. if you're not near the south bank (let's face it, there aren't many reasons to cross the river but Chino is compelling), try Yakitoria (qv) at Paddington Central for a solid though not overwhelming experience.

• Added: 9th of February 2007
• Area: Paddington
• Category: Restaurants

London W2 6EY

hallen said
Great food and close to Paddington so skip Yo Sushi!
Yakitoria is quite new and is located in the Sheldon Square development of Paddington Central. It is a short and pleasant walk from the Hammersmith & City line end of Paddington Station on one side and Little Venice on the other.

Many of the tables have a view of the canal outside and in the summer the large glass windows can be opened for an upmarket al fresco experience.

Yakitoria is struggling a little with its location - great if you're a local resident, or you realise how close it is to Paddington, but very few passers-by, out of the centre and no easy parking.

However, on a Friday night it was fairly busy, and the service did not suffer as a result. On other weekdays it was quiet.

The food is excellent. Somehow, London's Japanese restaurants manage to source tuna and salmon that are simply better quality than the European places busy serving tuna steaks and grilled salmon.

The sushi was delicious, with a fair fish-to-rice proportion. The wasabi was good too. There are some innovative sushi choices (Pizza Nigiri) which make the restaurant more palatable to non-sushi lovers.

The Sake list is impressive and while our waiter did seem to be bluffing when he advised the differences between our two choices, the drink itself was very tasty and not overpriced.

The hot food (main course) was tasty but not exceptional - Wagyu beef should be amazing, not just good.

The Edamame beans were well prepared but not up to the standard of Chino Latino (qv).

Conclusion: if you've got time on arrival at Paddingon, and a budget for a more upmarket meal, don't bother with Yo Sushi in the station concourse... head to Yakitoria and enjoy a jolly good westernised Japanese experience.