Food & Life

New food blog

2008-08-25T20:34:00.001Z

New food blog at

http://foodiefoodie.wordpress.com/

Link here

Dehesa

2008-07-07T17:04:00.002Z

Spanish / Italian modern tapas

25 Ganton St, Soho, W1F 9BP
Tel: 020 7494 4170

NO BOOKING! Great if you want to squeeze in for a late or early one. Or to try pot luck.

Tapas is good. On a level with both Barrafina and Fino. Barrafina a touch more classical, Dehesa with more of a twist. Jamon lovely but expensive.

Deserts hit and miss. Recently: Rich, moist, lush choco cake. But over charred rice pudding.

Great if not too hungry as a couple of small dished with a glass of sherry would hit the spot. Would start to hit the wallet over several dishes (much like Barrafina).

Cousin to Salt Yard. If you like Barrafina, Fino and Salt Yard, you'll like Dehesa.

But if you are ever in NYC you'll love http://www.boquerianyc.com/ near Union Square.

Hereford Road

2008-07-07T16:35:00.002Z

New favourite restaurant!

3 Hereford Rd, W2 4AB
Tel: 020 7727 1144
www.herefordroad.org

Seasonal British food, tends to have one small added twist rising it above good to really very tasty and very well priced too.

Lamb sweatbreads with pea and mint. Middle white roast pork. Any fish of the day. All incredible yum with an ever changing menu. Must have been almost 10 times this year already. If you order sensibly, you can have 2-3 courses for about £20 a person. Bargain for this level of cooking.

Slight tail off if Tom Pemberton the chef is not cooking, I've found. If not mega-hugry, have two starters and share a desert.

Hix Oyster and Chop House

2008-07-07T16:27:00.002Z

35-37 Greenhill Rents, Cowcross Street, Farringdon, EC1M 6BN
Tel: 020 7017 1930. Mains £12-20.

Short review.

Good food in the modern seasonal tradition. You will like if you like: St John, Anchor & Hope; Hereford Rd. Expensive given some of the dishes but high quality ingredients and city location explain that.

Steaks looked good but expensive! I had hanger steak - flavour good, seared, ok. Baked bone marrow delicious. Peas in pod, pork crackling nice touches for starters. Companion's lamb chop was good (salt marsh flavour). One glass of wine, 4 dishes came to £90 at that price, I'd prefer St John's in the area or Rivington Grill but good none the less.

Shanghai

2006-03-21T20:41:00.000Z

Shanghai
41 Kingsland High Street

It's worth going to Shanghai just for the building. Possibly the only Chinese restaurant to occupy an astounding old pie-and-mash shop - and what a shop, maybe the best-decorated one I've ever seen. Amazing art deco tilework, beautiful huge mirrors all along one wall, with bevelled edges held in with ornamental brass clips, classic banquettes, fantastic lights and bar. It really seems not to have changed one bit - yet there are those glazed roast birds hanging in the window, and inside the tables hold chopsticks and soy sauce, not ketchup. It really needs to be seen to be believed, escaping off the busy Kinsgland High Street into its time-warp on a Saturday lunchtime.

I'd never eaten there before and to be honest didn't hold high hopes for the food, but actually it was surprisingly good. If I went again (and wasn't needing to eat fast and fillingly in preparation for going to the football) I would just eat dim sum. The few we had for appetisers were really very good indeed - silken steamed dumplings with delicious flavoured pastry (spinach and the like) and truly tasty fillings of prawn, scallop and minced vegetable. The boy had the dubiously named 'Shanghai Vice' beef which was actually pretty good too, spicy and flavoursome. The only slight disappointment was my roast duck (something of a traditional choice for me) which was average but no better. Our accompanying pak choi was also very tasty, fresh and with a good bite.

Maybe not somewhere to take a date expecting a fancy meal, but definitely somewhere to take a date who appreciates eccentricity and the hidden gems of London. I will certainly be back.

Sardo Canale

2006-02-05T21:58:00.000Z

Sardo Canale
42 Gloucester Ave, Primrose Hill,
London NW1 8JD
020 7722 2800

Don't get put off by the rather over-slick-looking website - or, indeed, the slightly over-designed, in a modernist and not entirely tasteful way, interior of Sardo Canale, the sister to the Sardo in Fitzrovia. I went to the wilds of Primrose Hill (where, not being of the Primrose Hill Set, I am rarely seen) recently and ended up at Sardo with a locally based friend and my parents, rather late for a Thursday night - around 10pm. Everyone else there was coming to the end of their meals and we were told that we'd need to order mighty quick.

But despite this slightly inauspicious start, the food we had was actually excellent. Starting with just a tuna tartare and a salad to share between the four of us, we could definitely have ordered more starters, but nevertheless these were good. But it was our main dishes that really stood out. We went for pastas all round, for speed and not wanting a super-heavy meal, and when they arrived my heart did sink a little bit as they were Italian-sized 'primo piatto' pastas definitely intended to be followed by something more substantial. But actually the portion size was a little deceptive and the quality of the contents made up for the size, big time.

I had fantastic squid ink 'chitarra' pasta (a kind of fresh spaghetti made by being pressed through a frame with wires, hence the name) with porcini, clams and prawns in a lightly creamy, tomato-y sauce. It was really a brilliant dish, excellently executed (the only perhaps low point being the prawns, which were almost unnecessary) and proved the point that a small amount of something really tasty fills you up much more than a whole lot of crap. My father had an also excellent dish of pasta with a traditionally Sardinian sausage sauce - suitably rustic but cooked with the refinement you might expect of somewhere with swanky interior design. We then shared two puddings (quality of food making us feel full-ish but still not that full) - a very good ricotta tart and a panna cotta.

A bottle of Sardinian red was pleasant if not breath-taking. I have to admit that if I had been paying, I might have felt a little under-served. My pasta was around £12 and the others a little but not much less - quite a lot for what would really have been a starter, had we had more time. The 'real' mains are more reasonably priced at £12-16, so definitely better value - and the other starters are £5.90-£8.90 which is OK. Altogether four of us, with a couple of bottles of water, got out for £120 - £30 a head, which isn't bad for the quality, but I would have liked to be a wee bit fuller, perhaps, for that cost.

Still the staff were actually very friendly despite hurrying us a bit earlier, the plentiful supply of bread was varied and very good, and I would definitely return here if I ever found myself lost in NW1. The trick might just be to order a real starter and main, despite the fact that our pastas were fantastic, and then feel a little fuller for much the same price.

Kulu Kulu Sushi

2006-02-05T20:20:00.000Z

Kulu Kulu Sushi
76 Brewer Street
Piccadilly Circus
London
W1F 9TU
Map

Ben introduced me to this place and for that, I am eternally grateful. Good, fresh, sushi and sashimi, and the location for countless happy suppers. Being a very informal conveyor-belt place, and slap bang in the middle of town, its also a favorite for grabbing a bite to eat on my own and useful to remember in that regard.

Favorites include fantastic hand-rolls with salmon, avocado, hot and fresh tempura prawn in crispy nori - a sensational, sensual experience of hot crispy tempura, smooth avocado and slippery salmon. Other good things - the salmon sashimi is always of excellent quality, their deep-fried silken tofu in a little broth is absolutely delicious, mackerel is always lovely too, and because you can see them working in front of you, it's possible to grab the best and the freshest stuff as it gets put on the conveyor. Some things don't come round automatically but you can order - often ama-ebi (sweet shrimp) comes into this category.

Its also extremely reasonably priced - you can stuff yourself silly on delicious things for under £15 and if you are a little more restrained and avoid the expensive options, you can do extremely well and still feel full for under £10. Green tea is free and they also have beer and sake. It used to be a weekly venue of mine before the Other Cinema closed as we used to do Wednesday film night with sushi beforehand - a perfect midweek break. I think I've tried to introduce almost all my friends to Kulu Kulu at some point as a perfect hideout in the West End for when you haven't made a reservation and don't feel like braving the endless gauntlet of rather mediocre eating establishments.

Only note: it's not open on Sundays. Which recently precipitated a very frustrating moment for me when I was relying on it for sustenance in the middle of a nightmarish shopping expedition. I nearly cried when I got to Brewer Street and saw the doorway was dark.

Elena's (L'Etoile)

2006-01-28T22:09:00.000Z

Elena's
30 Charlotte Street, London W1
020 7636 7189

Elena's is a Charlotte Street institution. The kind of place that, in my case, I go to with my boyfriend's parents, or perhaps my parents, when they are feeling in an old-school mood. Apparently, it used once to be a rather high-class brothel. Elena herself - well, let me just celebrate a true legend of the London restuarant scene who, despite old age and infirmity, wears her scarlet lipstick with panache and has a face from the silver screen, as she makes the rounds of her clientele.

It certainly is old-school - signed b&w photos of many establishment celebrities on the wall, and classical, mostly French cooking in the kitchen. The 'best table' is to the left of the door as you enter, in the window but somewhat secluded from the rest of the room by a glass screen, and on the side that doesn't get a draft from the door when it opens. When I went last week, I was not at my usual super-hungry pitch due to ill-advised mid-afternoon snacks from the cake shop below my office, and was a little daunted by the rather rich-looking menu. But I forgot one of the central precepts of classic French cooking, especially in establishments favoured by celebrities: the portion sizes are made for those trying to keep slim while still eating three courses, so I needn't have worried (or ordered the extremely light, salad-based first course rather than the richer one that I was really tempted by)

The quality of the food is good. My starter of a chicory salad with asparagus, chorizo, croutons and poached egg was true to its description, the poached egg immaculate. My main course - slow-cooked lamb 'confit' - was equally so - not going to win the stars for innovation, but perfectly executed, extremely well-presented, tasty stuff. My creme brulee was also classic - none of the twists (raspberries, weird shaped dishes) that you might get elsewhere, but absolutely as creme brulees have probably been made for the last century. It does feel like a step back in time, right down to the waiters with their heavy French accents.

Prices are not cheap but about average for a decent West End meal - mains around £12 upwards, starters £7 upwards. Not breaking the bank, as some online reviewers have claimed. The wine list is solid if not spectacular. The clientele is generally not of the younger generation, so I wouldn't recommend it for a twenty-something birthday party or something, unless you have a particular kind of frineds.. But if you want to have a diner a deux in a grown-up way, or take your parents out, or an old-school client, Elena's definitely makes the grade. It has the shimmer of glamour without any of the in-your-face design, yabbering media darlings or vaguely intimidating menu that come with so many other upmarket West End joints.

River Cafe revisited

2006-01-12T15:18:00.000Z

Yesterday we were having an office 'away day', borrowing a meeting room next door to the River Cafe, so of course we were compelled to go there at the end for a drink and - oh, go on then, a nibble.

What is so astonishing about the RC is how the quality of absolutely everything is so incredible. Even the smallest thing - a piece of toasted bread drizzled with olive oil - becomes almost orgasmic due to the sheer quality of the ingredients and the care in handling them. We only stayed for two proseccos-and-blood-orange-juice drinks and a couple of starters to share, but in each I was struck again by how much other chefs have to learn from the standards that are set here. Nothing falls down, and for those who balk at the prices (which aren't that high - you can easily eat worse and pay much, much more) or say that 'I could make that at home' - well, actually, just go there and eat and you will see why you can't.

We had squid with fresh chilli, cavolo nero and new season's olive oil - exactly one of those dishes that you see on the menu everywhere and that you think you can make at home. But to get the squid both smoked and crispy from the flame, and meltingly tender, without the slightest resistance, is an incredible skill of timing. Even in the passage from grill to plate to table, most squid will have gone from perfect to slightly tough. The cavolo nero was also perfect, slick with oil without being greasy, full of dark and wintry flavour.

Our other starter was a ball of mozzarella the size of my fist, broken open, drizzled with oil and accompanied by a wild mushroom bruschetta and some swiss chard, gently sweated. Again, the quality of the ingredients shines through and the combination was superb. Anyone who thinks £12 is too much for such a quantity of perfect mozzarella - the hint of a rind on the outside, fresh, smooth, chewy but utterly un-rubbery within - has got to be kidding; and that's without the other ingredients.

We all wished we could stay for dinner properly - but it's testament to quality when you are in dreamland all the way home on the tube, rolling your tongue round your mouth for the last few shreds of taste, unable to think of anything else. Even today, writing about it, I can still feel the texture of the mozzarella in my mouth. Go eat there, people.

Meals of 2005

2006-01-01T22:30:00.000Z

Happy 2006! and good eating to all of you.

I also promise to blog more here! and to finally at some point make time to do a bit of a redesign and get away from this bland Blogger template.

My best (and unblogged!) restaurant meals of 2005 were:

Roast grouse at the River Cafe for my birthday in October. Always, always, so good.

Late-ish supper at St John Bread and Wine this December, with a group in gaudy fetish-wear at the next table while we were in filthy jeans and t-shirts having run out from repainting my flat, alongside the Miyake-clad of the Hoxton art scene. Epitomising, to me, what is so fantastic about the spirit of this restaurant - it caters for all of us equally. I'm really lucky to have it as my neighbourhood joint.

And many, many fantastic American diner meals all over the country. Special thanks to Waffle House for a great year.

Maze and Le Cercle & chicken

2005-12-29T11:52:00.000Z

Recently ate:
Chicken thighs (oakham from M&S - free range but not organic - tasty breed)
grilled/fried with ginger and thyme and a touch of soy. With salad leaves.
Drank Chianti. One green and black chocolate for afters.

Earlier in the month went to Maze, which has won all sorts of plaudits.
[10-13 Grosvenor Square, W1K 6JP, Tel: 020 7107 0000 ]

It's funded by Gordon Ramsay but the chef is Jason Atherton.

The meal was good - highlights included pumpkin soup, roast quail. However, the atmosphere was a little stiff and the staff not completely at ease. They are also super busy; we were in at 6pm and had to be out of our table by 8pm.

In its style and for its price - I would choose Le Cercle
[1 Wilbraham Place, London, SW1X 9AE - Telephone: 020 7901 9999]

Here's there's the same idea of smaller dishes - "tapas" style in sense of being small - of often very rich food with a twist.

mini cep ravioli is utterly delicious - light, savoury, full of mushroom flavour and only costs about £3 - there's lots of foie gras dishes, a fish section, a meat section, an extravagant "plaisir " section and a brilliant desert section. It’s my new favourite restaurant of 2005 to challenge St John in a different way.

Meals of 2005

2005-12-27T21:40:00.000Z

Recently eaten: refried roast potatoes, peas, shallots, parsnips in goose fat with fried egg, Dim Sum from Ping Pong, coffee from Leon.

A type of New Year resolution.

After several technical hitches, going to try and blog more on this blog in 2006.

Favourite meals of the year include many moments at home – goose this Christmas eve recently, confits of pork belly and rillons – meals at Le Cercle, Tom Aikens, Ledbury, Anchor & Hope, St. John, Canteen (new discovery) and many more which I hope I’ll describe more in 2006.

Have a great 2006.

Canteen, Spitalfields, E1

2005-10-23T19:29:00.000Z

Canteen, 2 Crispin Place, Spitalfields, E1 (0845 686 1122 or canteen.co.uk).

If you can cope with the architecture [don’t get Hana started on this one], I think Canteen is worthy checking out.

It’s only been open a few weeks and I went twice in its half price soft opening.

Had roast belly pork (£9), smoked haddock with baked eggs (£8), ham and leek pie (£9), and steak (£12). All good and not expensive.

It does all day brekkie and tea.

It doesn’t beat St John’s but does cater to something different. Full review to come.

Also, round the corner there’s an Italian wine shop/bar which does a good prosecco

Eagle, EC2 and marsh lamb

2005-10-23T19:12:00.000Z

Been busy. So here's a few brief posts to update a few thoughts.

Went to the Eagle [159 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3AL Telephone: 020 7837 1353]

to celebrate Hana's birthday. Noisy, reasonable prices, good smells...

ate marsh leg of lamb and it was yummy.

There have been complaints of late from some quarters but I think it depends on what you are looking for. It's the original pub with good food as opposed to restaurant experience.

I still recommend it. Full review later.

Simpsons in the Strand, WC2

2005-08-26T18:10:00.000Z

Simpson's-in-the-Strand Grand Divan
100 Strand, London, WC2R 0EW
Telephone: 020 7836 9112

I went to Simpsons-in-the-Strand recently with a very old friend. I believe it is famous for a “deadly sins breakfast” but I was there for dinner.

Started at the Knight’s bar, which was comfortable and very old school –so funky décor or srtipped bare wooden floors are out. The wine list wasn’t cheap, the house claret was £17 but we stuck to that all evening and two bottles went down nicely.

Moved to the restaurant. Again very old school, some people will love, some will hate. Had a man happily playing piano tunes, again would be for some, not others.

I think it’s probably a mistake to not order anything British or traditional. So we went for roast beef and roast lamb (and had we the space probably a bread and butter pudding).

Beef was a rib of beef, roasted nicely and properly rare to medium rare cuts. I forgot to ask for the beef’s provenance, it said Scottish and aged 28 days but not sure what breed or where exactly from. It came with good horse radish.

Now, I cheekily asked what happens with the rib of beef bones? It seems nothing. So I asked for one and we both got one (even though I was having lamb). And it was definitely the best bit, tasty, full of beefiness and the right amount of fat. I suggest you try the same.

The saddle of lamb was also tasty but it had already cooked to medium, medium well (it was probably resting too long in the warm trolleys). It was not tough, but pink would have been a touch juicier and more tender. I was happy enough and most people would be.
After my beef bone, and lamb I had cleaned up my plate, so they asked me if I wanted more?! So, I tucked in to another two slices of lamb. This just about made up for the steep prices.

It was very easy to chat away, the place was comfortable although some would say the atmosphere staid – I like old school some days.

Food: Good. I’d come back if I wanted a traditional roast but not if I was feeling poor and would be put off if I didn’t get my beef bone and extra helping treats.

Wine: Decent wine list, but expensive. House Claret, a decent 2002 Bordeaux was £17 the next one up was £23 and then it escalates.

Value: Not great. The roasts are about £20 but the pain is eased if the second or third helpings come and if you get to choose a beef bone. Starters were around the £10 mark but were things like smoked salmon. Again, I think pricey and definitely a bit off putting.

Atmosphere: Old school. Our service was good, but I noted possible confusion between waiters. My trick is generally to engage them and be nice, and I rarely have bad service. Quite a good place for a date in the old school tradition and you’ll be able to chat, but if you in your 20s you will feel young.

Veggie friendliness: ok with fish dishes and a couple of veggie choices, but obviously not a first choice for veggies.

Top tips: have a care for where you want to sit. Eg near piano or not. Don’t hesitate to ask for a beef bone or query about seconds.

Sashimi, atari-ya & Selfridges

2005-08-16T17:48:00.000Z

My hunt for the best sashimi continues.

Aside from the Tokyo fish market [Tsukiji fish market] and having just caught your own fish or fish fresh from a fishing boat, your next best bet is to befriend your fishmonger [more on fishmongers in another post] but after that I recommend Atari-ya

Atari-ya (link in Japanese) has a sashimi counter in Selfridges, and shops at West Finchley [595 High Road, N12 0DY] and the one I’ve been to at 7 Station Parade, Noel Road, West Acton W3 0DS (020 8896 1552).

I’m told Mr Sakai supplies fish to many of the best restaurants in London.

Certainly I’ve found no where better for amaebi (sweet prawn), hamachi (yellow tail tuna – my favourite) and toro (fatty tuna). Also uni (sea urchin), clam and the more regular salmon, mackerel and white fishes.

You can also get whole turbot and regular fishmonger things.

If you’re a bit of sashimi fanatic, go seek it out.

£10 will do you a mini-feast at half or less what you’d pay in top notch restaurants and possibly better as well.

Mike's Cafe, W11

2005-08-13T17:44:00.000Z

Mike's Cafe, Blenheim Crescent, W11

Again a brief one. Not so many places, for a fry up around W11 but this one does the business.

Food: nothing fancy. Eggs, beans, bacon, fry up food.

Atmosphere: fast turnover, but a buzz in the morning. Not too bad for the "morning after" so if you've found yourself here post-date your doing well.

Wine: Never tried any here.

Value: Full English brekkie for under a fiver. 2 eggs and toast £3.

Top tips: You might have to wait a bit but in the sun the outside tables are nice.

For a posher brunch, walk 10-15 mins to the Mall Tavern, W8 and for chi-chi seen/be-seen try the Electric on Portobello.

St John's, Smithfield

2005-08-01T21:13:00.000Z

Just a quick one that we will add to, every time we go again!

Went to St John's again tonight. First time for the Girl.

Had roast bone marrow, roast shoulder of Iron Age pig (never had it before, it's a cross between a Tamworth and a wild boar!), wild mushrooms (I think St George's and Chanterelles) on toast, boiled egg and celery salt and Eton mess.

All very tasty, with a simple elegance.

We also took home an eccles cake (the Girl declared it "amazing") and some 2000 red Bordeaux.

One of my favourite restaurants in London. Still.

Moro

2005-07-22T12:03:00.000Z

Moro
Exmouth Market
London EC1
020 7833 8336

This is another restaurant that everyone's heard of, but which offers truly fantastic food, value, atmosphere and service - and again, is easier to get into than somehow everyone thinks. On bustling but relaxed Exmouth Market, it is famous for its Andalucian/Moorish/Morroccan food, a fantastic tribute to the amazing Arab/European crossover of Southern Spain and Northern Africa.

The food is extremely imaginative, subtle yet confident, and the menu constantly changes reflecting the seasons and the chefs' current preoccupations so you can go back many times and never be bored. When we went last week, we had fantastic starters of a sort of buffalo-milk cottage cheese, broad bean salad and crisp breadsticks, and superbly light calves brains sauted with crisp capers and served as a salad with gorgeous chunks of preserved lemon. Mains were equally stunning - perfect roasted chicken with lentils and chanterelle mushrooms, and a wood-roasted pork chop with crispy potatoes and piquillo peppers, which attracted the comment from the boy of being unusually succulent and flavorsome (so there you go). We had a good bottle of a Rioja that neither of us had tried beofre (Vina Amezola Crianza) which at £22 we found extremely good value, a praiseworthy wine in every respect.

It is hard-ish to get a table with a tablecloth, ie in the restaurant proper, on most days - but the trick here is that you can sit on the street at a metal table, or at the bar, and eat anything you want - which to me is a much more relaxed way to eat anyway if you aren't on a smart date. They also do a fantastic tapas selection, very reasonably priced, so if you just wanted a glass of manzanilla and some nibbles, this is definitely the place to go in the area. All aspects of a good restaurant are there - good decor, good service, etc - aspects that should be standard across any establishment but sadly are all too rare and therefore need to be praised.

The score:

Food: Very good. I would come back all the time (A). Always imaginative, precise and vibrant. Caters both to the adventurous and the more traditional eater.

Wine: Good, almost entirely Spanish, list - strong and reasonably priced (house wine £12.50, and upwards from there). Good by-the-glass selection and sherries, as you would expect.

Value: I think very good. Not the cheapest ever, but starters are £4.50-£6.50 and mains £13.50-17.50, which for the quality is extremely good. Portions are really generous too. If you are on a budget, go for two starters and you will probably be full, or eat tapas (£2-£3.50 a pop) with their great home-baked bread.

Atmosphere: Smart, if you want it to be, but relaxed, if you want that too. I.e., you will impress a date for sure, but if you're a sloucher like me you also fit in fine with the mostly Clerkenwell-ish, designer-scruffy, grown-up not show-offy crowd.

Veggie friendliness: OK. Tapas and starters are great for veggies. Fish is strong. Generally only one veggie main however.

Top tips: Ask to eat at the bar or at one of the outside tables. Eat tapas late at night with a glass of manzanilla and get full for a tenner.

Hamburgers

2005-07-20T12:46:00.000Z

Hamburger Union
Garrick Street
London WC1

I'm afraid I'm going to use this 'review' as a bit of a rant on hamburgers in the UK. I don't mean to single out Hamburger Union, where I ate lunch yesterday, as a sole case of malpractice - a place which has got gleaming reviews from every rag in town must probably and sadly be among the best of a bad bunch.

But the fact is, the British don't know how to do a hamburger. I only now know what's actually wrong with them since I've been in the USA for a year. But both before I left and every time I've been back since, I have eaten hamburgers regularly here (generally of the posh kind as I can't face McDonalds) and they just aren't ever right. I've had them at many a gastropub and Borough Market stall, at the Eagle Diner, which is supposedly the most American of the lot. I think I even had one at Ed's Diner in Soho which looks exactly like an American diner. I can't really remember but I think their's was OK-ish and a little bit more authentic. But basically, y'all's hamburgers suck.

So let's just get a few things straight.

1. A hamburger is meant to be fast food and if you need both hands to eat your hamburger, you have failed. You must be able to eat your hamburger with one hand while driving with the other.

2. It's meant to come with fries. Not fat chips, fries. This is because a hamburger is meant to be a rather juicy kind of thing, so you want the contrast of the crispy fries.

3. A hamburger is not meant to be juicy because it has a huge great hunk of meat in it - remember the one-hand rule, the burger should be pretty flat and not fatter than a half-inch or so. It is juicy because of all the extras. Tomato, pickle (sliced gherkin not Branston), onion, shredded iceberg lettuce, mustard, mayo and ketchup. Y'all get the extras wrong all the time. What I've just listed is called 'all the way'. If you don't want any of these, you are entitled to subtract them but these items should be standard, whether it's a cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger or my faithful plain ol' hamburger. And there don't need to be any extras on top of this - cucumber, mushrooms, caramelised onions etc just don't fit in. OK, if you are making your hamburgers at home you can do what you want but if you want to do a real beef burger don't give me any of this. And the pickle is REALLY important.

4. A hamburger is also juicy because the bread must be soft and not some dried-up, over-toasted or over-dense fashionable soughdough, ciabatta or wholegrain. Soft, white bread and if you must toast it, only lightly. And the bread shouldn't be floury as the flour gets everywhere and that's bad when you are driving, or when you are eating in a diner in London with your date.

5. Obviously, it should have had an acquaintance with flames. I actually can't remember every seeing an American burger that didn't come off a grill, but they must exist so I'll not be too sure. But charcoal sure does make a hamburger taste better.

So basically, a hamburger is something you shouldn't mess with, especially if you are billing yourself as a diner. Get it right, guys. One hand eating. Fries not chips. Pickle without paying extra. Soft white bread. Easy. They'll never be as good as an American burger but at least they might stave off my junk-food pangs.

The score:

Food: Well, not authentic, obviously. But happy cows and chickens, and their chips aren't frozen, so I'll give them brownie points for effort.

Value: Decent. A hamburger is about a fiver. Pay extra for pickle, damn them.

Atmosphere. Nothing bad or good either way. Clean, modern, fairly busy. A useful place, I suppose, to stop off at and get lunch when you have to be in Covent Garden and when you are pressed for time and money and don't want to eat at an unethical chain.

Drinks: Yes, they have beer alongside their shakes. It's Pilsner Urquell, make you own mind up.

Veggie friendly: Quite. They have fairly good-looking veggie options.

Mangal, E8

2005-07-13T21:00:00.000Z

Mangal
10 Arcola Street,
E8 2DJ map
020 7275 8981

If I’m ever down this way, normally en route to the Arcola theatre, I try and stop by this restaurant. It’s an Ocakbasi Turkish restaurant, or open charcoal grill to the English. It’s no-nonsense, amazingly tasty cheap grills.

If imitation is the greatest form of flattery then Mangal has been flattered by many other nearby restaurants, often with variations on the Mangal name or outright called Mangal.

There’s no menu, you just look at what’s being prepared, point and order. Mixed grill is a fair bet if you don’t know what you want. Sweet juicy lamb cutlets, spicy sausage, marinated chicken wings, mildly hot green chilis, all delicious and infused with grill and charcoal flavour. Depending on the day you can also order slightly unusual grill cuts; liver, sweetbreads, kidneys, and quail.

There’s a generous salad and veggies can order grilled aubergine, although it’s not great for veggies. You also get as much bread (pide and sac ) as you want.

It’s worth knowing the side dishes you can order. All Turkish staples but a good contrast to the grilled meats.: Humus (crushed chick peas, tahini, lemon juice & garlic), Cacik (cucumber & a hint of garlic in creamy yoghurt sauce), Ezme (tomatoes, parsley, onions & lemon juice finely chop with spice), Patllcan Salata (lightly grilled aubergine, peppers chopped & topped with yoghurt & butter).

Food: Exemplary grilled meats, Turkish style. I go back whenever I’m close by, although it’s probably worth trekking across London for.

Wine: they do beer but it’s bring your own bottle.

Veggie friendliness: Not great, but there are the side dishes and grilled aubergine.

Atmosphere: It’s not exactly romantic (as it’s nodding to the cheap and cheerful) but the atmosphere is great. Cheerful, smelling of charcoal, lively. Service is efficient and you can just ask your waiter what’s good as there’s no real menu. If your date doesn’t think you cheap, it’s a good adventure or maybe it’s just the type of dates I prefer to go on. Not one if you are allergic to smoke.

Value: Amazing value. Two cokes, as much as you can eat bread. Huge salad and more than enough meat for two including lamb cutlets, rolled lamb steak, chicken wings, green chilis, spicy sausage, and chicken pieces cost £22 in total. You can easily get away with £4-10 per head for a very filling meal.

Top tip: Ask for one of the side dishes. Don’t be shy in asking the waiter or point to good things on the grill. Bring your own wine, if you like.

Anchor and Hope, Waterloo

2005-07-12T16:43:00.000Z

Anchor and Hope
36 The Cut
London SE1 8LE
Tel: 020 7928 9898

The Anchor and Hope falls into the class of resurgent British cooking exemplified by St John, and indeed it was started by ex-St John and Eagle-ites. They have even poached the Food&Life team's friendly St John barman Alex recently, as I was surprised to see when I went last night.

The food was last night every bit as good as it was before I went to the States last year. I do wish that it wasn't quite so similar to the St John menu (although it goes a little more European than St J) but quality-wise, there is much to praise and the value is excellent. The boy and I had four dishes between us to share, a carafe and a glass of wine and coffee, for £42.50 which is pretty fantastic for central London. We could have had only one dish each from the more substantial portion of the menu and gotten out paying even less.

The menu includes new British staples such as a whole crab and mayonnaise, cured sea trout with pickled cucumber and dill, and of course much meat - foie gras, cured beef and celeraic, and the St John-style larger meat dishes for 2-4 people. Last night we were sticking to fish as I am so deprived of piscine pleasure in the States, and our dishes were precisely executed and varied - from the smoked sprats with horseradish through to a very good cuttlefish risotto - the pieces of cuttlefish melting and not at all chewy, and the risotto very well balanced between crunch and mush, as it should be.

Wine-wise we had a little bit of experimentation as we wanted white (very unusual for me) and so we had a testing glass of a Basque white (bright and a little fizzy) which was good, but we decided we couldn't drink a whole bottle of it, and then a carafe of Verdicchio. The wine mark-ups are very reasonable and for once, tap water is offered rather than requiring a special request.

The A&H has its idiosyncracies - no bookings, little Duralex glasses for both wine and water, and the service is not always the speediest. It is a pub with a room for the restaurant, so don't go expecting tablecloths and you may be asked to share a table, as it is invariably busy. But for the kind of food I like to eat - unpretentious, precise but characterful, and understatedly sophisticated - it is perfect and great for an area which can be a bit patchy food-wise.

The score:

Food: Unpretentious modern British. I would go back happily all the time.

Wine: Varied and characterful, mostly European wines from non-standard areas (ie not all claret and chardonnay).

Veggie friendly:A weak point - less veggie friendly than St John, I would say. But good fish/shellfish.

Atmosphere: I would like to be taken here for a relaxed first date, if I were still in the dating game - its lively enough that silences wouldn't be awkward, the food gives you plenty to talk about. But not somewhere to take someone who like starched cloths and hovering waiters. And they have real beer in the bar. No booking means it's probably not a great choice for a party.

Value: Good. Dishes are around £4-£20, rising to £30-45 for 2-3 person dishes. You can get away with paying pretty little and fill up on the good bread.

Top tip: Go early-ish because of the no booking rule, and have a pint at the bar while you wait, accompanied by the very good tapas-style nibbles they sell.

[Ben’s extra tip: if you can’t wait for a seat in the restaurant bit ask to eat in the pub bit or even at the bar. I’ve never managed to get a seat in the restaurant bit but have had fabulous meals in the pub bit. They may have changed this rule but it’s worth asking]

Pierre Marcolini chocolate, W8

2005-07-10T22:12:00.000Z

Pierre Marcolini
6 Lancer Square, off Kensington Church Street,
London, W8 4EH map
Tel: +44 (0) 207 795 6611

Just a quick one for chocolate lovers. Pierre Marcolini not only does great artisan chocolate, but you can have astonishing hot (or chilled) chocolate at the cafe.

Try the single country cocoa and compare the difference of a cup of Ecuador (earthy, almost flowery) and Madagascar (creamy, hint of sweat pea, spice). Yum.

The Ledbury, Notting Hill, W11

2005-07-06T22:59:00.000Z

The Ledbury
127 Ledbury Road
W11 2AQ

I paid a bit more than I was hoping to at the Ledbury, but this is a restaurant gunning for Michelin stars, I expect. It has probably raised the Notting Hill food standards. So apart from the costs, I’d recommend going.

The Ledbury is owner Nigel Platts-Martin's fifth restaurant (The Square, Chez Bruce, The Glasshouse and La Trompette) and it is chef Philip Howard's second (The Square) although I think a young Aussie does a lot of the cooking in the kitchen (Brett Graham sous-chef at The Square).

Enough of the history, down to the restaurant and food. I and the girl went on the second night of opening, so need to go back again to see how it’s kept up. I expect the terraces will be lovely in the summer, if there will be a summer.

Before you get to the food, you are welcomed by a charming maitre d and ushered into a sleekly designed space. All dark wood and quiet expensive elegance. (Warmer than Tom Aikens, sleeker than the Green House)

Then there is the sommelier. I think her name is Dawn and she seemed to be charming the pants of every single table. As my philosophy for these type of restaurants where the prices are starting to hurt already, is to go for out of the way, interesting wines at the lower price end rather than anything remotely well-known (eg mainly no Bordeaux then) and we found an interesting Spanish bottle at £20-25 which was yum.

Right. The food. Of course it was great, in the modern French style. An amuse bouche, dishes like roasted scallops with basil puree, rabbit and morel lasagne, veal with posh macaroni cheese, bream with courgette puree in lobster foam… but I am going to go and try it again to make sure it’s replicable.

Atmosphere… well what do you expect, it is Notting Hill types edging to the business end, where I can fit in nicely if I want to but some times want to escape from. If you’re feeling anti-establishment not one to go for. Also I didn’t see anyone who looked like they were in their 20s. Not that this necessarily matters. I wouldn’t go there on a first date either unless business posh food elegance will impress, it is slightly too shiny dark black wood, flawless linen, black uniform staff and black and white leather chairs. But then again, it’s pretty good if you want to have a conversation and I think not a bad place to celebrate something like the end of a deal (!)

If you liked The Square, Tom Aikens, Gordon Ramsey, you are likely to like this. If you are poor, maybe not.

Food: Dazzling French but there’s a possible bum note or two on the menu, so you can’t have everything. I’d come back again but could only do so regularly if someone rich was paying.

Wine: Amazing wine list. Amazing Dawn. Amazing prices. But you can pick up yum for £20 or £200.

Value: Um. At dinner: 3 courses and wine is going to £100 a head. Tasting menu is £55. It’s £40 for just the standard 3 courses, so if you are a bit economising like me, you could just get away with £50-£60 a head. Lunch is better at £20 for 2 courses. Hard to justify as a local pop in brasserie.

Veggie friendliness: if you take out the fish, it’s not that veggie friendly, although I am sure the kitchen will rustle you up something. If you have a veggie date, I’d go somewhere else.

Top Tips: (they might have sorted this out but) the taps are not intuitive to use. Ask before you go in the toilet. Trust me, it will save you breaking the taps which everyone else has done. Milk Dawn for her wine knowledge don’t be afraid to go cheaper and unheard of rather than classic. Be prepared for 3 courses.

The Wolseley

2005-07-06T09:05:00.000Z

The Wolseley
160 Piccadilly, London
020 7449 6996

Everyone thinks this place is a) really expensive, b) really hard to get a booking at and c) really snooty.

Wrong. It's actually no more expensive than your average Cafe Rouge, you can get in pretty easy if you're not fussed about eating slightly earlier or later than normal and because this is an extremely classy restaurant, the staff and atmosphere couldn't be more relaxing, polite and generous. These guys - Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, of the Ivy fame - really know what they are doing when it comes to running a restaurant, and they know that one of the most essential things is to have the best possible staff and treat every single customer as a king or queen, even if you've only come in for one of their exquisite pastries and a cup of tea, you're wearing holey trainers and be-draggled by the rain (as I usually am).

The food here is always impeccably reliable. It's not trying to be, and isn't, some kind of Michelin spectacular - it focuses on classic European cuisine (coq-au-vin, cassoulet, Wiener schnitzel, Dover sole) with a Mittel-Europa bent. The 'concept' is put very well on their website, as 'a Cafe & Restaurant in the grand European tradition' - a place where you can get a real Club sandwich, Eggs Benedict, a good steak or a slice of toasted brioche, lean back and pretend you are an outtake from a movie where men smoke big cigars and look like Orson Welles. Which is a pretty fun fantasy to indulge in, and made all the more realistic by the real glamorous people and movie stars who frequent this place - a huge former banking hall and Wolseley car showroom with gilded Chinoiserie and beautiful tablecloths.

So, if the food may not shock and surprise you, it is always incredibly well-executed, precise and very classy in that understated way. Little touches (two different types of quince compote with my spit roast belly pork and black pudding, when I went at Christmas) show you that someone in the kitchen is putting serious thought into the balance and composition of these 'simple' dishes. It's an object lesson in really good cooking. (And my 18 year old cousin works in the kitchen. I'm so proud.)

In line with the theme of doing the classics perfectly, this place does a fantastic martini. Makes me feel good just thinking about it. And it opens very civilised hours - 7am to midnight. You can order food here late, people. And they keep a proportion of table back for people to be able to drop in as they are passing (OK, so they will always have space to fit in Nicole Kidman) which somehow sums up how very civilised this place is.

Food: In keeping with Ben's little system, A - would come back often.

Wine: As you would expect, a solid stable and the markups are very reasonable.

Atmosphere: Definitely good to impress your date, to pamper yourself, for pretty much any purpose I can think of when you are in central London. Perfect for after the theatre.

Value: Good. Starters £5-£11, mains £9.50-£27.50, desserts £4-7. You can get away with paying precious little if you order carefully, or if someone else is paying, go all out.

Veggie friendliness: A little limited, unless you eat fish, in which case there's plenty. But their salads, pastas and risottos are good.

Top tip: If you're feeling really poor but want to treat yourself, you can get sandwiches all day, even in the more 'restaurant' bit. Also great for a luxurious breakfast.

The Mitre, Holland Park

2005-07-05T20:58:00.000Z

The Mitre
40 Holland Park Avenue
W11 3QY map
020 7727 6332

My second visit to this relatively new Holland park gastropub type venture.

Had a decent rib eye steak sarnie for under a tenner and good bottle of Rioja at just under £20, which at that price in a pub, it’s good job it was good.

The steak was rib eye (no provenance on the menu but tasted good) and was grilled rare, as asked, with that slightly charcoal flavour you get from a well seasoned grill. Steak was perhaps a bit thin, but that’s the sandwich version for you. The Girl liked it. And the chips were tasty even if not crispy (probably not twice cooked which you often need for crispiness, in fact I saw a load on the way out sitting in a big box waiting to get dished out, and becoming soggy in the process, I imagine).

The atmosphere was noisy (like last time) and the waitress very pleasant if having to serve a few too many tables.

If you want traditional pub this does not hit the mark, it’s very gastro and a bit try-hard in that respect. The Ladbroke Arms round the corner is more classic pub with good food (although will be crowded and food possibly slow) and for proper pub atmosphere with good pub food you might be better off at the Prince of Wales on Princedale Road also round the other corner. [Prince of Wales also serves Adnams which Hana will approve of]

Still, I’d go back again if I’m in the mood for some quick posher pub nosh and am in the area.

Food: Would go back again, but not likely to be a regular (B)
Wine: decent list from the cheap to the mid-expensive
Value: Starters £5-£10, mains £10-15
Veggie friendliness: OK.
Top tip: Grab a table in top corner with comfy sofa seats.

The River Cafe

2005-07-05T20:26:00.000Z

The River Cafe
Thames Wharf
Rainville Road,
Hammersmith, London
Tel: 020 7386 4200

I'm not going to go on about how fantastic this place is - everyone know just how important it is on the British culinary scene. I just want to say one thing.

They have a set lunch that is £16 for 2 courses and £21 (if my memory serves me) for three. This truly one of the most outstanding food deals in the city. Yet when I went there last at lunch it wasn't full.

You know that you always have wanted to go to the River Cafe but have been put off by the prices (which are pretty horrendous) and being told you have to book three months in advance. Now I'm telling you that you need worry about neither of these. Get your skates on and book now - and when you get there, think of all that money you're saving and order a bellini, because going to the River Cafe ain't complete without one.

PS. Ben and I once went here, at about midnight after a show at the Riverside Studios or something, and just ate a plate of different kinds of pecorino. And some cake, if I remember correctly. That's the kind of strange and random people we are. [It wasn't the Riverside Studios, I can't remember for the life of me what it was though - can you?!? I just remember being very very hungry...]

Sweet and Spicy

2005-07-05T20:13:00.000Z

Sweet and Spicy 40 Brick Lane
London
Tel - 020 72471081

Forget the 'Indian' restaurants on Brick Lane serving dodgy smushy food, with annoying greeters outside and hordes of lairy city folk inside. Go to where the real locals eat - Sweet and Spicy.

Despite being consistnely in Time Out's cheap eats, I think every time someone reads that and then decides to go, they bottle out and go to Bangla King or something because once they get to S&S, they think it looks too unhygenic/weird/full of scary Asian men. Little do they know that the people inside couldn't be nicer, you always get into some great random conversation, and its the only authentic Bangladeshi food on the Lane. Yes, it's no-frills - you queue up to get served and sit at formica - but if you are judging on the decor, you probably shouldn't be eating on Brick Lane at all.

S&S has really great chick-pea curry, real biryani where you can actually taste the spices and bite into a cardamom pod or cinnamon stick, great veggie curries all round and proper shish kebab, samosas and so on. It's the real deal, a proper Bangladeshi workers cafe, and it costs about £2.50 to fill yourself up. Take out, or eat in surrounded by posters of Pakistani boxers and Bangla pop stars. They don't sell alcohol - you might be able to bring your own, but somehow I've never wanted to because it's so much nicer to eat like everyone else there, with a glass of water from the big metal jug.

The score

Food: Authentic Bangladeshi street food and curries. The best place to immerse yourself in the real culture of the community and its eating habits. No booze sold.

Atmosphere: It's a workers caff, so if you are on a date with someone who wants to be wined and dined, keep away. But if you want to show off how local you are in the East End and, therefore, how hip you are, it's perfect.

Value: Incredibly cheap - a dish of curry is about £1.50, a biryani maybe £2.50, a samosa or shish kebab wrapped in a flatbread is around 50p.

Veggie friendliness: Very - some of the best things are the vegetable curries, which all taste different, unlike the mush served in most 'Indian' joints.

Top tips: Go late if you want to stock up on food for a week - they'll send you home with bags full of take-out everything which they can't store. See, they make their food fresh...

Mustang Oil, Greensboro, Alabama

2005-07-05T19:56:00.000Z

Mustang Oil
Main Street and Hwy 14
Greensboro
AL 36744

I know none of you will ever find yourselves in Greensboro, Hale County, Alabama. Or if you do, you will be very lost, trying to get from Birmingham to New Orleans, or something. But in case you do, and just because I can, I'm going to write a hymn of praise to the legendary Mustang Oil.

It's all about the ribs. Yes, they do barbecue pork and chicken, hamburgers, catfish and more, but the reason why Mustang Oil exists is because of its rib plates. Beautiful, melting, tender-yet-firm, sweet, smoky yet sharp ribs, cut up with big shears and weighed on the scales before being plonked on a plastic plate. Then joined with the slaw and their cajun fries, both of which are pinnacles of their genre. Get there just before midday so you can catch the fries when they are really fresh and crispy.

It's almost impossible to say how good these ribs are. But I'll just tell you that my mother liked them. My mother is Japanese, very skinny, scared of rednecks and with a horror of fatty food. But she liked Mustang's ribs...

Atmosphere-wise, it's a classic gas station diner. Formica, rough wood boarded walls, taxidermied stag heads and photos of hunting on the walls, alongside neon signs advertising Budweiser and Miller Lite. The cops eat here, so does the judge, so do the catfish plant workers, and the guys from John Deere down the road. In hunting season it opens at 3 or 4 in the morning to serve breakfast to the early morning hunters.

This place is single-handedly responsible for me putting on nearly a stone while in Alabama.

St John Bread & Wine Spitalfields

2005-07-05T19:13:00.000Z

St John Bread & Wine Spitalfields
94-96 Commercial Street
London E1 6LZ map
Reservations 020 7247 8724

My umpteenth visit to St. John’s Bread & wine behind Spitalfields, for both business and pleasure. Highly recommended.

I do think you need to be a little careful when ordering at St. John’s with people you don’t know well, as people’s tastes for this food can vary and there’s so much good, it’s best to gain a small consensus and then share. That’s my philosophy anyway. It can also be surprisingly good for veggies depending on what’s in season and this time, we ate all veggie (ok and seafood which strict veggies won’t count).

First, if you’re hungry grab as much yummy bread as you want (normally, I don’t advocate eating too much bread as it fills you up, but it can depend on your hunger status).

Secondly, scour the menu for what’s fresh in season. New English peas (fresh no adornment, just squeeze them out of the pod) and razor clams (garlic, shallots, some vinaigrette) were high on the list. Also French bean salad with duck egg (soft bean, a little shallot for texture and taste, yolky egg) and I had to restrain myself from the foie gras, which last time was melting, buttery and slightly milky, without the hint of bitterness or overcookedness lesser foie gras can have. All in all, excellent on the food front.

Thirdly, check the black board for specials and make sure you get your odre in before they all disappear! They often have great large dishes for sharing like whole leg of kid or should of lamb.

No wine this time, but the wine list is very regional French, I’d go for the lesser known wines and by the cup is fine. The mark up is very transparent as the take home price is also given. This might annoy some, but I prefer to know what the margins are than not. Acutally St. J is probably the mid to lower end in terms of wine mark ups compared to many other restaurants.

The atmosphere can be a bit noisy and occasionally a bit smoky, but it’s always relaxed and the pared back wood floor and white wall (for white I wonder if Ottolenghi took a lead out of the St. J book). It is simple , functional and for me, comforting.

The score:

Food: I go back again & again for both lunch, dinner and some time breakfast (see bacon sarnie tip below). Provenance of food is top notch. One of the only places to get middle white pig (my favourite breed of pig to eat).

Wine: Eclectic, interesting regional French, from cheap to burn hole in pocket prices

Value: Starters £2-£8, mains £10-15 (you can share 3 dishes at £5 and eat lots of bread, for two of you or go all out and be £20 to £40 a head.)

Veggie friendliness: Surprisingly ok for veggies and fish although meat does tend to dominate.

Top tips: For breakfast one of the best bacon sarnies (old spot bacon, home made ketchup). Make sure you check out the blackboard specials for food and wine. Eccles cakes and savouries very good to take back too.

Scoring

2005-04-05T19:18:00.000Z

I'm not so keen on scoring, although it is a useful quick glance item.

Perhaps, as a reference, it is useful to know food is the most important aspect for me although setting and service do have a bearing.

Food will get a

Would go back. Regularly.
Would go back, but not regularly
Would not go back unless someone else is paying
Would not go back

I guess that means

"Would go back. Regularly." is grade A
"Would go back, but not regularly" is grade B
"Would not go back unless someone else is paying" is grade C
"Would not go back" is D or below

These may be qualified by (If I could afford it) if there's a big value concern.

Any thoughts on a better scoring system?