Tag Archives: london restaurant

The Grill on the Market

20 May

A few weeks ago I heard about the new brunch offering at The Grill on the Market. I am a huge fan of brunch as it is but one thing in particular caught my eye – unlimited Prosecco for the duration of your meal. I desperately wanted to visit so I arranged a date with my friend Gabriela on Saturday to enjoy a late lunch and a few glasses of bubbly.

We were presented with a glass on arrival and topped up constantly for the duration of our meal. We enjoyed starters – I had beetroot cured salmon salad with a horseradish cream and Gabriela opted for the crunchy calamari. We both plumped for a Hereford rare breed fillet steak for main, which was served with skin on chips, mixed greens and a side salad to share. We also both had the rhubarb fool for dessert, which arrived in a tall glass and consisted of jelly, chantilly cream and crunchy poached rhubarb.

We were dining next to a group of girls and occasionally one would pipe up to exclaim ‘wow, this is just fantastic value’. They seemed to thoroughly enjoy their lunch and we were excited about what was in store for us. The main was excellent – the rare breed steak cooked just how I liked it – rare to medium and incredibly tender – my knife slid through the flesh with ease.

If you want to make the most of unlimited Prosecco, simply take along two or more friends, order anything off the brunch menu to be treated for the duration of your meal (maximum of two hours). With brunch dishes starting at just £9, the Grill on the Market’s bubbly brunch represents excellent value for money.

The Grill on the Market
2-3 West Smithfield
London
EC1A 9JX
020 7246 0900

Tags: , , , ,

Moreno at The Baglioni

25 Jan

I have often said that Italian is my favourite cuisine, although my experiences over four years that I have been writing this blog have shown me a whole range of exciting cuisines. The Eat the Olympics challenge that I started this time last year with my boyfriend also introduced me to foods from countries that I had never even heard of before. You can see how we got on here.

But despite all of the delicious new dishes that I have been subjected to, a good pasta dish can still win hands down. One of my favourite restaurants for pasta at the moment is Banca on North Audley Street. It is expensive so unfortunately for me can only be a treat but this high end Northern Italian produces a range of home made pasta dishes and the veal cannelloni tops one of my all time favourite pasta dishes.

I visited Moreno at The Baglioni Hotel a few days ago and was looking forward to my visit like a child waiting for their annual trip to Alton Towers. Moreno Cedroni runs three restaurants in Ancona – one of them the two Michelin-starred fish restaurant La Madonnina del Pescatore. So anticipation was high.

We drove through London on the first snowy evening of the year and snagged a parking space right outside the hotel. As we entered, a welcome wave of warmth hit our cold faces and we were shown through the hotel bar to the restaurant area where we were seated next to another couple who were just finishing up.

The first waiter of the evening arrived and provided us with the menu. A short explanation later and we were left to our own devices to choose our food. We settled on tempura scallops infused with cuttlefish black ink served with clam and courgette sauce and “The Ugly Duckling”: black poached egg, swordfish cooked at 35°, pizzaiola sauce and crispy salad to start, followed by a small portion of Tortellini filled with 24 month aged liquid parmesan, finely chopped raw beef, tomato sauce and balsamic jam and a mixed salad with almond sauce and Moreno’s mustard dressing for our second course, which was followed by warm sea bass carpaccio, lime mashed potatoes and rocket sauce and potato gnocchi with ragu bolognese and cacio e pepe sauce for main. But first up we were treated to a pre starter of rich, creamy and delicious Parmesan foam and a bread basket consisting of Carasau, white and brown baguettes and two squares of cherry tomato focaccia. The second waiter of the evening was over to provide us with a small dipping bowl of good quality olive oil and not so good quality balsamic vinegar. The vinegar was so potent that too much made my eyes water. I opted for no balsamic for the second pour so that I could savour the delicious olive oil.

The starters arrived and despite a lot of black on the plates, both dishes were presented well. I cut into my black poached egg and was left unsure as to why they had bothered to turn it black as it didn’t taste any different to a normal poached egg. Nevertheless it was cooked perfectly and the deep orange yolk poured out all over the plate. The swordfish was meaty and tender and the flavour lifted by the pizzaiola sauce. We ate half of our dishes and swapped plates. The tempura scallops were slightly less thrilling – the batter was gloriously light but slightly masked the tender flavour of the scallop. The whitebait gave the dish the extra crunch and the sauce was the extra element that was needed to bring all of the flavours together. We mopped up some of the remaining juices with bread from the basket before it was whipped away and replaced with a fresh one. We were unsure why as we had only really eaten the small squares of focaccia and a couple of the baguette slices. Still, we were glad that we had another piece of foccaccia each.

The third waiter took the empty plates away and a fourth waiter produced our salad and tortellini. Waiter number two explained that due to the fact that the filling of the tortellini was liquid, it is suggested that you place a whole piece in your mouth and chew. We took his advice and placed a whole piece in our mouths and chewed. We were delighted with the result – a warm and strong parmesan liquid burst out onto our tongue and lingered until the next bite. Neither of us detected the balsamic jam and preferred to eat the beef carpaccio on it’s own as the flavour was lost when eaten with the strong parmesan liquid. We devoured the dish and wished we had just a few more parcels to pop. The salad was a delight both on the eye and on the tastebuds. Shaved crunchy carrot and celery were surrounded by leaves and edible flours and coated with a moreish almond sauce and mustard dressing.

Just as the plates were taken away, so was the second bread basket and we were surprised to yet again see it replaced with a fresh one. At this point we couldn’t contemplate eating the extra bread as we were starting to feel full and knew that we had a lot of food to come. The mains arrived and I enjoyed the presentation of the sea bass carpaccio. Thin layers of sea bass arranged into a rectangle shape were surrounded by rocket sauce. A small scoop of lime mashed potato was placed in the centre of the plate and decorated with a sole rocket leaf. I took my first mouthful and was pleasantly surprised at the flavour combination. The dish was a delight, apart from one little element – the lime mash potato was lumpy. I was surprised because I didn’t expect a restaurant of this standard to serve lumpy mash potato. It wasn’t too much of an issue as the mash wasn’t the main element of the dish and the lime flavour made up for it. We swapped again half way through and I devoured the remainder of the gnocchi. It was soft, chewy and rich – everything that a good gnocchi should be. The accompanying ragu sauce was thick and extremely flavoursome.

The dishes were taken away and we were left pondering whether we could face dessert. We quickly decided that it would be a shame not to try one so ordered the “Castagnoli”: fried profiteroles filled with Chantilly cream served with chocolate and lime sauce and tangerine sorbet and the Italian cassata with pine nuts, candied fruit and raspberry sauce. But first, we were treated to a pre dessert cappucino mousse with lingue di gatto, cat’s tongue in English, named so because of the shape. Moreno likes to use mousse in his cooking. Firstly there was the Parmesan mousse pre starter, the liquid Parmesan is in mousse form before it hits boiling water and Jack had a dollop of the same Parmesan mousse on the gnocchi. Then there was the cappuccino mousse, which was thick and creamy but I thought it was a bit too rich as a pre dessert so I didn’t finish it.

I received three scoops of cassata, which were drizzled with a bright red raspberry sauce. The traditional Italian cassata is made with mascarpone but the Moreno style cassata is made with cream, which supposedly makes it lighter. I tucked in and the taste and textures were fantastic. The crunchy pine nut, the cream and the chewy fruit all matched perfectly. Jack’s dessert resembled three small doughnuts and was covered with a rich chantilly cream and extremely flavoursome scoop of tangerine sorbet.

As our plates were taken away, we thought it was over. But no. Waiter number five placed two clear pieces of plastic in front of us. On the plastic was a printed map of Italy split into regions. He brought a plate of chocolates and placed three down on the map.We had a hazlenut chocolate from Piemonte, a tomato and basil white chocolate from Campania and a pistachio from Sicilia. We thought that this was a lovely touch and I enjoyed the chocolate from Campania the most.

As if three desserts weren’t enough, one more treat was to come. Waiter number two landed at our table with two mini Moreno magnums. I was focussing on the thought of eating yet more dessert so completely missed the description of the ice cream flavour. But I took one bite and was delighted with the creamy interior and crispy dark chocolate exterior. I had to give the rest to Jack to polish off as I just couldn’t do it. We knew then that we had come to the end of the meal. Eight courses later and we were ready to roll back out into the cold January night.

The verdict? Moreno didn’t quite live up to my expectations. There were flashes of brilliance with the tortellini and gnocchi and but the lack of seasoning and lumpy mash on the warm sea bass carpaccio dish was surprising. The tortellini and gnocchi dishes stood out from the rest of the dishes that we had on the evening. Is that just because I am a huge fan of homemade pasta dishes, or is it because this is what the restaurant does best?

Moreno
Baglioni Hotel London
60 Hyde Park Gate
Kensington
London
SW7 5BB
+44 (0) 2073685700

Tags: , , , ,

Lazy Loaf at Bread Street Kitchen

15 Mar

Last weekend was our first taster of the (hopefully) bright and warm summer months to come. We spent the morning perusing the David Shrigley and Jeremy Deller exhibitions at the Hayward Gallery before strolling along the Southbank and across the Millennium Bridge to Bread Street Kitchen where we were booked in to sample the Lazy Loaf menu at 1pm.

Despite the tempting brunch options such as ricotta hotcakes, banana and honeycomb butter shining out at us from the top of the menu, we opted for dishes from the lunch menu – it was 1pm after all. We settled into our seats by the window and were surprised to hear live music being played through the speakers. I popped my head up and saw a small band situated in the far right hand corner of the restaurant, playing a wide range of soul classics.

The whole menu was appealing so took us a while to decide but in the end we settled on the warm beetroot tart with toasted pine nut and fresh goat’s curd (£8.50) to share for starter, followed by the BSK short rib burger with Monterey Jack and tomato ketchup (£12) and the roasted rib of beef with Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, carrots, bone marrow and onion gravy (£18) for main, followed by the treacle tart with Jersey clotted cream (£7) to share for dessert. But first we indulged in freshly baked warm bread batons, which we spread with mounds of unsalted butter.

The beetroot tart arrived and I noticed that it was similar to the tomato tart I had enjoyed a few months before at the bloggers dinner that I attended. Thin slices of sweet beetroot sat on top of a layer of flakey pastry, which was engulfed by a generous layer of goat’s curd. The dish didn’t last two minutes and shortly after we had started, we were scraping at the remnants with our knives and forks.

Anticipation for the mains was high. The roast was placed down in front of me and a smile emerged over my face when I clocked the pillowy Yorkshire puddings, tender beef and lashings of gravy. The vegetables and potatoes were served in a separate side bowl, I guessed to keep them from going soggy. Nice touch. The carrots and parsnips retained a slight crisp and the roast potatoes were fluffy on the inside, yet crunchy on the exterior. The only criticism was that the beef was more well done than medium-rare but it was still tender enough not to matter too much.

The short rib burger was tall, neat and beautiful, everything I love in a burger. The meat was medium-rare and utterly tender with just the right amount of Monterey Jack cheese, pickles and a good spread of ketchup. Along with the burger, we also ordered a side of thick hand cut chips, which looked and tasted as though they had been triple cooked. Absolutely divine.

There was a lot of food on the table but we managed it. Almost. The only food that was sent back to the kitchen was a tiny bit of beef and a few chips. We were full but couldn’t say no to a glimpse of the dessert menu. And it didn’t take long to decide what to share.

The treacle tart arrived and I couldn’t hide my disappointment that it was cold. Never have I been served a cold slice of treacle tart before. In my eyes it should be warm and preferably fresh out of the oven. I’m not saying that this tart wasn’t fresh, because it was. I’m also not saying that it wasn’t delicious, because it was. But it would have been a whole lot better if it was warm.

We were tempted by the Lazy Loaf cocktail menu with a choice of four bloody Mary cocktails and others such as the marmalade fizz (Bombay Sapphire Gin, marmalade,Demerara syrup, cream, egg white- £8.50) and Corpse River #2 (Bombay Sapphire Gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, Pernod, Absinthe – £8.50) but it was Sunday and we weren’t about to face a tipsy walk back to meet our friends on the Southbank.

Instead, we walked out of the restaurant, tummies full, past the band in the corner who flashed us a quick smile to show us on our way.

Bread Street Kitchen
10 Bread Street
London
EC4M 9AJ
0203 030 4050

Bread Street Kitchen on Urbanspoon

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Sundae in the City: Chiswell Street Dining Rooms

10 Feb

Published on BespokeRSVP on 7th February 2012

Walking out of Moorgate tube station, a chilling wind strikes my skin. I tighten my scarf around my neck and follow the map on my phone, past glamorous high-rise buildings, expensive gyms and the usual chain cafes. I arrive at my destination and outside, a slightly inebriated middle aged woman with red wine stained teeth touches my hair and asks if it is real before telling me how utterly gorgeous it is. I recoil before thanking and gently pushing past her to open the door to enter the bustling bar section of the restaurant. Inside I am greeted with welcome warmth and raucous laughter of City workers brandishing, no doubt expensive, bottles of wine. I find my dining companion, Qin, and we are seated at our table at the entrance of the restaurant section, which is situated just past the bustling bar area. The waitress apologises for the noise but I think it adds to the atmosphere.

Chiswell Street Dining Rooms reminds me of somewhere I have been before but I can’t quite put my finger on where. I know for sure that this somewhere is outside of London, perhaps one of the extortionate restaurants in my hometown – you know, the kind that resides in cities outside of London, probably serving similar dishes but for more money. You see, these kinds of restaurants can charge extortionate prices because there is no competition. That’s why I love London – so much choice and excellent food that’s value for money.

The menu at Chiswell Street Dining Rooms has something for everyone. I was tempted by a few of the vegetarian options such as the goats cheese panna cotta and wild mushroom starter and the spinach open ravioli for main, but I couldn’t resist ordering the venison carpaccio, wild boar croquettes, cider and shallot dressing to start and grilled fillet of Cornish brill, buttered spring cabbage, shrimp and chive butter sauce for main. Qin chose the sautéed chicken livers and veal sweetbreads, toasted brioche, Madeira jus to start and roast Yorkshire wood pigeon, creamed sprouts and smoked bacon, chestnut cream, parsnip crisps for main. We also enjoyed a bottle of the Cuvée Frères Martin to accompany our meaty dishes. The first impressive aspect of the meal was in fact the wine. Our bottle was the house red and was self select, which to us signalled that care and effort has been put into even their most basic wines.

The starters arrived and presentation was impressive. My deep red venison looked enticing and each morsel melted as soon as it hit my tongue. Despite the wonderful texture, I found it hard to detect a meaty flavour due to the fact that it was impossibly thin. Surprisingly, because I don’t usually enjoy croquettes a great deal, the wild boar croquettes were the star of the show. A deep meaty flavour shone through the crispy battered exterior and I enjoyed mouthful after mouthful with a smattering of the delicious cider shallot dressing accompaniment. Qin’s sweetbreads looked slightly less appetising but I am assured that the flavours were well balanced, although the dish would have benefited from an extra slice of brioche.

Our mains arrived along with a side of chips, which were billed on the menu as ‘lovers chips’. I so badly wanted the chips to have some kind of wow factor. Alas no, they are called lovers chips simply because, according to our waitress, it is the ‘brand’ of potato. And after this initial disappointment, more was to follow upon tasting – hot but completely underwhelming, hardly crispy on the outside and definitely not fluffy on the inside. I guess we won’t be falling in love with these.

Although my brill dish didn’t leave an impression that will last a lifetime, I enjoyed it very much. The sauce was rich and buttery with a hint of chive, the fish tender and well cooked, the bed of cabbage buttery and a perfect addition. I looked across at Qin’s plate and saw her struggling to slice her generous portion of wood pigeon. Despite looking deliciously pink and well cooked, it was rather tough and needed the aid of a good steak knife.

When the dessert menu arrived, one particular dish stood out for both of us – banoffee pie with caramel ice cream and banana crisp, but of course we couldn’t have the same dish so I chose one of the coupes – the chocolate sundae. I took the waitresses recommendation to substitute the chocolate ice cream for vanilla for fear that it might be too rich otherwise. The banoffee pie looked very different to my homemade attempts but was a thing of beauty, particularly the long, thin banana chip. I didn’t think I would be able to manage the whole sundae but it became apparent that I would as soon as I dug my spoon in, past the large layer of chantilly cream, right down to the bottom where I found bite sized chunks of fudgey brownie. I was in heaven and felt like a little kid as I licked my lips after my last hurried mouthful.

After our dessert plates were cleared away, we were offered coffee and allowed to relax, which pleased me as waiting staff at other London restaurants have been known to rush us out of the door in the past. As we stood up and vacated our table at 11pm, I noticed that the dining room was still bustling, fellow diners polishing off the remnants of dessert and sipping the last of their wine. I left full and satisfied with a smile on my face, even if I did have the icy wind to contend with on the walk back to the tube station.

Chiswell Street Dining Rooms
56 Chiswell Street
London
EC1Y 4SA

Tags: , , ,

Senkai express lunch menu

17 Oct

I adore Japanese cuisine and I love to spend lots of money on it at restaurants but sadly, due to a lack of Japanese culinary knowledge, I very rarely attempt cooking it at home.

There was a time in my life when I was addicted to and obsessed with salmon sashimi. I’d buy a pack on my way to work and again at lunchtime so that I could satisfy my weird craving. I’d even have dreams about it – should I be admitting that?!

So I jumped at the chance to sample the express menu at the newly opened Senkai on Regent Street. Housed in the old Cocoon, Senkai is a vast space with low ceilings and subtle touches of Japanese influences in the design.

The lunch, with a host of other bloggers / journalists was a lovely and light way to end the working week. And I say light with a reason.

The express menu has four options, SEAFOOD, VEGETARIAN, RAW and RAW AND ROBATA. I opted for the RAW (£25) as it consisted of three pieces of sashimi, edamame beans and a salmon carpacchio. I couldn’t have wished for a fresher and lighter meal on a Friday afternoon.

The edamame beans arrived and were perfectly crunchy and had a crisp layer of sea salt.

The sashimi was next to arrive – the smooth and silky slivers of fish were extraordinarily fresh and as I finished the last mouthful of salmon (I always save the best until last), I wished the portion was twice the size.

Next up was the salmon carpacchio, which had a sprinkling of bright green fish roe and pickles placed neatly on top. The salmon was laced with a wasabi chutney and gave only a hint of the Japanese spice. It was delicious, although again I wished for more after the last mouthful.

Each option on the menu comes with a glass of wine, mine was Riesling J.J. Prum 2009, Mosel, Germany but it got left by the wayside as I am not a fan of Reisling.

Feeling content but not totally full (hence my comment about the lunch being ‘light’ earlier), we were presented with a dessert menu – not something you want to see when a personal trainer told you to cut down on carbs and sugar at 7.30am that morning. Nevertheless I had to go for the chocolate fondant (£8.50), partly because everyone around me did and I know how much food envy I would have had if I didn’t order it!

It arrived on it’s own at first and I was surprised at how small it was. I had forgotten that it came with three scoops of ice cream, which followed shortly after. Three neat scoops of green tea, cheery & sake and vanilla ice cream graced the plate and brought the dessert up to a suitable Food For Think like size. The fondant was almost wobbling when I shook the plate and the runny hot chocolate immediately oozed all over the plate as soon as the spoon was forced through the thin top layer. The green tea ice cream wasn’t to my taste – it had a bitter after taste but then I’ve never really been one for green tea! The cherry & sake had a subtle fruity taste that matched well with the sweet chocolate but the vanilla was my favourite, not too dissimilar to cookies and cream Haagen Dazs. I’d go so far to say that this is the best chocolate dessert I’ve had at a restaurant for a while.

Senkai is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination but I’m already hoping to go back and try the a la carte menu delights on offer.

Food For Think was a guest at Senkai.

Senkai
65 Regent St
London
W1B 4EA
020 7494 7600

Senkai on Urbanspoon

Tags: , , , , ,

Bistro du Vin Soho

3 Aug

The Du Vin Group is expanding. And fast. The first stand alone restaurant opened in Clerkenwell at the beginning of the year and now, opposite the sumptuous Dean Street Townhouse on Dean Street, the second stand alone bistro from the Du Vin group stands proud.

I entered and walked past the cosy pewter topped bar and booth seating through to The Salon at the back to meet the group that I would be dining with. I was invited along with a few fellow bloggers to sample the menu.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a large venue with high ceilings and a New England style decor. The open plan kitchen is enticing and the many empty bottles of wine that decorate the room add to the bistro atmosphere.

We started the evening with a Chase Summer Berry Fruit Punch (£9) before moving over to our table. I perused the menu and was fully aware that I could roll out of there if I wasn’t careful. So I opted for 4 Maldon oysters (£3.50 each) to start, followed by the 250g Galloway & Short Horn Cross Fillet Steak (£30). The oysters were delicious but I feel I got a bit of a raw deal with the size – they were tiny. Still, it left lots of room for my steak. Cooked on the very fashionable Josper Grill, my medium rare steak was a thing of beauty and was quickly devoured.

The menu is simple but all dishes comprise of fantastic quality ingredients cooked very well. The emphasis is on locally sourced seasonal produce, which is why the menu will change regularly. Bistro du Vin is the very heart of the ‘Homegrown & Local’ ethos that is employed by all Hotel du Vins across the country.

The sides were also delicious – my favourites being the velvety smooth, utterly creamy mash potato (£3.50) and the heritage tomato and red onion salad (£3.50). The green tomato on my plate was a thing of beauty.

I can’t remember who it was but someone suggested that we get a couple of portions of bone marrow (£3) to share. I’ll try anything so I was game. The only bad thing was I was pretty full so the richness of the dish was a little too much for me. That’s not to say I didn’t like it – I think I would have preferred it if I hadn’t have eaten a huge steak before hand.

The dessert menu came and I was so very pleased to see chocolate tart with Chantilly cream (£6.50) staring out at me. The Belgian waffle also looked like it would go down a treat but in the end the chocolate tart won out. While we waited for our desserts, we were treated to a tour of the delicatessen style Cave au Fromage, which is run by Eric Charriaux of Premier Cheese. In the beautifully designed walk in fridge is a range of 70 cheeses, which have been carefully chosen from a range of over 600 and will change seasonally. Eric asked us if there were any cheeses that we did not like and I put my hand up and said that I don’t like blue cheese. I’ve only ever tried a few but have been disappointed each time. So of course Eric made me try one of his blue cheeses. I put it up to my mouth, took a small bite and was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t like the bitter ones that I have had in the past – it was creamy and quite enjoyable.

I flitted between the cheese and my chocolate tart. The pastry was rich, crumbly, thin and utterly buttery. The chocolate rich, bitter, creamy and topped perfectly with three fresh raspberries and a line of Chantilly cream.

I am not by any means a cheese connoisseur but I can say that the goats cheese with saffron honey was a hi light. The hard Comté was also a delight. And at £12.50 for as much cheese as you can stomach, I think it’s a pretty good deal! Plus, if you want to take some home with you, all of the cheeses and cured meats in La Cave au Fromage are available to purchase.

Bistro du Vin has it all. It is the perfect for meetings, a few cocktails with your girlfriends, a glass of fine wine with a work colleague or a special treat.

Food For Think was a guest of Bistro du Vin.

Bistro du Vin
36 Dean Street
London
W1D 4PS
0207 4324800

Bistro du Vin on Urbanspoon

Tags: , , , , , ,

Ping Pong Chinese New Year menu

13 Mar

Pardon me for being so late but I have a post related to Chinese New Year!

A few weeks ago I was invited to dine at Ping Pong to celebrate their special Chinese New Year menu. I had only ever been once before and I was nicely hungover so wasn’t able to appreciate the food – so when the invite came, I duly accepted. What I didn’t realise was that we were only going to be dining with a handful of others and that we would get to try almost everything on the menu, including any extras from the regular menu that we might want.

Despite Chinese New Year falling on 3rd February this year, the special menu at Ping Pong ran for the whole month of February. We dined at the original venue on Great Marlborough Street in London and I found the restaurant to be well designed and very sleek. I looked at the special menu and was excited to try everything. Chinese isn’t my favourite cuisine, which is no secret and I think various trips to dodgy Chinese restaurants when I was younger are to blame. No Chinese restaurant would be at the top of my list when i’m thinking where to dine out. Having said that, my last trip to Ping Pong wasn’t dire and I wanted to see if this trip might be able to change my mind. Read on to see if it did.

Ping Pong Soho 1 Image courtesy of Ping Pong.

To start, we were brought a pear and elderflower collins, which was a delicious and welcome start to the meal!

Pear and elderflower collins-1
Image courtesy of Ping Pong.

The dishes started flowing thick and fast but to start we had roasted wasabi nuts, spinach prawn crackers and pork scratchings. You’ll have to excuse my photography – my good camera was broken at the time so I had to use my point and shoot!



Can you tell these are my own photos?!

The main dishes just kept coming but my favourites were the Chinese five spice mushrooms and black fungus and the king prawn and fish shu mai. I tried making my own Dim Sum at Angela Malik cookery school a few months ago and the king prawn dish reminded me of those, very delicious.

King prawn & fish shu mai-1
Image courtesy of Ping Pong.

For dessert my boyfriend and I shared the chocolate brownie with blood orange sorbet and I’m glad that we did share because by this time I was incredibly full, feeling that I might pop any second! Desserts at chain restaurants are always tricky for me as I know that the majority of them aren’t made fresh on the premises. With a dessert, I just love when it looks and tastes home made. This brownie was tasty but, as I bake a lot myself, I know that I could probably make a tastier version. I didn’t like the chocolate sauce that had been piped on the top because it kind of tasted like it had come out of a bottle but the blood orange sorbet was delicious and I like the fact that they are using seasonal ingredients on the menu.

Chinese chocolate brownie-1
Image courtesy of Ping Pong.

I wouldn’t by any means say that it’s one of the better restaurants in London, nor is it one of my favourites. However, it’s one of those great places to go if you’re out in town, you haven’t had a chance to book anywhere and you are in need of some quick, honest, well priced food that is tasty.

In my opinion (and i’m sure there are many out there that will disagree with me), it’s better than any dim sum restaurant I have been to in China town and I’m sure that there will be a few trips back to Ping Pong as a result of this meal.

45 Great Marlborough Street
London
W1F 7JL
020 7851 6969

Ping Pong Soho on Urbanspoon

Tags: , , ,

Hummus Bros, Soho

3 Feb

I have long been a fan of Hummus Bros. I used to go at least twice a week when I was interning at a nearby company during university. It was a sad affair when I left that company to start my career – the lunch options in Shoreditch weren’t so great!

I love this Cafe/Restaurant because it serves one of my favourite foods with a range of hot and cold toppings along with delicious toasted Pitta Breads. Their secret Hummus recipe is faultless – smooth and absolutely delicious. It is served smothered around the side of a dish (two sizes available, small and regular) and the topping is placed in the middle. Depending on what size dish you order, you will be served with either one or two Pitta breads.

I have always opted for the Vegetable Salad because I just love the crunch of fresh Red Peppers, Red Onion, Cherry Tomato and Cucumber with the smoothness of the Hummus. I’ll also add a dollop of their freshly made Green Chilli and Coriander relish and a huge glug of a Lemon and Garlic juice from the bottle that is placed on every table.

The first branch opened in 2005 on Wardour Street in Soho, which is a great foodie area of London and they have since branched out to sites in Holborn and Cheapside in the City of London.

I went for dinner last week and used a voucher that I had been sent for my birthday – a great perk when you sign up to their mailing list. Another perk is that you automatically get entered into a weekly draw to win free sides, drinks, meals etc… I have actually won this a few times but have unfortunately never been around claim my prize!

My boyfriend ordered the Fava Beans with a Boiled Egg (which is charged as an extra topping but this is optional). There is also a range of sides such as Tabouleh, Smokey Barbecued Aubergine and Falafel Salad. They serve a range of soft drinks and fresh teas but there is no alcohol licence so don’t go expecting to have a nice glass of wine with your meal.

At the end of the meal, the waiters have been known to bring over a complimentary Fresh Mint Tea, which always goes down extremely well.

A great ‘cheap eat’ Cafe in Soho, which I highly recommend.

Hummus Bros
88 Wardour Street
London W1F 0TH
020 7734 1311

Hummus Bros on Urbanspoon

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 3,582 other followers

%d bloggers like this: