Tipped

Free Stress Test!

October 02, 2007

I was walking down Tottenham Court Road today, unsuccessfully attempting to get a job, when I walked past none other than the Church of Scientology. A sign outside said "Free Stress Test". Out of curiosity, and for shits and giggles, I decide to take the test.

I'd heard a little about Scientology, though not much, and most of it referring to aliens, souls and Tom Cruise. I am aware that Scientologists are pissed at how they are portrayed in the media. I have heard some bad things, but I am genuinely curious as to what this is all about, so I decide to be objective. I also feign complete ignorance of Scientology, in order that I do not receive prejudice from the staff who might label me heretic and throw me into a pit of fire or something. Well not really, but they might treat me differently if they thought I was a disbeliever, and this way we are all on even terms.

I go in and ask for the stress test. Everyone is polite and about as uncultish as possible. I am lead to some seats. The stress test is a bio-feedback device of some kind, I am instructed to hold a metal cylinder in each hand. Both are connected to a machine which gives a reading on a dial. I am asked to think of various things in my life, to see which of them elicit a stress response. I cycle through various things in my life, and it takes a while before I get a stress reading. I guess I'm pretty stress free.

Eventually the dial flies up when I think of a pub I occasionally visit. I am told that this is because I consume alcohol there. I am then asked to think of some stressful experiences. I do so, and sure enough the dial flies up when I think of them. So the stress machine seems to work as intended.

I am then taken to discuss Dianetics a little. Dianetics is the "science" behind the philosophy of scientology. I am told that it explains the mind completely, and makes psychiatry and psychology obsolete. I'm a psychology student, so I might have a few things to say about that.

I then enjoyed a 10 minute or so debate on the tenets of Dianetics. I was surprised how open the advisor was to discussing the ideas. Perhaps predictably, I had major problems with the premises behind it. Some of the claims made betrayed a lack of research, such as claiming there is no scientific basis that the mind is a physical organ (there is loads, I had an exam on exactly that last year).

Most of my major queries went unanswered, or I was told to read the book and I would understand. At £18 I cannot afford the book, though I sort of want to read it just so I can argue against it. At the end of the talk, I was told to read the book if I want and just to make up my own mind. I was quite impressed by the way nothing was pushed upon me.

Based on this experience, my opinion is that Scientology is repackaged and remarketed self-help, but on a bigger and more dangerous scale, considering that it protests for an end to treatments that currently help people. Even though the staff were as friendly and open to discussion as could be, and the stress test appeared to work, I can only give Scientology one circle. I don't agree with what they said at all.

The above was my scientific, objective review of the Church of Scientology. The below is my personal opinion:

It's bollocks.

Just don't eat the bread.

March 10, 2008

Ok let's get it over with, the bread here is terrible. A basket of dense, doughey baguette slices with a crust so thick and impenetrable that I thought at one point an unscheduled visit to the emergency dentist was going to be an inevitability.

Now I've got the necessary criticism out of the way, allow the gushing to start. French food served by the Galvins was never going to make a bad restaurant but the sheer excellence in evidence still took me by surprise.

The single page menu simply described several dishes, most of which I wanted to eat there and then. I decided on escargot to start and in true traditional style the little buggers turned up in their shell. I am not very competent with the cutlery provided to liberate the meat from the shell and this provided my dining companion a considerable source of amusement as I wrestled with these tasty molluscs. The snails were immaculately cooked and perfectly spiced with garlic and parsley.

For my main course I chose the pork cheeks. Slow cooked until meltingly tender and served with a ragout of puy lentils, seasonal vegetables and Lyonnaise sausage the dish was a triumph. The marmite like sauce bound all these textures and flavours in immaculate suspension that just got better and better with each mouthful.

I was going to forego dessert but the waiter demonstrated excellent persuasion skills and convinced me to go with the soft poached meringue with creme anglaise. I rarely go with the light desserts because they are generally sharper rather than sweet, and I have got a really bad sweet tooth. The dessert was just fantastic, with little pieces of praline and giant comfits on top. A little crunch, sugar and cream all wrapped into a lighter than air parcel, the perfect mid-week dessert.

The focus here is on the food and the service seemed to be trying very hard to be excellent but turned out quite disjointed. The waiter seemed to be spread thin around the whole restaurant but he did say that they were very short staffed because some staff had failed to get through the storms. When the waiter was with us, the service was excellent and he successfully convinced us to go a full three courses.

So yes, take my advice and forget the bread but please be sure to try the puddings.

Tags: french bistro, bistro

Legendary 24/7 Bagel Bakery!

December 13, 2007

It's just always there and always open and always busy which just goes to show people know when they're onto a good thing.15p for a plain bagel - Incredible value, massively piled-high fillings, you'd be schmuck to go anywhere else! You don't have to be Jewish to love this place. Grab something there at lunchtime, or after work on your way out. Fall out of a bar or club at 3 am, it's open. It's worth the schlep to get there. Shopping in Brick Lane market on the weekend? Grab a bagel. Even if there's a queue out the door, it zips right along. The frenetic activity behind the counter never stops and the freshly-baked bagels just keep coming from the ovens in the back. Salmon & cream cheese bagel? Fantastic! Hot Salt Beef Bagel? Superb! You won't be k'vetshing at the price or the taste - it's to die for!

Tags: open 24/7, cheap, great value

Pipe Smoking Tipped For Return!

February 02, 2008

The short history of my pipe smoking habit. About 2 weeks ago I decided to take up pipe smoking because I thought it was cool. It gave me a reason to hang out outside the pub with the smokers, which is the only way I’ve found to get the English to engage in conversation. And pipe smoking looks cool (silly) so that invariably leads to some line of questions (e.g. what are you smoking in that pipe?). And you don't inhale pipe smoke so it's actually good for you. Then about 1 week ago I quit pipe smoking because it gives you the worst breath you’ve ever imagined, and it seems to last for days; and when combined with a few drinks apparently makes me smell so bad my wife made me shower before coming to bed; and some have suggested it might not be as good for me as I thought.

Anyway this all leads to where to buy your pipe and tobacco should you decide to start smoking, which I encourage you to do. The answer is without a doubt G. Smith & Sons. They’ve been in business since 1869 which makes me think they’re doing something right, although it’s no longer family owned. James, the young guy knew everything there is to know about pipes, cigars, etc., suggested I start with a Buckingham Classic pipe and the Old London mixture tobacco (their own blend). He also said I need some pipe cleaners, and a small tool to pack and clean out the pipe, which I bought. He said any lighter will do, as long as it’s not a refillable kind like a Zippo cause they make your smoke taste like petrol. In the end I bought a cheap one, but one that shot the flame at an angle so as not to burn your fingers when lighting, which turned out to be smart as lighting is a bit of a chore.

So I was all set to pay and start smoking when I saw their massive selection of Snuff and decided that’d be another good habit to start at 40, and I really like the look of those tins. So James gave the whole run down about how they are a “noted snuff shop and blender” and that they have some famous blends and what not. So I went with his recommendation and bought the George IV blend (also their own), and I was not disappointed. Sadly that habit only lasted a weekend, when I woke up with a bloody nose my wife made me give it a way…but it was damn fun while it lasted let me tell you.

Tags: pipe smoking, snuff, cigars

Gordon's Gastro has got it right!

February 10, 2008

Get ready for a long one....this is (according to Google) the FIRST review of Gordon Ramsay's new gastro pub - The Warrington in Maida Vale (formerly, and still known as, my local).

My beloved local, The Warrington was closed for more than 4 months after Gordon Ramsay holdings bought it and proclaimed they would refurbish it to its former beauty, and raise it to gastro pub glory. I am actually a big fan of GR, despite his egotistical flaws I have had many amazing dining experiences at his great stable of restaurants. The Warrington re-opened just 4 days ago, and I was one of the many locals who dropped by for a drink. So time for the review...

Firstly, I don't know why it took them 4 months to re-open but almost nothing has changed of the decor in the bar - and that is FANTASTIC! The pub was a real mish mash of Victorian styles and it has all remained, probably because it is staunchly protected. I expect that the delay to opening was due to the rejection GRH's requests to change the interior, and I am glad of it. Ok, the place is oldy worldy, quite dark with lots of strange carvings of nubile half naked ladies, but its got character and that makes it unique! All that GRH has managed to change is new tiles around the bar area, and that's about it.

After a drink on opening night we went for Sunday lunch a few days later. I am over the moon, the food was more than I expected. 3 of us dined on smoked salmon, blinis and creme fraiche; smoked eel; and sprouting broccoli with hollandaise for starters. Mains were steak and kidney pie; pigs cheeks with swede puree; and guinea fowl with puy lentils and bacon. All meals were fantastic!! The starters (£5-7) and mains (£10-15) were excellent value. Its hard to imagine but my spouting broccoli, lightly steamed, tossed with butter and served with hollandaise, was worth every bite. Main courses took it to the next level. The steak and kidney pie was perfection, masses of meat flaky and tender with a lovely crust. The pig cheeks were scrumptiously creamy, and the puy lentils and bacon lifted the almost boring guinea fowl to a new level. A beef roast on the menu looked tempting and I will be back soon to give it a try.

And yes we had desserts too - chocolate fondant with ice cream (true choco's delight), treacle tart with clotted cream, and a steamed ginger pudding - the winner! All at £6 each. Total for 3 courses, a bottle of lovely Chablis and two cocktails came to under £150. In my opinion completely worth it, and I am so looking forward to dining here more often.

My only complaint (!) is that the decor in the upstairs restaurant is supremely boring - beige, beige, beige. Once it filled up the buzz of diners compensated, but initially I found it quite bland. GRH if you are reading - change the colour of the chairs and add some mirrors/prints, something!!!

However another positive note, the pies and snack menu in the bar downstairs looked fab for a quick bite. By the look of the empty plates it was also a success. My only hope is that it doesn't get too busy that we'll never get here a seat again!

Tags: gastro pub

Lost Underground Station

March 26, 2008

Everyday that I take the central line into work and pack myself amongst my London brethren, I wish I was dead.

However recently someone has pointed out to me that there is a whole world of mystery and intrigue in the daily commute and I was delighted to recently discover one of these jewels of the London Underground.

On the central line between Holborn and Tottenham Court Rd is the lost British Museum station.

If you press your face against the glass on the right side of your train carriage you can see it. Right at the beginning they've even got some old posters. Then the old platform and British Museum Station Logo.

Seriously this is so wicked cool and I am working on a way to try and break in there (just kidding, due to terrorism I'd probably be hunted down and shot, either that or even worse- introduced to a fantasy world run by Neil Gaiman).

Tags: spooky, london history, commuting

A Cult Classic

April 01, 2008

Amongst a small group of friends, Jaffna's, as it is affectionately referred to, has become something of a small phenomenon.

Having been to Sri Lanka the year before, I was excited to discover a Sri Lankan restaurant in my neighbourhood. Stepping through jingling doors into a stark cafe-come-diner, you're greeted by a whoosh of spicy scent, some familiar others definetly not. At the counter sits a selection of 'short eats'- deep fried balls of lentils, roti filled with spicy fillings,fried fish, etc. Next to these stand the usual selection of soft drinks assorted with the more exotic Rubicon flavours that one only tends to see in wholesale shops. All part of the charm.

The mains are quite something to. Seafood kottu, devilled mutton, chicken curry, coconut sambal and daal remain firm favourites with the group but everything we've tried is good.

WARNING: Jaffna's is definetly not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. The food is HOT. Very very hot. But if that's your thing then try it and you'll find it strangely addictive I promise.

The service remains a comic point. Getting the whole order correct has still to be acheived but I'm holding out hope. And as for the price- it's almost impossible to beat. Go with friends and I challenge you to break £7 each.

Well worth a visit!

Borough Market's Hip Younger Sister

January 14, 2008

Ohhhh its like a little mini Borough Market! But with loads more young attractive parents pushing babies around.

Its a great place to stroll, pick up some nice organic / free range meat / veg / eggs etc and at the same time grab some lunch (Grilled Mushroom sandwich looked amazing by I ended up opting for Lamb burger - yum!) My favorite stall was the Olive Oil / Balsamic Vinegar man - he had about 10 different flavoured oils (garlic, truffle infused etc) all of which you could taste with a bit of bread. He also had about 10 different types of balsamic vinegar - the orange infused one was delicious but the best ones were the white balsamics - I've never tasted them before but ohhhhhhhhhhh they were so good - everyone should have this in their life.

The market is surrounded by plenty of pubs (The Cat and Mutton, The Dove) and a bunch of coffee shops (there's also a Monmouth coffee stall on the market) which makes it a great place for spending a Saturday afternoon.

Tags: Coffee, Monmouth, Lamb, Olive Oil, Balsamic

Night of the Living Foam

January 20, 2008

Here’s what happened. A friend of mine and fellow foodie in training was in town for the week and last minute we decided to get together for a quick bit. I’m trying to get through my book of London’s Coolest Restaurants and Tom Aiken’s was one of the places I’ve been meaning to try but just haven’t gotten around to it. Like a complete amateur, I read “French” and assumed that what I love about that country’s food would apply to this place: simple but elegant. Wow, was I wrong.

I can only describe our five hour… yes FIVE… as a full on food mugging. And not even a, “this dinner was so amazing I want to eat everything” assault, but a “please make it stop” culinary crime. Be forewarned people: there is no option of a la carte Tom Aiken’s. The choices are something like three, five, or thirty five courses. And even though we went for the lightest option we were still forced into a meal that lasted longer than my last relationship.

I knew there would be no steak frites in my future when the night started with a first tasting (and these continued to arrive at slow intervals between meals), presented on a dumpling spoon, holding a combination of foie gras, quail egg, caviar, wheat grass air, and chestnut foam. This was delivered by our tasting waiter (and we counted about eight people servicing our table that evening) who recited the ingredients with all passion of a filibuster reading the dictionary.

And the foam…. Let’s just say that it would continue to terrorize us throughout dinner by appearing on every dish we ordered. No joke, it was like a zombie. It even made an unannounced guest appearance on one of the desserts.

And I’ll leave you with the final insult: smoothies (read MORE FOAM) served in various beakers and test tubes after dessert. I feel that the choice of presentation was some sort of sick joke to prove that Tom was really just messing with us and that it had all been some horrible science experiment gone awry.

Trinity is a big disappointment

February 14, 2008

have now been to Trinity in Clapham twice. My first visit was a grown-up lunch for six at the tail-end of the summer. On that occasion, the food was very good, but the kitchen service patchy: as an example, we had a duck salad turn up at the table sans duck. Pretty feeble in a restaurant not even half full.

My second trip to Trinity was a few weeks ago and was a family gathering of four children and five adults for Sunday lunch.
Although there were other children in the restaurant, I wouldn't recommend bringing them here. It's not an oppressive anti-child environment by any means, on the contrary, all of the waiting staff were very good with them, but the menu is incredibly fussy with gastronomic terms overused for the sake of gravitas. It's also the kind of place where they will be bored.

So, the food. Where to begin?
The starters were fairly well received. Most of us had goujons of plaice with tartar sauce, which were enjoyed.
I began with a baby beetroot, duck egg and goats cheese salad, which was ok - reasonable looking but not a taste sensation by any stretch of the imagination.

We all had the roast rib of Anglian beef, which had to be pre-ordered and we were charged a £2 supplement per person for.
I'm not much fussed whether it was Anglian, Australian, or Arabian, it was a very fatty cut and the meat, once dished up onto plates, looked to be very small in portion size. This is true also of the vegetables that came with the main course: roast potatoes, roast parsnips and boiled carrots. We had one bowl of each to pass around a table of nine. By the time we'd served everything onto plates, the meat had turned cold.

As far as I'm concerned, the first rule of a roast dinner is that you can never have too many roast potatoes. There should always be plenty because everyone loves them, don't they?
Trinity didn't seem to understand this. Most of us got two potatoes and three of us had only one. One measly potato! Really, really disappointing, but then so were the roast parsnips, which only looked roasted. Inside, they were rock solid and fibrous, as well as cold.
There was no good reason not serve the veg in the kitchen and had this been done, perhaps the fact that the portions were pitiful would have been noticed and could have been rectified? Perhaps also, the Yorkshire puddings could have been placed onto the plates rather than arriving 10 minutes after everything else, when most of the food had already been eaten?

Dessert:
My dessert was, quite frankly, appalling. It was supposed to be a plum and almond crumble, but hadn't been cooked for long enough. The plums hadn't softened and remained almost entirely uncooked. The "crumble" topping was slushy, akin to batter mix, and not in the least bit crumbly.

My verdict? All needlessly disappointing.
Trinity's vegetarian options need a great deal of work. There are barely any choices for non-meat eaters and the choices that they do have are spectacularly dull.
Whilst I am aware that a number of chefs can't be bothered with vegetarians, they really should bear in mind that unless they're working in a steak restaurant, vegetarians *do* help pay their wages.

Trinity's cooking timings need to be improved. Dishes need to be checked for all ingredients as stated on the menu and to make sure that they are cooked through and fit for consumption.

Roast dinners, if they're intended to feed any more than 4, should be served in the kitchen, otherwise they become unwieldy.

It's Clapham and better Sunday lunch options are available elsewhere and for far less money.
If you're prepared to spend around £25 a head with absolutely no reduction in cost for kids, and not including service or drinks, don't bother with Trinity. For that price, you could probably even buy the raw ingredients yourself and pay for someone to cater in your home. Actually, for that price, I'll do it *and* I'll under-cut Trinity.

So close, yet, so far

March 01, 2008

It was obvious to me when I visited the water house the other week that they had just opened and, more importantly, they're going to struggle to survive unless they change some things real soon. I admit I'm no esteemed restaurant critic like Gordon Ramsay, however, there were so many things going wrong and it was a real shame because it has lots of potential.

Positive things to say:
- my chair was comfortable
- the interior was minimalist and very clean
- the food was tasty (albeit cold!)
- the layout of the restaurant was open with plenty of space
- they have a (wine) bar!

Negative things to report (I'm going to get RSI after I'm done with this section):
- the waiter didn't know the menu. I would've thought this to be an impossibility given there were only about 10 items on it.
- 2 items listed on the menu were actually out of stock....hmmm. ok it's saturday morning and they ran out!!??
- my burger was 'warm'. my friend's fritata was warm on the outside and cold on the inside.
- I asked to substitute the cheese on my burger for beetroot (don't ask!) and when the dish came out they removed ALL other ingredients instead of just the cheese.
- we had to ask for water 3 times...
- there was no atmosphere at all to this place. no music. no buzzing noise from conversations. staff were walking on egg-shells.
- the man at the door (whom I assumed to be the owner) did SFA all morning! It seemed to me that all he did was walk around and give orders, and that the staff were uncomfortable working when he was constantly looking over their shoulders. My suggestion to him: get off ya butt and go and get those 2 missing items on the menu! Oh, and fix your brand new juicer that is actually broken.

If I had visited again in 6 months from now I'm sure i wouldn't be writing such a scathing review, but this doesn't hide the fact that it was a pretty bad experience and that's enough for me not to want to go back.

Tags: broken juicer, poor service

Crowded Chain Restaurant

August 22, 2007

Well thanks to Time Out’s 2:1 coupons, I’ve finally been to Wagamama, 3 times in the past month in fact, which means I have an opinion now. It’s just ok!

I mean the place is a food factory that would make Henry Ford proud – people queue outside (amazingly); staff pass out menus so you’re ready the second you get marched in and sat inches away from random people; then they then take your orders with handheld computers to avoid the round trip to the kitchen; and finish off by warning you your food will come up in no particular order (translation: edamame after your main). That’s the part I like best about the place.

The part I like least is the ordinary and essentially bland food. I’ve now had one of the curry dishes and 2 of the Yakisoba style, both fine, but definitely not great, and nowhere near as good as you can get in authentic restaurants. The curry was the best of the 3 by the way.

Price wise I don’t think it’s much of a bargain: £7 - £8 for most dishes + miso and/or starter + £4 for an Asahi. I’d rather eat amazing Pho for £5. I’ll probably go back as long as they keep running these 2:1 promotions, but don’t think I’d pay full boat.

Not the place for married guys

August 24, 2007

I’m pretty sure PG have some kind of policy where about 3/4 of the people have to be female, hot and ideally under 30. This policy seems to extend to the staff as well, or if you’re male and work there you need to be pretty good at those cocktail tricks. What I can’t figure out is how all those hot young people afford the quite expensive cold drinks...

The space is very cool, outdoor especially, but it was pissing rain and cold as f*** so sat inside with my jacket on. Inside is quite a cool set up too, especially if you can get one of those beds (not sure what goes on there), or one of the tables that always seemed to be reserved, but the party never shows up. So just sit down and start talking to the people next to you. My Scouse friend and I chatted with some gals who out to get pissed without their husbands (book club I think they called it) and they turned out to be funny as hell. They complained about the place a bit, especially the eager staff picking up bottles that weren’t empty, annoying for sure, but as I said the staff are pretty nice to look at so that didn’t bother me.

And make sure check out the giant picture of Liam on the wall.

Fresh, fast Mexican value

September 24, 2007

Great little place located just outside the Angel tube station. They have a simple menu consisting of tacos, burritos and salads, but don't let that fool you. The ingredients are really fresh and you can mix and match to suit your own taste buds. I highly recommend the fresh guacamole on the steak tacos with some hot sauce. Yummy!

Good value with quick and friendly service.

Tags: mexican

Nothing Could Be Finer

April 16, 2008

Most Americans in London will occasionally get desperate and sneak into McDonald's or Pizza Hut for a dose of guilty pleasure nostalgia. Not me; my policy is if I don't eat it in the US, I ain't eating it here. Still, the doughy smell of Pizza Hut and the boiling rancid fat smell of KFC will sometimes tempt me just a little bit.

Luckily, The Diner is there to fulfill my need for American food. True, it does play up the kitchy retro diner motif a bit, not to the Jack Rabbit Slim's extent, but there's no point in denying the obvious. And yeah, the food isn't great, but it is exactly what it should be: diner food, and nothing more. The burgers are really good in that really bad sort of way, they call the chips 'fries', milkshakes come with the extra mixing cup full of more milkshake, and they refill your coffee 7 times before they refill your water once. On top of this, they serve huevos rancheros and a few other Mexican options, and Mexican beer to wash it down. Other people miss McDonald's -- this is the stuff I miss. If only they served root beer floats...

Tags: american food, Mexican beer, mexican, diner, breakfast

Brazilians the semi-pain free way

November 08, 2007

How do you write a review about a waxing bar... Well, I guess I can say that as far as hair removal goes, Strip is thusfar the best place I have gone to.

Strip is dedicated solely to the art of wax hair removal. And they seriously will remove anything on anyone (back, sack and crack for the men)! The staff is friendly and professional. They never make you feel embarrassed no matter how hairy or how intimately they are getting up in your business. Plus - the most important part - the wax they use and their methods make it the most painfree wax that I've had. Not the cheapest place, but well worth it for the comfort level.

I travelled 5000 miles for BBQ

November 13, 2007

You might question why an Englishman that lives in America would visit a barbecue joint on a visit to home shores. I view barbecue as one of the true American cuisines, it can make light work of some of the toughest cuts of meat and is a real art form to get right.

I live in San Francisco, home of some great food but sadly not great barbecue. My partner and I love barbecue so he was suspicious to say the least when I suggested that we dined here on a Sunday night. The place is divided into the top floor cafe style counter service joint with a full table service restaurant downstairs. We went for downstairs and my better half proceeded to order a little bit of everything from the menu. I decided to go for the lamb ribs which had a distinctly British accent to this Yankee cuisine. When our dishes turned up he stared at both plates suspiciously, poking and prodding at the meat with his fork checking the consistency. Undeterred he went in fork first and started working his way through an assortment of brisket, pork, chicken and of course ribs. The look slowly transformed from suspicion to delight and he revealed that he was waiting for something to "go wrong" as he motored through a plate of barbecue that you would be pleased to be served in the middle of Texas!

If I was going to nitpick i'd say the corn bread was a bit too cakey and the barbecue beans could be meatier but then that is not enough to deter it from the 5 blob rating.

The lamb ribs were melt in the mouth tender but the breast of lamb doesn't yield much meat and the cartileginous tissue that seperated the meat layers was a bit too fatty and took the sheen off of an otherwise excellent meal. Note to the chef, try barbecuing a breast of mutton as the older sheep has more meat on it and the tougher cut would lend itself well to the low and slow method of cooking.

It came as no surprise when I learned that Bodeans is the brainchild of award winning barbecue champion chef Bryan Tyrell and bespectacled Belgian food luminary Andre Blais of Belgo fame.

Long may they be successful!

Tags: barbecue

Right every time

February 26, 2008

The Turk’s Head Café is a proper old school eaterie with the added bonus of a range of healthy options, veggie meals and modern, healthy options mixed in with excellent fry-ups and thoroughly unhealthy all day breakfast fayre. The location, tucked away by Wapping park just off the historic and picturesque High Street makes the Turk’s Head an excellent spot for a lazy Sunday brunch in the summer, and a welcome winter warmer bolt-hole.

But don’t think this is a low rent cafe, the quality of the ingredients is excellent, the food is made in a very genuine home-cooked style with big portions but it’s not coming out of tins and reheats from the microwave. The family who run it know the food business and appreciate that fresh hollandaise sauce and proper ham makes the difference between good Eggs Benedict and heartburn. The fact the place is always full is testament to this. Excellent for breakfasts, jacket potatoes and really good home cooked specials and stews, the Turks Head manages that most rare of eating experiences, a place where a fry up and builder’s tea can sit alongside vegetarian pasta and green tea and both are brilliant value for money.

Tags: Cafe, quick food, breakfast, jacket potatoes, fry-ups, pasta, pasta salad, value for money, wapping

Trendy diner in Marleybone village

March 24, 2008

Since my mom, the ultimate gourmet vegetarian, was in town and it was Easter I brought her to Marleybone village. It was wet and cold and all the shops were closed on the high street, but when we popped inside the sleek and warm Eat and Two Veg, the day tuned around. We spent three hours eating and reading the papers in a leisurely, this-is-Sunday manner. The food was eclectic and no tofu or seitan in sight for those tentative carnivores who when prsented with the optio of starving and eating in a veggie restaurant would rather starve - you know who you are! In fact this place does a good job of hiding its vegetarian-ness. The cosy booths are done up in fifties retro kitsch, the room is large and bright and the menu is full of choice. We ate duck (written as 'luck' on the menu) spring rolls with plum sauce, a traditional sunday roast with yorkshire pudding (the roast, if you are wondering, was nut loaf) and a double cheeseburger (my mother had to actually ask the waitress if they had by mistake served her the real deal hamburger). For dessert we had a sweet and tangy rhubarb and apple crumble with custard. It was three hours well spent and we stumbled out of there a little warmer, a little fatter, a little healthier and a lot more ready to take on the turmoil of getting on the tube to go home. A good place for vegetarians to take their meat eating friends...

Tags: cuisine: vegetarian, diner, Marleybone village

Pretentious East London Venue

August 16, 2007

Had dinner here a while back and it must have been one of the worst meals of my life. The staff were unfriendly and unwelcoming, and tried to seat us at the back near the restrooms even though we had made a booking a while back and the restaurant was half empty. They didn't have any of the wines we wanted to order from the menu, and their "special cooking machine" was broken which apparently cooks meat in a superior way. The mains were ridiculously overpriced and no sides were recommended so we left hungry despite having paid vast amounts of money. The location isn't quite hip old street - it's down hoxton market, and on the evening we were there, we had the delightful addition of the flashing lights from the rubbish truck as it was clearing the market to accompany our meal. This place so badly wants to be the Fat Duck, but fails miserably on all accounts.