Tipped

Back in love with Chinese food

May 08, 2008

We recently discovered Pearl Liang through rave reviews and a 'best of chinese' in London and was so suprised that is just down the road from our house at the sterile Paddington basin. No doubt attracting a large work crowd at lunches, we went along on a Saturday and the place was about 80% full by 9pm.

I ate A LOT of chinese food as a teenager. My dad sang every weekend at a Chinese restaurant in Sydney and he always brought back food, so I overdosed on the stuff by 16 and swore never to eat it again. Since living in London I've enjoyed the trendy delights of Yauatcha and Hakkasan but whilst delicious (former) and over-rated (latter) to me these places were not true cantonese style chinese food.

So what a pleasure Pearl Liang is. The food fantastic. We ordered way to much and stuff it all down. Salt and pepper squid and scallops for starters were spicy. Peking duck, pancakes etc were wonderful and served at the table with panache. Char sui pork melted in my mouth and the egg fried rice was the best I had tasted in years (or ever). I think the rice was prepared with beef or chicken stock so be warned vegetarians, but the flavour it provided was fabulous. Prices were reasonable and to me so much better value than earlier mentioned Hakkasan. Most of all the service was delightful - the chinese staff were attentive and the little touches as they delivered the food were lovely.

So whilst the location is a bit strange, its worth the trip. I am sure you will enjoy it. I have to go back and try the dim-sum!

Not so good second time around

March 13, 2008

Yes you all loved my first Warrington review, I raved on and on about the quality of the food. So much so that I went back for a mid week dinner, with friends whose expectations I had elevated. Maybe I wasn't wearing my rose coloured glasses, or maybe my recent meal at Galvin Bistrot had raised the bar, but a few issues made my second trip to the Warrington restaurant a let down.

The first little niggle, we ordered champagne at the bar downstairs but we weren't able to add it to the restaurant bill which seemed silly to me. However we did take our half full flutes upstairs when it was time for dinner, which made up for that. The menu had changed from my last visit a few weeks ago and there were some exciting new additions. I was also pleased to find that the dinner prices were no different to lunch which surprised me having read other reviews complaining about the price. I still stand by my comments that the standard of food is good for the price.

But between 5 diners and 3 courses we had a few disappointments. My husband found his dressed crab starter quite bland, but conversely our friend's white onion and cheddar soup was divine. My clams, bacon and cider were also very yummy. Main courses were mixed. The whole sea bream chosen by two of us was delicate, and quite a large serving. My husband chose a German dish (can't remember the name) - a sausage casserole. It was ok but nothing to write home about. My biggest regret was the steak and kidney pie. After tasting my friend's pie at our last visit, which had a lovely rich filling, the steak flaky and melt in the mouth, I had to have it! But it was a disaster. The pastry was great but as I peeled it open I found the meats overcooked and rubbery, floating in brown water. I really don't know what happened. I managed to eat about half but decided to give up and save room for desert. Fortunately the waitress asked what the issue was, and soon came back with apologies from the chef and an offer to remove the meal from our bill. For desert we shared rhubarb crumble (spot on) and a lovely British cheese selection.

Service was great, and I was pleased that they removed the pie from our bill but overall I was let down by the experience. But I'm not giving up. Since The Warrington is just down the road, I will be back for another try but not sure I will go for the S&K pie again!

Fabulous French Bistrot

March 10, 2008

Sunday brunch at Galvin Bistrot de Luxe was tres magnifique! My husband and I enjoyed a lovely 3 course meal with another couple celebrating joint birthdays for the boys. This is a great restaurant in a very uninteresting part of Marylebone, about half way down Baker street surrounded by dull high street stores. But once you step inside the entrance you are transported to an airy bright french bistro. The windows onto the street have discreet curtains which hide diners from the ugly traffic and modern buildings along Baker Street. Inside there are high ceilings which make the room feel spacious despite its narrow frontage. Decor is classic dark wooden tones with crips white table cloths - tres chic.

And now for the food. We started with 2 x smoked salmon, a dozen escargot and a roast quail salad. The smoked salmon was simply presented but tasted of the highest quality. My quail salad was delicious, the tart blood orange cutting the fatty quail perfectly. And my hubby loved his escargots (not really my cup of tea!).

Main courses were excellent. Our friends went for the roast beef which was almost bloody - that was the rarest Sunday roast I've ever seen. But by the look of their spotless plates they enjoyed the beef just as it was served, with potatoes and a red wine jus. My lamb was delicious - in two parts. Succulent shoulder of lamb cooked with raisins and pine nuts wrapped in pastry accompanied with a rare but delicious lamb cutlet. I polished off the veges but can't even remember what they were as the shoulder of lamb absorbed my palate's attention. My husband silently scoffed his pork cheeks and puy lentils. Yummy!

Desserts - 2 blueberry souffles with vanilla ice cream were hoovered up in seconds. My husband's tarte tartine was deliciously caramelised and the chocolate pot was perfect for our chocoholic mate. Matching dessert wines helped finish the meal. Add to that a bottle of champagne and a bottle of red with the mains and I thought it was an outstanding meal for £65 pp including service. Having eaten at Hakkasan a few nights earlier and paid more money for less food, made Galvin all the more enjoyable.

The restaurant was only about 50% full - which amazed me. I'll be back again and I definitely recommend Galvin for a great, long de Luxe Sunday Lunch.

Perfect alternative to black cabs

March 09, 2008

I am huge fan of London Black Cabs. If I am ever out in London at night on my own it is the only way I will travel home. But if you have a planned journey then Addison Lee is the ideal choice. An internet site makes it really easy to book a car in advance - and the experience is fast and efficient. The prices are about on par with a black cab but the cars are all a high standard, and whilst the drivers may not have the same 'knowledge' as London black cabbies, they do all have GPS instead.

Over-hyped

March 09, 2008

The food here is definitely delicious. I'm not a fan of chinese food (too much of it as a teenager) but I was very satisfied with our selections for dinner. Lovely crisp soft shell crab and thai style quail stir fry kicked off the meal. Our main courses of roast duck (succulent but not too fatty) and mongolian style venison were delicious - the venison simply melted in my mouth. But despite the food, I give Hakkason just 2*.

Why - maybe we were just unlucky but a few things didn't go our way. Limited dessert options as the pastry section was being renovated - just fruit salad or a chocolate pudding. As this was a birthday dinner this was dissapointing and I wish we were informed of this when booking (or even when they seated us)! Second issue - the mens toilets were blocked and there was water all over the floor in the ladies. Obviously this could not have been planned and the staff were doing everything they could to make sure no one slipped and hurt themselves but it definitely took the shine off our experience.

And finally the service - it is efficient but very impersonal (apart from the sommelier who loved our wine choice). For these prices and a Michelin star I expect more. So whilst the food is great it doesn't measure up to the Michelin package I would expect.

Should of ordered mac'n'cheese?

March 09, 2008

My second visit to Automat was a definite disappointment. Out for an early lunch we popped into Automat about midday. As we didn't booked we were seated in the front area which is nice though lacks the warmth of the booths in the middle section and buzz of the open kitchen at the back - booked ahead to experience those.
A previous dinner experience was good - I remember we were pretty pleased with our steaks. But lunch this time was a big disappointment. Wanting something relatively light I ordered onion soup and a ceasar salad, my husband had the Automat burger. Both meals were below standard, especially for Mayfair. My soup was topped with a huge slice of bread covered in cheese - at this stage I was ok with the fact I could scoop it onto the side plate, but thought a slice of bread was OTT and perhaps gratinated croutons might have been more delicate. However worse still the bottom quarter of the bowl was filled further with grated cheese. The flavour of the soup itself was great but the cheese was waaaaaaaaay too much. My ceasar salad also failed to please. The lettuce was fresh but shredded into bite size pieces which I felt spoilt the 'crispness' that I expect from my ceasar salad. Too much dressing and soggy bacon did not add to the experience. A poached egg might have lifted the dish but was absent. My husband described his burger as dry and fries overcooked. So maybe the regular chef was away during this visit, but despite good wines and ok service I won't be giving Automat another chance.

They didn't know what hit them

March 07, 2008

I organised a night out for 12 girls and took a risk on getting a table at a gastropub without booking. My risk backfired and I felt very stupid as I wandered around Belgravia with my group of friends searching for a place to eat and drink.

Actually we did not have to go too far, as the Ebury Wine Bar had enough space to accommodate us. There weren't any tables available when we arrived but slowly as people left we took over the small bar seating area. I think the noise from our gaggle probably drove people out but the staff were friendly, despite this usually being a very stuffy Belgravia establishment.

Being a wine bar, the wine list was extensive and we enjoyed a nice Pinot Noir which was reasonable priced ~ £16. The bar snacks were yummy, particularly the whitebait and they also had whole roasted garlic for anyone brave enough. I've eaten in the restaurant before and enjoyed the food. Its a great spot not to far from the gastronomic desert that is Victoria.

Buona pizza autentica

March 04, 2008

I love The Red Pepper. Its a tiny Italian place in Little Venice. The food is always great - authentic Italian pastas and pizzas with excellent daily specials featuring seasonal ingredients. The service is prompt with an Italian charm. Prices are moderate but the quality is high. Tables are a little jammed-in as the place is small and always booked out at weekends. So I put up with the squeeze for a chance to get a great pizza washed down with a nice chianti.

Go for the music, early in the week

March 04, 2008

I've only been to Floridita for drinks, and only early in the week. Turning up without a reservation Thu,Fri,Sat is pointless. I've never eaten there so I can't comment on the food but the cocktails are great (if you like rum)! Until the smoking ban friends often enjoyed a cigar with their mojito, but I don't miss the smell of smoke. My experience of the service has been flaky. At times adequate attention taking orders and serving, at other times no sight of a waitress even when the place is virtually empty. All that said, I really love the live music combined with the cocktails so I keep going back. Just stick to a Tuesday or Wednesday!

Is French toast this good in France

March 04, 2008

I've had drinks and coffees at The Providores before all of which was fine, but recently I went there for breakfast and it was a dream. I had fabulous french toast, with banana, crisp bacon and syrup and my only complaint was I wanted more, but the portion size was fine - I was being greedy! My husband silently hoovered up his Full English which was a thumbs up from him. Coffees were strong and delicious. The breakfast menu was extensive, a rare find with so many interesting options to start the day, and I'm keen to go back and try the other tempting dishes.