MEATmarket

If you want a quick fix on your weekly or monthly burger cravings, then you should definitely drop by MEATmarket (MM) in Covent Garden.
Being the sister of MEATliquor, you can expect quality of the burgers at MM. Only MM is faster (order, sit and eat) and with a smaller menu, you don't actually need to spare 10 minutes deciding.
MM is located above The Jubilee Market in the heart of Covent Garden (designated entrance on Tavistock Street), overlooking many installs occupied by tourists. Inside, you will find long benches with stools, with an open kitchen.
The menu is small but it is enough for a pseudo fast food joint. It offers variation of beef patties burgers, dogs, sides and shakes.

 

We ordered a Dead Hippie (2 beef patties, lettuce, cheese, pickles, minced white onion and dead hippie sauce) // Philly Cheesesteak (shaved rump steak, cheese, peppers and onions) // Poppaz (Jalapenos and cheese with ranch dressing) and bottomless soda.

 The Dead Hippie is similar to a Big Mac, but with their special Dead Hippie sauce, it makes sure that the burger stays juicy while you indulge it. The beef patties have been marinated well and deserve to be the stars of the burgers. The Philly Cheesesteak is very filling, though it seems to be in normal size; once you bite into it, your mouth is filled with cheese, steak and peppers all well balanced together.

I actually wanted to order the Corn Puppies (mini corn dogs), but they have been too popular that MM has actually ran out of them! However, the crispy Poppaz were not disappointing either. Even though personally I am not a big fan of cheese, but the flavour of the Jalapenos managed to come through the cheese.

All in all, MM is the place to go to for burgers. However, it does come as a little bit more expensive than other burger joints (Byron, McDonalds etc).

Food rating: 8.5/10

Budget rating: 7/10

MEATmarket

The Deck

Jubilee Market Hall

(entrance on Tavistock Street)

WC2E 8BE

Asadal

Over the weekend, we had a craving for Korean cuisine. Our usual "go-to" restaurants would be Koba, Arang or Arirang, but all of those would be full without reservation on a Saturday evening. After a long walk (working our appetites), we went to Asadal, located next to Holborn tube station.

I had heard good reviews from my native Korean friends and they said that it is really good and authentic.

The restaurant is located at the basement, and once you are downstairs, you will see a spacious dining area with partitions dividing in between various tables.

The menu is quite comprehensive with a few odd Japanese-Korean fusion food options as well.
We ordered our favourite Yuk Hwae - Raw beef slices with pears and egg yolk; Fried sliced fish cakes and rice cakes in a spicy sauce; Spicy tofu and seafood and egg casserole and Sashimi salad with rice.

 All in all, the food was average, our favourite was the Tofu casserole - very hearty and spicy, packed with flavours. Asadal has not won us over from our favourite Korean restaurants in London, but it was a new pleasant try.

Budget rating: 7/10
Food rating: 7/10

Asadal
227 High Holborn
WC1V 7DA 

Tenshi @ Islington

Was craving for a good Japanese simple lunch in Angel one weekend, and came across Tenshi.
A tiny and cosy restaurant located on Upper Street, serving simple and traditional Japanese food. As you all know, there are many restaurants and cafes on Upper Street, with various and different cuisine, however, I think Tenshi is the only Japanese restaurant at the moment.

It is a small restaurant, with limited seatings, however, do not be put off by it. Sometimes, what I find in Japanese restaurants is, the smaller the restaurant is, the better their food is.

Given a busy Saturday lunch hours, I unfortunately was given a seat next to the entrance. We were quickly given the menus but no drinks were ordered. The menu is pretty comprehensive, offering the most popular Japanese food - Sushi, Donburi, Tempura, Katsu, Noodles - pretty standard.

We ordered the Takoyaki (Octopus balls); 2 pieces of Sea Bream Nigiri and Hamachi (Yellow Tail); Chicken Teriyaki Bento and Pork Katsu Bento.

If you want a no fuss Japanese meal around Angel and Islington area, visit Tenshi, as it offers good and traditional Japanese food for a very decent price.

Food rating: 7/10
Budget rating: 8/10

Tenshi
61 Upper Street
London N1 0NY

The Jugged Hare (Round Two)

Earlier this month, I wrote of my dining experience at The Jugged Hare on Chiswell Street in the City (review here), and I decided to give it a try again.

Once again, both the restaurant and the bar areas were completely jam packed. And even after 10pm, there were still incoming diners (they had the option of post-theatre menu).

We sat on the side of the restaurant by the window, overlooking the open kitchen. A lovely waiter came to greet us and brought us a bottle of sparkling water following as we had requested. He introduced the specials to us - pie and soup of the day, daily specials on the rotisserie. The daily specials were actually written on the blackboard, but it was not visible to us from where we were sitting.

We ordered the Black pudding croquettes with Guinness sauce to share; as for starters, we ordered the Breaded Skate Knobs with Tartare sauce and Bath chaps with Langoustine.

The Black pudding croquettes were really appetising, and it is certainly a change of how black pudding is usually cooked.
The Breaded Skate knobs were well executed, the fish was meaty and batter was cripsy but not overly oily, the tartare sauce was complimentary.
The Bath chaps - as expected quite fatty, made from pig's cheek or jaw, but it was perfectly balanced along with its golden thin crispy texture; the Langoustine was succulent and its fresh taste helps to wash away some of the chaps' fat.

Both starters were top notch, and I would be more than happy to have them as main; though I did find that the size of the starters were rather generous, in fact, we were pretty full after devouring those tasty starters.

As for main dishes, we had Monkfish tails with cockles and caviar butter and a 350g Rib-eye on the bone steak, accompanied with chips and gravy. We also ordered a green salad and Parsnip and garlic gratin as sides.

 

The Monkfish tail was cooked on the bone so that it remained succulent and sweet. Monkfish is a very meaty fish, some even say it is a cheaper version of lobster. The caviar butter was not as buttery or creamy as I had expected, but the dish needed a sauce. Apart from a few bites of sand while eating the cockles, all in all, it was all right, but I found the dish to be too fishy, from the Monkfish, cockles and the caviar. It sort of needed a kick from something or another texture to complete the dish.
As for the steak, it was just a steak with chips. The highlight of the dish was probably the gravy, perfect to dunk your chips in. However, as for the steak itself, it was average, but of course this is no steakhouse.
The Parsnip and garlic gratin was a yummy sidedish, both parsnips and garlic were cooked right through, but yet still have a slight crunch. 
Usually when we order a green salad as a side, we would expect it as a much healthier option (in comparison to chips or mac and cheese), but there were just far too much salt in this green salad. I could literally taste the coarse salt when I bit into the crunchy vegetables. It was just too salty for anyone's taste.

 

Desserts were Chocolate mint pot and Bread and Butter pudding with vanilla ice cream. The Chocolate mint pot was really rich with a thin layer of mint at the bottom of the pot. The Bread and Butter pudding was much bigger than I thought! Made with layers of pain au chocolats (which is more exciting than plain old croissants!), custard and currants, along with butterscotch sauce; along with the homemade Vanilla ice cream, the dish was complete.

Food rating: 5/10

Budget rating: 5/10

The Jugged Hare 

49 Chiswell Street

London EC1Y 4SA

Cha Cha Moon

Another creation of Alan Yau. Though he was best known for setting up Wagamama in London, to be very fair, the quality of the 'street food' in Cha Cha Moon is by far better than Wagamama. I'm not going to sugar-coat it for you, as a Chinese, the quality of these noodles and bite sized dishes are nowhere near to what we eat back at home. However, having said that, Cha Cha Moon offers the best alternatives to us.

Their signature is the Taiwan Beef Noodles, which has braised beef brisket and beef stock.

 

Some may find this bowl of noodles oily, but this is the essence and extract of the beef brisket which usually has been braised for at least 2 hours.

I have not been back here for a while, but their budget set menu is fairly new to me, and I find it very reasonable. You are to choose from a set menu, and for £10, it includes a choice of a main dish and a side dish (Only available from 2-6pm daily)

I went for the Singaporean Fried Noodles and Guotie (Chicken dumplings).

 All in all, this is not the best Chinese 'street food' you will get in London, however, for what it is worth (quick, simple and on a budget), you are in the right place.

Food rating: 4/10

Budget rating: 6/10

Cha Cha Moon

15-21 Ganton Street

W1F 9BN 

Spuntino

Spuntino... where do I start?
Well, I sort of got lost in Soho while looking for Spuntino. I was expecting some sort of restaurant sign or a big glass window over looking Rupert Street. I had to double check with Google and its website to make sure that this is it...

The decoration of this place is really just simple, and down to earth. From the outside, it looks like it is still in the refurbishment progress. And that theme leads right into the interior. Metal bar and stools, greyish white tiles on the walls, with bright lightbulbs dangling from the ceiling.

I was amazed by the budget prices of its menu - though simple and comfort food, the prices were incredibly under!
We ordered Truffled Egg Toast (a must try!), Eggplant chips with fennel yoghurt, Jerusalem artichoke, treviso & truffle vinaigrette salad, Cuttlefish, butterbeans and ink and Shoestring fries.

  

The Truffled Egg Toast is definitely a must try. Even though I am not a cheese eater (I scraped off the cheese on top), the taste of the deep fried toast, with fresh egg yolk and the truffle were just amazing and very well-balanced. As one of my guest puts it: "Making the simple classic dishes excitingly fresh again."

The Eggplant chips did not really work for me, the batter was light, however, it became a bit chewy. The eggplant has shrunken, therefore leaving some gaps in between the batter and the eggplant itself.

Shoestring fries really does resemble the looks of shoe strings. They were lovely seasoned, however, I prefer them to be nice and hot rather than served warm.

The Cuttlefish dish was good, full of fish and cuttlefish's ink flavours, and the cuttlefish were tender, not rubbery at all. I was more than happy to dip my fries and finish off the ink sauce!

As for dessert, I was contemplating between the Peanut butter and jelly sandwich or go next door and grab a healthier option at Snog. Well, I ended up licking my spoon and plate off the classic Peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

 

You cannot really go wrong with this classic combination. But, broken pieces of peanuts and sugar had been added to this dish for an extra dimension and added a bit of a crunch to this dish.

Spuntino has definitely been added to my favourite restaurant in London. Its dishes are simple and yet innovative and fresh. 

Next time, I will be ordering their signature burgers and more tapas sized dishes.

Until next time... 

Food rating: 9/10

Budget rating: 9/10 (6 dishes for 2 people were just under £40)

Spuntino

61 Rupert Street

Soho W1D 7PW

PS: They do not take reservation. Either go before noon or after 1pm is recommended on weekends.

 

Caravan

Caravan, located in Exmouth Market is a vibrant and buzzing place for brunch. This place never disappoints me. It is always jam packed on both Saturday and Sunday morning, filled with local who looked like they had just a bit too much to drink the night before. And all of them are here to get their daily coffee fix.

Caravan's coffee is one of the best I have had. Roasted, grinded and served fresh to your taste.

I'd advise to get there before noon if you have a party of 3 or more, if the sun is out (very unpredictable these days), I'd recommend sitting outside at their long benches and catch a bit of fresh air. If you do arrive later and find yourself waiting, Caravan will give you a bag of coffee beans with number written on them as a way of queueing. It is a very cute and special gesture.

Their Brunch menu is pretty standard with no surprises, but sometimes, no surprises is good. Who would want to spend 15 minutes reading the menu when all you want is just a good fry up to cure your hangover?

We had ordered the Smoked Mackerel, potatoes and tomatoes Omelette with Aioli, Caravan Fry Up, and don't forget to get the Chorizo on the side, they are to die for!

 

Food rating: 8/10

Budget rating: 8/10

Caravan

11-13 Exmouth Market

EC1R 4QD

http://caravanonexmouth.co.uk 

The Foie Gras Burger is back!

Last time when I went to Bar Boulud, I was so disappointed that they no longer had the Foie Gras Burger. So I had to settle for an alternative.

When April hit, I received an email from Bar Boulud promoting their new spring menu and guess what I saw?

The 'BB' Burger (with Foie Gras) is back!

I revisited Bar Boulud during my Easter weekend. Unfortunately because I'm not eating beef, I was unable to try the new burger, but food was still amaaaazing.

The waiter who introduced the specials was so bubbly and full of smile. He described each dishes so vividly that I could picture the dishes in my head.

I ordered from their fixed price menu as I didn't feel like having any of the food from the a la carte menu.

Starter: Salmon Salad
Main: Stuffed Pork Belly with Barbecue glaze
Dessert: Ginger and Cranberry jam Crumble

 

Bf went for the Trio of Asparagus (3 way) as starter and the 'BB' Burger as main.

 

I cannot stress how much I've enjoyed the service. It was attentive and very personable.

My Pork Belly was by far one of the best I've had in London. It took me by surprise. When I read it on the menu, I expected it to be like roast stuffed lamb loin, and even when the pork landed in front of me, it still had not impressed me visually. But as soon as I had one mouthful, the meat and its fat (perfect amount of it) just melted in my mouth. And the clean and crisp Slaw salad on the side was very well matched in terms of flavour and adds a crunchiness to the dish.

The best part is... The prix fixe menu is only at £23 for 3 courses.

What are you waiting for?
Make your reservations now!

Budget rating: 8.5/10
Food rating: 9/10

Bar Boulud
66 Knightsbridge
SW1X 7LA
http://www.mandarinoriental.com/london/dining/bar_boulud/

Reservation: 0207 201 3899

The Jugged Hare

I was so excited to try this new gastro pub when I found out that it is the ETM Group who is behind this creation. Having tried and gone back to The Well and Chiswell Street Dining Rooms, I had high hopes for The Jugged Hare.

The interior was pretty simple, except with heads of hares hanging off the walls! Most of the pictures were of hares and other games.

The bar area was absolutely crowded and many had to stand on the pavements. I had to push my way through the bar area to find myself at the reception of the dining area.
There are round table booths on the sides of the dining room and round tables down the middle. Unfortunately, my table was one of the round ones down the middle of the restaurant. It felt really crammed. I could touch the back of the person behind me when I laid back onto my chair.

I had the Honey Roast Salmon with Beetroot and Horseradish as starter, and my guest had the Crisp Bone Marrow. The portions were bigger than the usual starter I had to say. I was more than half way full after finishing my Salmon starter.
As for main dish, my guests had Roast Pollock from the Billingsgate section; Braised Rabbit leg with faggots, peas, bacon with mustard sauce; and I had the Yorkshire Wood Pigeon with puy lentils.

Usually I expect my pigeon to be cooked pink with the centre moist and soft, oozing with woody and oaky flavours... but this dish had completely let me down. There were 4 pieces of the pigeon, and all of them were over cooked, not by a little, but by far! The meat was flaky because it was all dried up. It tasted like I was eating a piece of a chicken liver.
And of course, pigeon is usually served on the bones, however, I found many small broken bones while trying to cut through my bird.
It was horrible, but I did not want to make a big fuss over the dish. So I left half of the remaining dish on the plate - untouched.

My horrific experience with the main dish had stopped me from even looking at the dessert menu. I knew I would not be coming back to The Jugged Hare ever again.

 

Budget rating: 5/10
Food rating: 4/10

The Jugged Hare

49 Chiswell Street

London EC1Y 4SA

http://www.thejuggedhare.com/

Comptoir Gascon

Comptoir Gascon, the sister restaurant of the Michelin 1 starred Club Gascon is the hidden gem in Clerkenwell, located right next to the Smith of Smithfields (SOS) on the busy street of Smithfield.
I had been here before for Brunch, and I have been meaning to find an excuse to come back again and try its a la carte menu. It is a perfect ambience for a lovely date night.
The people there are of course native French, and all of them were full of smiles and bubbly attitudes.

An Amuse Bouche was brought to our table - Crisp Flatbread with Tomato and Chives Sour Cream.

 

The menu is small but comprehensive, with a few dishes under each categories - Duck, Meat, Fish, Vegetables and Sides.
We ordered the famous Piggy's Treats and Clams with Grilled Chorizo for starters, and as for main, we had Duck Confit and the Duck Burger Deluxe. (FYI if you wanted to try its award winning Foie Gras Burger with Winter Truffle, it comes as a Starter size)

The Piggy's Treats were compiled of variations of Charcuterie (includes Black pudding, terrine and salami etc). It was very well executed, however, we felt that it is missing a few pieces of bread to go with the dish. 
As for the Clams, I personally found the sauce a little too salty for my taste buds, however, you can't really go wrong with a piece of seafood with chorizo.

The Duck Burger Deluxe includes a big piece of foie gras which was delightful and is the perfect accompaniment alongside its soft brioche.
The Duck Confit was good, afterall it is a traditional French dish, so no surprises there.
We ordered the French Fries cooked in Duck Fat and sprinkled with Crazy Salt and Juicy Green in Confit Lemon. The taste of lemon was so over-powering that I could taste the bitterness of it.


Overall, I adore this cute little restaurant, in particular with its impeccable prices (our bill was just under £90 with 1/2 bottle of wine + service)

Budget Rating: 8/10
Food rating: 8/10

Comptoir Gascon
63, Charterhouse Street
London EC1M 6HJ
http://www.comptoirgascon.com
*Reservation in advance is advised*

Apologies on the poor quality of the photos.