Archive For The “Asian” Category
Black Roe Poke Bar and Grill launched in the heart of Mayfair in March 2016 and it’s one of my favourite spots. The dark grey, portrait-hung walls create a cocoon of calm in Mayfair. It isn’t glitzy, you don’t have to be an A-lister to be allowed in, but it is smart-casual, with delicious embellishments….
Chotto Matte is one of my favourite Soho restaurants. It’s original, reasonably priced and the food is always exceptional. I have previously visited for dinner (read my review here) and this second visit for Brunch did not disappoint. Each brunch booking allows the diners (minimum of 2) a couple of cocktails and prosecco, beer or…
From the man behind one of London’s most groundbreaking modern Indian restaurants, The Cinnamon Club, Vivek Singh announces the opening of his latest restaurant Cinnamon Kitchen at London’s iconic Grade II*-listed landmark, Battersea Power Station this March. The sleek, urban-inspired restaurant located within a quirky railway arch will be open for brunch, lunch and dinner…
One couldn’t think of a better location for this latest Ippudo. I have visited one other branch, the one in St Giles Piazza, but I have never had the opportunity to review. The new Ippudo is just along from Embankment Underground station so it couldn’t be more convenient. Villiers Street connects the Strand with Victoria…
So, what does one do when a long-loved favourite restaurant closes? Sit in a darkened room in a state of sad dismay? Or, perhaps one visits the newcomer with expectations of disappointment? I did both, but the former, it turns out, was totally over-dramatic and a waste of time, and the latter was unnecessary as…
Hot Pot: a sumptuous DIY event Hot Pot is a sociable activity that allows family and friends to gather together around the pot to celebrate the tradition of sharing – the tradition of Hot Pot. With over 150 Hot Pot restaurants in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, this particular branch in London’s Chinatown has won me…
Diners at the front tables of Chino Latino have a stunning view To the untutored this location might not seem the best, being on the ‘other side of the river’. However, it has great transport links, being set between Waterloo and Vauxhall stations, with fleets of convenient red buses running past the door – or…
Chotto Matte is Japanese for ‘please wait a minute’. No, dear reader, don’t go thinking that this is a veiled threat of slow service. It’s surely more a statement that dishes are freshly prepared. It’s not a matter of waiting but more like allowing yourself a little time to anticipate. Having said that, Chotto Matte…
Black Roe is tucked away in a side street in the heart of Mayfair. It couldn’t be better located for transport and diners. This is a neighbourhood with plenty of restaurants but it is making its mark, attracting visitors who want quality food and something a little unique. Pacific Rim cuisine is what’s offered here…
Yes, dear reader, this is a chain restaurant and I make no apologies for reviewing a Thai Square. Why do chains become chains? Because they become popular. And why are they popular? Because they’re good. Thai Square has been around for a few years now and they have not dropped their standards one bit. The…
I have written a book about Indian restaurants but they were all in London. I review Indian restaurants almost every month but I have never reviewed one outside the UK hub of Indian food – our capital city. But here I was in a traditional English seaside town and a long way from home, and…
The original Jamavar opened in 2001 at The Leela Palace Bengaluru in India and was named among the World’s Top 10 Power Dining Spots by Forbes USA. Over the next few years it expanded to other internationally acclaimed Leela properties in New Delhi, Chennai, Goa and Mumbai. Jamavar London is the first overseas branch. The…
Ichiryu Hakata Udon House is from the same stable that brings you Japan Centre and the chain of Japanese restaurants, Shoryu. Ichiryu is a well-placed eatery on New Oxford Street, and even after just a couple of months it’s enjoying a loyal following of office workers, shoppers, and I hear it’s been discovered by a…
[This venue is now closed] Japanese food is becoming more popular. There have long been very smart Japanese restaurants in London and they have been serving the most delicious and most intricate dishes to customers who appreciate refined cuisine. Now we see a veritable rash of more reasonably priced Japanese noodle restaurants, but there are…
Situated in the heart of Mayfair, Benares serves Michelin-starred modern Indian cuisine and is famed for doing that. This is fine dining and gives other such restaurants a run for their culinary money, and that’s restaurants of any gastronomic persuasion. Named after India’s holy city, Benares, this restaurant offers only hints of its ethnicity in…
I confess, I had no idea what to expect. Yes, it was going to be Japanese. But a Sunday Brunch Buffet? How was that going to work? In my admittedly somewhat limited experience, Japanese food comes in two varieties: first – casual noodles; second – etiquette-riddled kaiseki cuisine. So how would a Sunday brunch buffet…
It’s a part of Soho that has been the haunt of those seeking dubious nocturnal delights down the centuries, but also those associated with the arts and literature. Greek Street, running from Shaftesbury Avenue to Soho Square, might take its name from the Greek Church (later St. Mary’s) built in 1677. The church was on…
One might not have heard of Anise Bar but it’s likely the discerning diner will have heard of Cinnamon Kitchen by Vivek Singh. Perhaps one might not have heard of Devonshire Square but everyone has heard of the City of London. There are associations with India in the very fabric of the buildings here. Between…
This is a leafy corner of the capital. It’s not a neighbourhood of steel and glass. This is the preserve of people who actually live here and those who choose to visit this end of Kensington High Street to seek out a little charm and calm. Now there is a new draw along this high-end…
The name had me curious from the start. There is an explanation, however. Joe is a ‘regular Joe’ indicating a casual inclusiveness and he could be from anywhere and going anywhere. That just about sums up London. The restaurant describes the Talli element thus: “Talli /T-uh-li/ tipsy (adjective), a happy intoxicated state of being, often…