REVIEW: DISHOOM

From the minute I walked into Dishoom I liked it. I liked the booths and chairs, the photographs of the owners’ families lining the walls, my god they have big families, the dark wood décor, open kitchen and the incense burning in the toilets. Yes I liked it all and I hadn’t even ordered any food yet.

Dishoom is a Bombay style café located in Covent Garden, it is the latest addition to a row of restaurants and counts Jamie Oliver’s Italian as it’s neighbour. Given its location Dishoom could be expensive but it is refreshingly cheap and that’s one reason why it will always have a steady trade. The other, the most important to you and me is the food.

The menu is styled on traditional Bombay cafés and all of the food is served together rather than in separate courses. The menu has a good selection without being over expansive. We started off with some signature cocktails the Chaijito and Bollybellini, both coming in at under £6. Bonus!

To eat we ordered the House Crisps, Cottage Cheese Ruby Murray, Masala Prawns, Rice, Roti, Vegetable Samosas, Salad and Fish Fingers. It sounded like way too much food for two people but the waiter was actually surprised we weren’t ordering more.

The food arrived extremely fast and the dishes seemed to never end. Everything was homemade, even the crisps. The Masala Prawns were the clear winners, thick, juicy and spiced to perfection. The Desi Fish Fingers were a nice surprise, flaked fresh fish in a spiced batter, something I
would definitely order again.

For desert we opted for the seasonal fruit crumble which was pineapple served with Chai ice cream. The crumble was sweet without being over powering and the chai ice cream was a great touch. We ended the meal with a House Chai and Chai Chocolate. The Chai is made from scratch and brewed for forty minutes, no powder mix here.

The whole meal was pleasant, tasty and fresh. At only £49 everything including two cocktails, it really was great value for money. Will I return? I think I certainly will and next time I’ll try the breakfast menu, I have heard the sausage Naan is the snizzle.

Dishoom, 12 Upper St Martins Lane, London, WC2H 9FB

www.dishoom.com/

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REVIEW: HACHE

Hache has a lot to live up to. In 2009 it was voted best burger in London by Timeout and since winning, the burgers have received a mixed set of reviews. I visited the Camden branch to see just what their burgers were made of.

The restaurant looks small and basic from the outside and we opted for a window seat at the front. However upon visiting the ladies I found the back room was actually a lot nicer than the front section with leather benches, twinkle lights and crystal chandeliers. Much to the boy’s annoyance I asked to move tables and we did.

Finally seated we looked through the enormous selection of burgers. Steak, chicken, lamb, duck, venison, fish and veggie. Each served with a host of toppings and if none of them take your fancy you can even make your own.

I ordered the Chicken Fajita burger but changed my order to the Mexican once the waiter asked the boy how he would like his Steak Louisiana burger cooking. It seemed it was all about the beef! For sides we ordered onion rings, potato wedges and gherkins washed down with a coke and a glass of Rose wine. Worth a mention is just how cheap the wine actually is, no glass more than £4.25 definitely a plus in my books.

The food arrived fast. Unlike most burgers which are made with minced meat, Hache burgers are made from chopped steak so they have quite a unique texture. Served in a ciabatta bun with garnish, the burgers were cooked just as we had ordered them, medium rare and although a little on the thin side for the amount of bread they tasted great. The Mexican was topped with Jalapeño Peppers and served with guacamole, sour cream and salsa in separate dishes, a great touch as it meant you could add the sauces to your liking. The Steak Louisiana was the clear winner topped with peanut butter and cheddar cheese, a combination I will imitate at home, it tasted that good!

The sides in the boy’s words “Kicked ass” and I couldn’t have put it better. The potato wedges were fresh and crispy, and looked so good I dived in too fast and ended up burning the roof of my mouth. A burn so bad I had too slurp my coffee through one side of my mouth the next day. The onion rings were the best I have tasted in a restaurant, freshly made and battered, the were the size of a small necklace and more than enough for two. The Gherkins were a little expensive as it was actually just one gherkin cut into four pieces but it did the trick.

For desert we opted for the Hache ice cream to share. One scoop of chocolate chip and one scoop of rhubarb and custard. The ice cream was nice, the rhubarb and custard reminded me of the hard boiled sweets I used to eat as I child.

Hache does exactly what it says on the tin, it is a gourmet burger restaurant and that is exactly what it serves. I personally prefer a dirtier, greasier burger but I appreciate the fact that Hache burgers are different, healthier and posher.

Burgers £8.95

Onion Rings £2.95

Potato Wedges £3.50

Gherkins £1.50

Hache Burgers

24 Inverness Street
Camden Town
London
NW1 7HJ

www.hacheburgers.com/

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REVIEW: PIYA PIYA

Piya Piya is located just off the busy Old Street round about. It looks like a cross between a bar, a restaurant and dare I say it, a strip joint. The décor is a little worn in areas but I think that probably has something to do with the busy club nights it hosts on a weekend. But I wasn’t there for the décor nor the club nights I was there to eat and eat I did.

We started with two cocktails The Piya Piya and the Afterwork special. Both of which were made with fresh ingredients and bursting with fruity flavours. The Piya Piya served with two lychees was mixed to perfection and although you could taste the alcohol it wasn’t overly strong and left a pleasant taste.

For starters we ordered the Vegetable Tempura and Papaya salad. Prawn crackers £2.50 were placed on every table, even the empty ones. This was a little off putting as it made you wonder how fresh they were. The Vegetable Tempura £5.75 was fine, very light and not greasy in the slightest, but in my opinion the vegetables could have done with a bit more crunch. The Papaya salad £7.95 was a good choice. The grated papaya was crunchy and juicy and it had just the right mix of spices.

For mains the Prawn Green Curry £10.75, contained a fair amount of juicy prawns and the curry sauce was creamy without being overly thick. The steamed sea bass £12.95 with chilli and lime was perfectly cooked. The sauce was light and zesty with a spicy kick and all of the ingredients were fresh. The coconut rice was as coconut rice should be, I am not sure what more I can say about coconut rice.

For desert we opted for the Thai Coconut roll £4.50, two small pancakes rolled around a mixture of sticky coconut and served with ice cream. A pleasant end to a pleasant meal, I really couldn’t complain about the meal or the service which was first class. The Thai chef worked in a hotel in Thailand before coming to England so he knows his stuff.

The only gripe I had was with the prices. I think if Piya Piya were to reduced the prices they would attract more of a trade, especially with the young fashion’east’ers who love a cheap meal.

Would I go back? I am not sure I would. I personally think there are cheaper Thai restaurants where the food is just as good. For example Busaba Eathai - yip I am still loving that place!


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REVIEW: GRAND UNION

I may as well just cut to the chase, these burgers are massive! There is simply no way of eating them without getting messy and dislocating your jaw in the process, but boy they are worth it. Grand Union serves burgers the way they should be served, big and juicy with a selection of different toppings. We ordered one New Yorker, one Cheese and Bacon, (the boy choosing to play it safe again) onion rings and homemade fat chips.

Whilst waiting we took our time to appreciate the eccentric mix of décor and lighting, so strange it actually works well together. All of the furniture is sourced from reclamation yards, vintage shops and auction houses around London. Everything from the chairs to the pictures on the walls is a random mixture of shapes and styles. It reminded me of Uncle Monty’s house in Withnail & I and thus I loved it.

The cocktail menu looks pretty good and at £6.95 a pop they aren’t too expensive, those in the know will be aware of the 2 for 1 cocktail offers the bars run at quieter times. I don’t know how good the cocktails are as I stuck to the soda but the drinks menu is pretty expansive. The food menu has an impressive selection of burgers as well as other treats for for non carnivores and health freaks.

Now back to the burgers! Both burgers arrived the size of a small skyscraper bursting out of their buns and unlike other restaurants it was the burgers which were massive not the toppings. The New Yorker was topped with salami, monterey cheese and pickles and the Cheese and Bacon, well that’s self explanatory. The salami and cheese were a great addition and complimented the large beef patty in fact I am getting hungry just thinking about it. We both agreed that the best thing about the burgers was the fact that you could actually still taste the burger through everything which is the whole point of eating a burger.

The sides were cooked perfectly, I am not sure how much you can say about chips and onion rings but they did the trick, crispy and non greasy as sides should be. We struggled to finish everything but just about managed, maybe next time we will try the fries instead of the chips. For £20 and 50p excluding drinks the meal was excellent value and we will definitely return. Whether it is to the Camden branch or one of the seven others who knows?

Cheese and Bacon Burger £6.95
New Yorker £7.95
Chips £2.65
Onion Rings £2.95



* Sign up to the mailing list on the website and receive a 2 for 1 voucher making it even cheaper than chips!

The Grand Union Camden Canal, 102 - 104 Camden Road, Camden London NW1 9EA

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SPITALFIELDS MARKET TO HOST TWO LONDON RESTAURANT FESTIVAL KEY EVENTS

Old Spitalfields Market has today been announced as the location for two of the highest-profile events at the 2010 London Restaurant Festival (October 4-18).

The first is a market hosted by a collection of Festival restaurants. The second is a glamorous awards evening bringing together the best chefs and restaurateurs in the industry. The London Restaurant Festival Market will run for six days (October 11-13 and October 15-17) and showcase the diversity of cuisines available in the capital .

The London Restaurant Festival Awards, which will take place on the evening of the 18th October. The awards ceremony will will be a celebration of London’s chefs, restaurants and the diverse cuisine which is served up throughout London’s 33 boroughs.

For more information and for tickets to this year’s Festival events go to http://www.londonrestaurantfestival.com/

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THE EASTON

Not a review as of such, I was too busy watching 11 men get shafted and no it wasn’t Gay TV. It was of course the England match. We did however eat whilst we watched and as it was a Sunday we opted for the roast, not that there was anything else on the menu. A belly pork, a lamb and a pie were ordered and when we asked for Yorkshire puddings we were told they didn’t make them. Already one nil down in my book, we waited for the meals to arrive. Good meat and pie put it back to even stevens. Over cooked roasties, red wine gravy and lack of veg except masses of red cabbage meant the meal ended like the game. Four one down and a massive disappointment.

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FIRST EUROPEAN 'NITRO' ICE CREAM PARLOUR

The Chin Chin Lab will be opening its doors in Camden Town this weekend. The ‘nitro’ Ice cream parlour, the first of its kind in Europe has been set up by husband and wife team Ahrash Akbari-Kalhur and Nyisha Webe.

The staff are kitted out in full scientist uniforms including safety gloves and glasses. I am told the ice cream tastes better because the mix freezes very quickly, resulting in smaller crystals and a very creamy texture. However I am yet to try the ice cream but check back next week and I will let you know.

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