MonkeyC's Profile
[London] - Handmade Noodles
On Saturdays and Sundays there is a stall in Brick Lane (under the railway bridge) run by a husband and wife team. The hand-pulled noodles are pulled when you order. Most of the broths are quite good, although I prefer the more meaty ones. Great bargain at five pounds or so.
Dan dan mian was a bit thin for my taste. The buns etc are merely okay. I have heard that they are at Greenwich Market during the week.
Sunday lunch by Tate Modern + Nice dinner in Mayfair [London]
Tapas Brindisa, in Borough Market, is usually open on Sundays. You can walk by there on the way from Tate Modern to the Design Museum and see if there is room for you.
Honeymoon in London April 2-4th
Having lived in SF and London, I wouldn't bother with Japanese food in London. I'm assuming you live in CA, based on your list. One can get great Japanese food in London; however, it still isn't as good as in SF. I think there just isn't the Japanese population to sustain it.
If you want to splurge on great British cuisine, I love Magdalen on Tooley Street by London Bridge Station.
Dining In or Near Dulwich
For lunch, the Dulwich Picture Gallery Cafe is really nice. And the museum is lovely.
We've been told that Green & Blue on Lordship Lane is very good, but we haven't had a chance to try it yet.
El Querce is further afield, but makes wonderful simple pasta and very imaginative gelato.
What's the point of Borough Market? [London]
Well... I'm fortunate enough to work nearby so I can pick and choose when I go to the market. Early in the week the selection is limited; however, Gastronomica, Neal's Yard, Chegworth, Applebee's Fish, Ginger Pig, Brindisa, Wyndham House Poultry etc are all open most of the week. So, actually, I do my daily grocery shopping there every day at lunch time. This also means that I am familiar with most of the vendors and can tell which products are "a good deal".
One doesn't NEED to buy the expensive cuts or the posh chocolates. 50p lamb hearts from the Ginger Pig, some St John's bread from Neal's Yard, plus a £2 bag of salad from Chegworth make a very decent dinner!
Is there anything decent to eat for lunch in Salisbury?
We recently had a decent dinner at The Pheasant Inn, 19 Salt Lane. Lovely old building, nice atmosphere with well-priced food and good beer.
http://www.restaurant-salisbury.com/index.html
Help! Stinky cheese is ruining my fridge!
I use a Tefal Cheese Preserver which has an activated carbon filter. This prevents odors and regulates humidity. You can also buy replacement filters. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I had to go to France to buy it. Works great, and let's just say my cheeses are not shy!
Putting them in tupperware is okay, give them some room to breathe. Cheese can then be wrapped in wax paper or parchment paper. Wrapping your cheese in plastic makes it wet and slimy. This makes the smell worse and the cheese gets disgusting pretty rapidly.
Restaurant Picks for June Trip to London
The famed cheese sandwich has been banished and is now found under some railway arches in Bermondsey.
http://www.kappacasein.com/
New Aroma, Chinatown, London - promising Fuzhou cuisine
Just found your link! Earlobe soup?
Is it wood ears/fungus? But that looks like duǒ (ears... or maybe flowers...)
Sorry, me illiterate.
What's the point of Borough Market? [London]
Well, you can walk from Bermondsey tube to Kappacasein (a few minutes)
http://www.kappacasein.com/
and then on to Maltby/Druid St for your coffee, veg, meats, beer etc
(ten minutes)
http://www.maltbystreet.com/
Then, ten minutes to Borough Market. Although now you don't need anything from the Market! The Market Trustees are right. All their loyal customers can now shop elsewhere without fighting the tourists.
What's the point of Borough Market? [London]
The Borough Market statement continued: "Some in this group of eight openly promote the out-dated line that Borough Market is a tourist trap and that our intelligent and discerning food shoppers should come to the new Maltby Street market instead. For those who firmly believe this, the only route is to leave the market."
Well, this intelligent and discerning food shopper has finally been driven from Borough Market. Go tourists!
Can you eat at the bar at Bocca di Lupo--London? Other restaurant thoughts as well!
Ha ha, sadly, no. Besides Mr Monkey might not like sharing his date!
If you want small plates of tasty treats, good wine...
you could also check out Vinoteca (no booking)
http://www.vinoteca.co.uk/
or Comptoir Gascon (can book)
http://www.comptoirgascon.com/cg_intro.php
Terroirs (can book)
http://www.terroirswinebar.com/
What's the point of Borough Market? [London]
I quite agree with Gemuse. Borough Market is really useful if you can go daily or if you need some specialty item. Of course, if you only go once in a while, it will probably be impossible to know if that specialty item is sold in Borough Market, much less find it efficiently.
I am lucky enough to work nearby. This makes it very easy to shop daily for fresh fish/meats/produce, which winds up being pretty inexpensive, especially when quality is taken into account. Then you get a sense for which stalls have the freshest stuff for the best price. Of course, being a regular also helps, because the vendors are usually generous with repeat customers. I do avoid the market on Saturdays and after 12 on Fridays, because one usually has to wade through gawking tourists to get to anything.
The market management does seem to be pushing the market towards tourist trap. This is rather irritating as many of the cheaper [less flashy] vendors have been pushed out in favor of fancier stuff [nice packaging for tourists]. Many of them aren't even allowed to serve prepared foods on Saturday; odd, since tourists could at least buy lunch. It doesn't make much sense, as the tourists take lots of photos and clog up the place but they are very unlikely to buy wild beef or line caught fish etc...
sigh...
Can you eat at the bar at Bocca di Lupo--London? Other restaurant thoughts as well!
I think you can. However the several times we have tried, it has always been full up. I did manage to make reservations for "the Chef's Table" on Friday, which I presume to be the bar facing the kitchen. Will report back.
Polpetto is really good but they don't take any reservations. We have only managed to get seated when we go early (before 6:30 PM).
Great meal near Picadilly undergroud line (London)?
Terroirs is a few minutes from Covent Garden. Small plates, great wine list. Bar seating. Bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable - should be very comfortable for the single diner.
http://www.terroirswinebar.com/
5 William IV Street
London WC2N 4DW
Dining Room at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society [Edinburgh]
Fabulous post! Apparently members can also stay at the SMWS flats... Maybe it's time to take the plunge.
Pizza al taglio, London
Crossrail killed Spaccanapoli. Fortunately, they all moved to Santore in Exmouth Market. Same happy pizza and antipasti.
Moving to London
All true! We didn't quite live in the "posh" part of Greenwich, so all of those annoyances just kind of added up. There are indeed many good things about Greenwich, great wine stores (Theatre of Wine, Davy & co etc)...
Also, Greenwich Council seems to be much better than some of the others (email me if you want more details on those bits of local living).
Moving to London
I work by London Bridge and have lived in Greenwich (and I'm from NYC). I would second the recommendation of London Bridge/Bermondsey Street. Once you get to know the stalls at Borough Market, you can stock up on your "prepared" food items. There are also many options to walk to in the evening (or hop on the tube or train). One can get to Charing Cross/Chinatown, Smithfields, Spitalfields, Islington etc very easily. Jubilee line takes minutes to Canary Wharf.
We found Greenwich to be nice living (parks etc), but food options were quite limited. The Greenwich market stalls are only available market days. In the evening there is very little good takeaway or dining out. Couple of good restaurants, but most places cater to tourists (ie., no quality control). Ethnic food was really not good. There is a nice cheese shop, butcher, bakery, but these are only open during housewife hours. Very annoying. On Saturdays, one has to fight pram pushers to get into the gourmet stores. Very good supermarkets (Sainsbury and east Asian), but out in the middle of nowhere so most people drive...urgh
Golden Day (London)
Well, I could imagine that (pissing contest).
I actually meant perhaps some of the wait staff don't speak Mandarin well, and therefore misinterpreted your friend's requests? To my ear, none of the waitstaff had remotely 'Beijing' accents. Not implying that your friend didn't make herself understood, which would be more likely in my case.
Golden Day (London)
Wow, I'm sorry to hear you had this terrible experience! I have had a number of great meals at Golden Day (always in the evening), but your story would put me off as well.
Just curious, did your friend have a sense of how well she was understood? I have several times felt like they didn't understand my requests (in Mandarin) but I chalked that up to my crappy second generation Mandarin.
Lupita (london)
A fine meal at Lupita.
Two of us ordered off the set menu (£12.50 each), sharing ceviche tostadas, nopales salad, tacos 'gobernador' (shrimp tacos), tacos cochinita pibil. They were out of most of the set puddings so we both chose ate con queso (guava with cheese).
Plus 2 Negra Modelos. Damage: about £30
Best Mexican meal I've eaten this side of the Atlantic.
Any "must get" food items that can travel back to States?
Whoops. There goes my plan to buy cases of shortbread in the duty free.
Prestat chocolates go over well, especially when you point out the "Purveyors of Chocolates to HM the Queen" labels...
Any "must get" food items that can travel back to States?
Cheese is fine if you swear it is pasteurized. Believe it or not, Stilton is pasteurized. But usually no one actually asks.
Oat cakes to go with the cheese.
Scotch.
Lemon curd.
Jams (Kentish bramble, anyone?)
Walker's shortbread.
Fudge.
Unibroue beers or wine (non-ice wine) from Ontario available in London?
Oh, terribly sorry, to hear that!
Unibroue beers or wine (non-ice wine) from Ontario available in London?
Utobeer, Borough Market
Open today (FRI) 12-6PM
tomorrow (SAT) 9-4PM
http://www.utobeer.co.uk/
Borough Market/L Booth Mushroom Co [London]
Thanks.. but...! Going from being open 4-5 days a week down to 5 hours a week off the beaten track! This is terribly depressing and will seriously hamper my appreciation of Borough Market. I was lucky enough to shop daily at the Mushroom Co. I find Elsie & Bent pretty lousy (overripe, expensive veg). Some of the other stalls are decent, but not anywhere as useful or thorough as Tony Booth. Oy oy oy. Is this part of Borough Market's "management strategy"?
[Appending: Sorry, only just noticed your news under the tomato posting... I go out of town for a few weeks and terrible things happen.]
Borough Market/L Booth Mushroom Co [London]
Does anyone know what has happened to L Booth Wild Mushroom Company (next to Black and Blue)? They have been closed for several weeks - this is deeply disturbing as I found it the most reliable veg stall in Borough Market.... !!!
Borough Market [London]
Depends on the day of the week & what you want.
Cup of coffee & all you can eat bread/butter/jam at Monmouth Coffee Mon - Sat
Spanish breakfast at Tapas Brindisa Fri-Sat
Maria's (inside Borough Market) for full english, bubble & squeak etc Wed - Sat
Pastries from Konditor & Cook.
Rabot Estate if you prefer chocolate emphasized breakfast.
Flour Power City for an almond croissant that will immediately stop up your arteries.
Best Sushi in London 2010
Yes (@ Sam1). Sometimes one does get desperate; but just think, skip several of those adequate Japanese dinners in London and you have enough money to fly to Japan...
