Gordito's Profile
[London] Drummond Street Restaurants
I am a fan of Raavi Kebab. Decor could hardly be worse, but they do a lovely nihari. Or you could just go for kebabs and paratha.
A NY'er in London - Calling all Anglophiles
I like NY too, and have a fine time eating whenever I visit. I tell people who are visiting that it is a lot easier to find very good Indian and Turkish food in London than it is almost anywhere in the US. It's not just quality and volume, but regional variety.
mexican choclate
I have yet to order from this place but would certainly appreciate reports from people who have: http://www.mexgrocer.co.uk/
Decor much improved, food and service deteriorated
Recently made a return visit to Local Friends in Golders Green.
A sad note. This is a place we loved dearly, particularly from the moment we discovered their (not so) secret Hunan menu. I have no inside information, but it is possible that it may have changed ownership. Most of the staff we knew have gone, and seem to have been replaced by a team that is quite young and inexperienced. They have done a large refurbishment and the result is pretty, nice grey and red colour scheme, slightly more seating.
But the food, while still good, does not seem to be on the same level as it was before the refurbishment. There are no changes to the menu (neither the Anglo-Chinese one nor the Hunan one), but the last couple of times we were there the quality of preparation seemed to have deteriorated. Nothing bad, but not as striking or inspired as it was. The Ma Po tofu tasted as though it had been made with a packaged sauce. The hot and numbing fish, which at one time we thought they did better than anyone in London (excepting, possibly, Chilli Cool in its glory days), was ordinary. Mind you, it is still the only place we know in the northern expanses that makes these dishes at all, and it is still better than just about any Chinese we know of in the area. But it is no longer at the level that gets us excited to make the long bus journey.
Maybe it can be hoped that this is a transitional moment and that they will get back on form once they settle into their new decor?
How to find fresh corned beef
When I want my fix in London, I make the trek out to Edgware to the B & K Salt Beef Bar. This probably does not help much for Newcastle, though.
Or if you are ambitious and have a lot of free time, there are DIY recipes here! http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/nov/03/brisket-salt-beef-pastrami-deli.
Finsbury Park: Dotori Korean & Happening Bagel (Beigel) Bakery [London]
Dunn's is a bakery in Crouch End, right on CE Broadway. The bread is nothing special, but I am willing to praise their donuts.
Newspaper feature on best Asian groceries
The Guardian has a feature today listing London's best Asian groceries (divided by nationality, incomplete):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/05/londons-asian-supermarkets
I cannot claim to have tried all of them but wish that more of them were near my home! And I will just bet that people on this board can supplement, critique and complete the list. To start off, a tiny Japanese grocery near me is probably too small to be a destination for many, but their takeaway sushi is at least as good as most restaurants (no table, go across the street and find a nice spot in the park to enjoy it) -- http://www.fujifoods.co.uk/.
Charlotte Street, London
Finally tried Koba after a long time reading recommendations here. It is really quite good, possibly the best Korean place we have tried here. Began with pork belly and kim chi, rolled up into cabbage leaves, and a scallion and seafood pancake. Continued with some barbecued salmon and octopus and a kim chi bi bim bap. All well prepared and importantly for us, they are not stingy with the kim chi.
What should a New Yorker make sure to bring when moving to London?
My source for dried chiles is the Turkish groceries on Green Lanes, Harringay. The one I visit most often is Yasar Halim. They do not always have them, but they are good ones when they do. Can't recall the price, but it was not so very much.
Buffalo Wings
I have to offer the opinion that this is a lost cause, you just have to make your own.
What should a New Yorker make sure to bring when moving to London?
Dr Brown's Cel-Ray soda .....
Bosnians in London
Unfortunately, there is nothing I have seen anywhere. The best I can say is that there are good shops to get ingredients if you want to make your own. The Phoenicia market in Kentish Town has a decent array of products from the region.
But if there were proper Bosnian burek to be had anywhere in this town, I'd be there.
trader joe's type place in the uk?
Chard? If you have I garden, it is one of the easiest things in the world to grow. Not even I can ruin it.
The Great Cucumber Scare
In America they call them "Armenian cucumbers". The north London markets have them, sometimes they are called "Cyprus cucumbers". If a shop has them, I'll get them instead of the bigger ones, they are denser and tastier.
London - Chowdown at Gilak Iranian restaurant, Archway
Tried the place this weekend on the strength of the enticing description here. Happy to report that contrary to what TimeOut says, they do have wine. Started off with bread and pickles (one mixed, one garlic) -- pickles were quite nice but we have had nicer bread. Of the three mains we had, we agreed the fesenjan was the best, rich and unafraid. The lamb stew with lentil and preserved lime was nice indeed, about the same as we have had at other places around town. Only the chellow kebab was a bit of a letdown, blander than I had hoped for. So a mixed impression, I think on another visit we would get a few more starters and perhaps steer more to the stewish than the kebabish side of the menu.
The atmosphere was nice, the service lovely and dinner for 3 (wine but no dessert) just a bit above £60.
A really great olive oil - today's Observer Food Mag
There was plenty of it in Phoenicia on Saturday. Though I chose the Lebanese oil that I like a bit better, earthier.
Londonist's list of Chinatown Top 10
This might be of interest to some folk here. Londonist has compiled their list of the Top 10:
http://londonist.com/2011/02/top-10-chinatown-eats.php
The writers seem to have gone for the popularity standard, so no doubt there will be some responses on places that should have been included and objections that some should not have been included. Those are certainly welcome! Though I guess what I like in the list is the identification of which menu items are the good ones in some places.
Little Sardegna, Finsbury Park, London
Oooh! Had a look at their menu online and at some reviews, this sounds like a fantastic little place. We will have to try it next time we feel like going out.
Mushu [London]
This would seem to be a newish place quite close to Warren Street tube, a bit on the pan-Asian side:
http://www.mushu.co.uk/index.htm
Has anyone given it a try? Always happy to know if there is something good close to work.
Rasa Samudra - Charlotte Street, London - Report
This place was one of the first ones I tried when I first moved to London. It seemed like a revelation then, probably because there is not much Keralan food at all in my distant native land. I fell in love with the meen mollie and the bread, and was always happy to go back despite the relatively high prices.
But then -- last night we went there for dinner with a visiting American friend who insisted on just this place. This visit struck me as just okay, not great. Even the meen mollie seemed not as good as the one at my local favourite (Jashaan on Turnpike Lane, highly recommended if you are in North London). Service was polite but confused.
Fallen star? My standards rising? Not really sure. I will probably not refuse if a friend suggests the place again, but it is not on my A-list any longer.
Sanxia Renjia - Chinese on Goodge St. [London]
This is the first I hear of Ragam, will have to try that one! But to get to Soho or farther, maybe on a day when there is a lot of time for lunch.
Sanxia Renjia - Chinese on Goodge St. [London]
Made it here today on the tip of a student, who came with me. Just two of us, so we weren't able to try a lot. But we had the tea tree mushroom hot pot, which I thought was excellent, judiciously spiced and nicely presented. The bitter melon with pork skin was all right, but a bit pasty. So all in all a 1:2 ratio of good dishes. Given the not too plentiful supply of good places to lunch in this area, I say the menu is worth further exploration.
Best Kitchenaid mixer available in UK for bread making
I read the suggestion here and then took a peek at John Lewis online. They offer the KitchenAid Artisan for £389. Then they offer two machines called Kenwood Chef, one for £175 and one for £995.
I'd say £389 is a lot for a mixer, probably more than I would be willing to spend. I suppose I might be happy to pay £175 for a mixer if I really got tired of kneading dough. But I would have to be insane to think of dropping £995 on a mixer.
Critique my list please! Montreal chowhounds in London for a week
I think if I were to go to an Arsenal match I would use the opportunity to visit the Dotori restaurant near Finsbury Park station for a good Korean meal.
London cheap eats dining report
Thanks for the tip on the Noodle Bar! Had a lovely beef broth with ramen, the Mrs had a fine fired noodle with fish cake, the whole think somewhere around 12 quid. Excellent noodles, can't wait to drag friends and colleagues over!
As an aside, the steam tables of takeaway stuff do give the impression that noodles might be the only good thing they do. But this would be good enough.
London on a Budget
Ah, sadly not to be found. But they do up a very respectable latke and potato salad, and the pastrami and chopped liver are as good as you might hope for them to be.
London on a Budget
I'd echo the endorsement for B&K. It takes a bit of a trip to get there but everything we have tried there was first-rate deli fare. If only they also had celery soda.
OXO cubes - What other choice is out there?
In my house we are partial to the Knorr vegetable cubes. The meat and chicken variations don't really taste like meat or chicken and are too salty.
Wanting it Hot Hot Hot in London
Szechuan recommendations are good. One I might add is Raavi Kebab on Drummond Street, where if you ask for spicy they will take you seriously.
The only drawback is that the place offers neither wine nor beer. But the pub at the corner has Sierra Nevada on draught, so you could make this into a question of timing.
