Which are the best dumpling places in Chinatown? I've tried the two bao stalls (same owner?), Baozi Inn, Jen Cafe. But where else is good and for which particular types of dumplings? I like all kinds.

This Saturday is their last weekend in Archway market. But they'll be posting their timetable on their website (http://www.mamawangskitchen.com/) soon, apparently.

Nothing on their website but have tweeted them to ask for a schedule and will report back. Archway market's on a Saturday, though. They're pretty much opposite the Budgens on Holloway Rd there.

There are delicious roujiamo (Chinese sandwiches of long-braised meat, pickled veg, crunchy bits) to be had at Mama Wang's, a stall at Archway's market. They also go to other markets (Catford, this weekend, apparently) and they are well worth checking out. Their pork and lamb are delicious, cooked for nine hours til they're falling apart (maybe, actually, falling apart too much, I like my meat a little more toothsome) in an array of spices and more-ish sauce. All the accoutrements are top-notch, too. The sandwich is on an English muffin rather than Chinese flatbread, but I'm not sure it makes much of a difference. In fact, the muffin soaks up a lot of sauce, which I'm not sure a flatbread would be able to do. Don't wear new or fancy clothes - the sauce will get everywhere.

The newly gastro Grafton pub in Kentish Town has decided to host pop-up and food-truck stalwarts Lucky Chip in their kitchen in the coming months. Their first venture is Lucky Fried Chicken, which serves the dishes of an upscale chicken shop for prices that are still cheap for a filling dinner.

R and I went for the jumbo box - £12.50 for five large pieces of fried chicken, creamed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw and two rolls - and added a tub of potato salad for £3. This box represents very good value as, even without a side, it would make a satisfying meal for two people.

Having spent almost all of my summers in South Carolina, I am familiar with the upper echelons of fried chicken: herbed and spiced flour that makes the crispy skin pop and plump chicken meat brined into tenderness. Lucky Chip succeeded on all fronts; R was particularly happy that the batter was light rather than the main feature, as it allowed the chicken to be a flavour in itself.

The coleslaw was so more-ish I considered ordering it as a salad all by itself. A light covering of mayonnaise lets the vegetables be the focus along with the slightly peppery dusting of herbs. The potato salad, on the other hand, was almost all sauce, which, to me, does not a good potato salad make (obviously, this is a subjective judgement). It might have been tangy but it overwhelmed the chunks of hard potato and slices of cornichons. The potatoes and gravy were far too salty, which spoiled the contrast between the creamy potatoes and meaty gravy.

Despite the heavy-handed salting and saucing, the meal was one of the best I have eaten recently and should be chalked up as a success. Apparently the Grafton's next culinary adventure (from 13th March) is into gourmet burgers. Considering the standard of Lucky Fried Chicken, it should be well worth checking out.

Awesome. I've been to the market a few times over the past few months, but never saw the stall you described. I was sad that most of the market was closed down (there was a place that did really good stuffed chicken), but these hotdogs sound great so can check them out next time I'm there.

I went there last night and will be going again. Almost every customer in there was having the lamb noodle soup. I'll just add to the chorus of voices calling it delicious. Porky broth, hunks of real (maybe pre-roasted?) lamb, interesting vegetables, and some of those goji berries that JFores lacked. I wasn't raging with thirst afterwards either, so either they don't use MSG or it's used judiciously. Am excellent find. Thanks, t_g.

The closest to New York bagels I've found in London is Happening Bagel Bakery in Finsbury Park (http://www.thehappeningbagelbakery.co...). I don't see anything on their site that does delivery, but they're really friendly there so they might be up for a one-off if you contact them, explain the situation and cover packaging/delivery costs.

Most of the restaurants on Green Lanes (Wood Green down to Newington Green) are Turkish, but occasionally a different cuisine pokes its head above the parapet. Delicious Katmi (and it's not false modesty) is a Bulgarian restaurant serving up Bulgarian pancakes (katmi) in Harringay. Katmi are thicker than crepes, and the owners really go all out in filling them - the "small" option is definitely a misnomer. I'd recommend anything containing their homemade lutenitsa (Bulgarian ketchup made from all sorts of vegetables), the onion jam, and the smoked-melted cheese. The sweet pancakes are all bog-standard options (chocolate, peanut butter, honey, jam in various combinations), but the savoury ones are what really shine through.

The dishes we had at Warung Tujuh definitely had robust flavouring (you really could taste every spice that was used in each dish, which is something I've rarely encountered) but it is more "restaurant" (and with prices to match). From the few things I've eaten at the minimarket (the mie bakso and the plate of various small dishes), I think their flavours are probably more "delicate" but I preferred WT's redang dish because the flavours were more complex.

We ended up at Warung Tujuh and it was fantastic. I have no idea how authentic it was, but everything we had was jam-packed with the most fantastic flavours, from the charcoal grilling of marinated chicken to the unctuously thick sauce of the beef rendang, to the spicy-sweet peanut sauce that I ended up eating spoonfuls of. Our waitress was also great and very knowledgeable about all the dishes and what goes with what £45 for two starters, two mains, rice and beers was money well spent. I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Brighton in the future.

Bloggers' responses seem to be pretty mixed on the BBQ Shack. Has anyone here experienced it for themselves recently?

Can't believe I missed the opening hours bit! Thanks for that.

Hi,

I'm looking for a Sunday night dinner of good, tasty, decently sized (not small plates) and reasonably priced (two courses, around £30 per head including some alcohol) in Brighton. I've looked at the few threads here about Brighton and have perused TripAdvisor. I have a couple of specific questions that I'm hoping someone might know the answer to.

1) Warung Tujuh - is this place still good (some friends raved about it a year or so ago)? I'm not so bothered about "authenticity" (I go to the Indonesian Mini Market for that) as long as the food fits the bill. Also, is it open Sunday night? I can't seem to find opening info on their website?

2) Which of the Ginger[noun] pubs is the best? The Gingerman looks too expensive, but the others look much of a muchness. Any recommendations? We don't mind travelling so we'd go to the best one.

Other than that, any recommendations are welcome. We're constrained by time (Sunday night) and budget, so it looks like a lot of the popular places (Sam's and Terre a Terre etc) are out.

Thanks lots!

H

I've been to StreetFeast (http://www.streetfeastlondon.com/#!tr...) at Hackney Down Studios (on Downs Rd, above Hackney Downs) on a few Friday nights. They've got a good selection of trendy and tasty streetfood carts, a lot of music, some overpriced (surprise surprise) Red Stripe and a very convivial atmosphere. I think these are the guys that ran the nighttime foodmarket in Dalston round this time last year, but this one is much much much better run.

I just went to Sainsburys to get some other food and stumbled across two kinds of chipotle paste. My expectations are low, but this time it was just about convenience. Thanks for everyone's help.

Will check out Waitrose. I need the chipotle sauce for tomorrow, so online sources won't work this time. But thanks for the website - I'll use it in the future when I'm not leaving things to the last minute.

Hi all,

I'm situated round Southbank and trying to find chipotle pepper-flavoured sauce or chipotle peppers in sauce. Do you know where I might be able to get this, preferably nearby (e.g.: Elephant and Castle? Waterloo?)? I can travel further afield if needed - I live in Finsbury Park.

Thanks lots,

H

I really really liked The Dogs (http://www.thedogsonline.co.uk/index....). It's got a bit of a hipstery vibe but the food is top-notch and well-priced (lunch will come in at under a tenner a head, dinner can be done for under £15). It's on Hanover Street, so very accessible for New Town and central Edinburgh.

Thanks for the help. We ended up going to Yum Yum HK Diner, B'est and The Dogs, and also got bites to eat at the Stockbridge Market.

Yum Yum HK Diner - interesting menu, a surprising number of dishes made with coca cola (the coca cola chicken was sweet and sticky, but not in a cloying way), quite oily, but tasty overall. The two of us had the Coca Cola Chicken (steamed chicken and green veg in a runny and sweet sauce), Singapore Noodles, and Stuffed Aubergine and Tofu (definitely the standout, both the aubergine and the tofu were fried but tasted of all the ingredients). Not fancy, it's got about five tables in a narrow room with the cooking going on at one end (we came out smelling like fried aubergines).

B'Est - we got the three-course menu, and both had the venison lasagne because it was the most interesting-sounding dish. To start, we had the seafood gratin (really it was salmon gratin) and the haggis tower. The gratin should have been a touch thicker, but the salmon tasted fresh, the cream sauce was nicely fishy, and the parsley and basil sauce was full of flavours. The tower was more like a hillock, but the haggis was one of the better versions I've tasted and the whisky sauce wasn't too sweet. The lasagne was thick and meaty with a punchy tomato sauce and plenty of cheese. For dessert, we had the tiramisu (looked a bit shop-bought, but tasted good) and the vanilla creme brulee (really good rendition). We drank the house white and it was surprisingly decent seeing as the bottle seemed designed to tell other diners that we were cheap (it had "Medium White Wine" in large letters on a label that could have been knocked up on Paint) The decor reminded me of an unrefurbished suburban Italian restaurant, but the food was so much better than that.

The Dogs - probably my favourite of the places. Large airy room with a well-stocked bar (that we didn't take advantage of), eclectic artwork and very helpful and friendly staff. We started with the artisanal bread (excellent - thick, crusty, yeasty, delicious) and then both had the fish and chips because it was that kind of day. The fish was a moist and flaky good-sized portion within a crackling crust of batter, the chips were hand-cut and crispy, and came with home made tartar sauce (really good) and mushy peas (I like mine a little less mushy, but that's a personal preference).

Overall, a really good dining experience, especially since we wanted to spend at the lower end of the Edinburgh spectrum. Hopefully I'll be able to go back and eat more food!

Thanks for all the places. I also hadn't considered pre-theatre menus, but those are a good idea, too. From quickly looking at the menus, places like The Dogs, Mother India and Urban Angel appeal more, mainly because of price but also because I think the quantity of food seems larger. The other diner is tall and hungry, so quantity is also important (although not at the expense of quality). Two courses is probably what we'll be eating, so desserts are less important. And I know how walkable Edinburgh is, so location isn't as important.

Thanks again.

Hi,

You've all been incredibly helpful in my various searches around London.

I'm going to be up in Edinburgh for a few days and need places that come in at under £20 a head (before alcohol and tip). I've looked around but most of the threads seem to be about restaurants at higher price points than that. Any cuisine, places preferably centrally-ish located, maybe (but not necessarily) using local meat/fish etc.

Thank you in advance,

Haverfoodie

Ah ok, that makes sense. Thanks for letting me know.

I went today for lunch - only £4 for a bowl of delicious meatball noodle soup. The meatballs' meat was obviously very cheap (kind of spongy) but everything else was delicious and the guy who owns it/runs it was really friendly. He asked me how I knew about it and I explained about Chowhound. It's definitely an excellent find right in central London. Thanks!

I love Lanzhou-style noodles. I've eaten them in the US and China, but barely here. Outside of Noodle Bar on Cranbourn Street, are there any other cafes or not-fancy restaurants (I'm a student on a budget) in London (preferably central/North/East) where I can go get a bowlful of these?

Thanks lots,

Haverfoodie.

Hi all,

I'm spending a lot of time in the Euston area at the moment and am wondering about the South Indian places on Drummond St. They're pretty ignored on this board, so maybe I'll just do a schlep through them over the next few weeks. Are any of them particularly good? I'm a big East Ham fan and it would be incredibly handy to have South Indian closer than zone 3/4.

Thanks lots.

There's a Greek Orthodox church near Hampstead Heath, at 1 Gordon House Road. Not a foodie tip (Hampstead's a bit beyond my budget), but if it's nice weather then you could go to church and then onto the Heath (a short walk, going in at either the Gospel Oak or Parliament Hill entrances.

Hi,

I'm trying to decide whether or not to go to Meat Liquor tomorrow night. Before I queue for hours, I was wondering if anyone could give me an idea of the prices? No review seems to list prices (standard), but some have listed it as cheap but then say a meal for two cost over £50, which isn't cheap in my book. So how much are the burgers and wings? Ball-parks figures only.

Thanks.

If you're looking to buy the noodles to eat, go to the baozi stall at the top of Newport St in Chinatown on the left.

Thanks for the info on Seven Sisters indoor market - I just went there today and had some excellent arepas con queso.