What was the name of the place, do you know? And where? I grew up in the New Forest area and sometimes down there.

thanks!

Was really looking forward to this - im a big fried chicken fan but this was pretty disappointed unfortunately.

The Chicken itself was nice but the batter (the most important bit!) although it tasted good lacked any sort of crunch or substance. Was just a thin and soggy mess.

Mashed potatoes were cold, but the coleslaw was decent.

I'm surprised they sent it out to be honest. Maybe a bad day

We had Sorbitium ices at our wedding last year. They do great seasonal flavours to order and are lovely folks too. We had super premium Chocolate, salted caramel, and a damson and cobnut cream - all superb. Check them out. http://www.sorbitiumices.com/

ps - dont think petra does chocstar any more since she's stated doing Eat Street and now Kerb.....

Was that the Botan ebi tempura by any chance, limster (one of the specials)? Had it the other week. Was really great, especially the cruchy head! :)

Everything we had at Kikuchi was great, I thought.

Yet to go myself , but this place has just opened and promises to be great. Run by Nick Balfe, an ex Moro, Brunswick House and Ten Bells chef..

http://www.salonbrixton.co.uk/

Really depends on your personality, budget, how central you want to be and where you need to be near. Also consider how ok you would be in an "edgy" neighbourhood. Brixton, for example has a rather rough reputation, although it's a great area for food, especially since the arrival of the famous Brixton village. I lived in Brixton for 10 years without any major incidents, and loved it there. Nearby Herne Hill might suit some folks better, is a lot more gentile, and had a decent weekly market. Some might however find it a bit far out of town (even though it's only 15 mins from Brixton to Oxford Circus on the Victoria Line).

the pho @chung viet near deptford station is banging.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/684407

plenty of places - really depends where you are. The Chinese supermarkets in Gerrard Street (Chinatown) are your best bet. There are also chinese/vietnamese stores in Brixton, Peckham, Deptford markets if you live South. Also in Hackey (Mare Street). Sure there are plenty more./.

Limster, i've never been to Bukowski grill. Do you rate it? WiIl have to check it out next time!

Have to say i agree. went there a few weeks back. Atmosphere was nice. Service was quite good. Beef ribs were tough and definitely needed a few more hours of 'slow and low' cooking. Flavours were average. Think they must have been rushing to meet demand. The Mac N Cheese was disappointed. could have done much better at home. I'm a big Pitt Cue Co fan, and those guys win hands down.

hey there..

3 suggestions:

If Viajante is a bit out of your budget range, why not try the Corner Room - where you can get Nuno Mendez' cooking at a lot more affordable prices.

If good Northern Chinese (Dongbei, i believe) cuisine is your thing, be sure to try Gourmet San on Bethnal Green road. Very reasonable. Haven't been recently but the lamb kebabs are great, as are the crabs with Szechuan pepper..

Lots of places to try at Broadway Market, but 2 places to try are "Yum Bun" pork bun stall (in the schoolyard) , as is the Bahn Mi (on the main strip). Saturdays only.

i was pretty disappointed when i tried prima donna.

Chicken was very dry and felt like it had been sat around for a while.. Really nothing special.
the salad was pretty good, agreed.

Bonda Cafe - A great, cheap Malaysian joint on corner of Sussex Gardens and Spring Street.

If a decent curry in a rather boisterous environment would fit the bill, both Tayyabs and Needo Grill are fairly nearby...

No, Boho Mexica is definitely NOT worth a try. Ranks as probably one of the most disappointing meals of the year - and because someone else chose it, i went without expectations.

flautas de barbacoa - tasteless pappy lukewarm meat .
Guacamole - no tang, no flavour.
The vibe - pretentious end of 'trendy'.. ugh.
The staff - slow a pretty clueless. we were a big party and orders got mixed up / forgotten.
Cocktails were pretty decent though, so i guess that's something.

I don't usually like slagging off restaurants on here for the sake of it, but Limster you gave me the opportunity.. :)

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Boho Mexica
151 - 153 Commercial Street, London E1 6BJ, GB

Could be a onto a winner here... Yet to try but if Yanni's other products could be anything to go by, i'm hopeful...

http://www.timeout.com/london/restaur...

indeed went to the Clove Club a year or so ago, when they did them in their Dalston flat. Isaac's food is sensational. Well worth a visit..

Taking over the narrow space that was the vegetarian Zilli retaurant on Dean Street (next door to Cay Tre), Ducksoup quite literally exploded onto the scene a few weeks ago. Run by ex Staff from Hix, the place was positively buzzing when we arrived, and despite the no reservations policy we luckily managed to nab a table in the narrow bar/dining room.

There is so much I want to love about this place. Very bare, casual décor (think Morito meets St John). The hand scrawled menus the waitress hands you add a personal touch. A short selection of small and larger plates that all sound very appetizing. A broad list of well sourced biodynamic and organic wines, along with a lager called ‘F**king Hell’! . Cool, knowledgeable staff that at the same time are completely unpretentious and super friendly. The patrons are sophisticated to match. I was trying all throughout my meal work out if it was hip because of the food, or hip because it’s hip…

The food that came out was competent. I won’t go as far as to say it was mindblowing, but with all things considered, it was a very positive experience. We start with a selection of starters – fried baby squid in fennel seed and salt. A small portion, which was slightly under seasoned, rustically fried in a slightly greasy batter. Thinly sliced courgettes again encased in a robust batter, served with a very tasty tahini and yoghurt dip – very Turkish/Mediterranean tasting with a lemon zing. Excellent smoked anchovies –something that I’ve never had before, served on top of slices of beautiful beef tomatoes garnished with onions. A generous serving of foie gras on top of a thin slice of toast – very reminiscent of the version at St John B&W and equally tasty, although I do find the thicker toast at St John more satisfying.

Mains (all at £14) came in the form of a Frito Misto – decently fried pieces of mackerel (boy do I love mackerel and this was fantastic) Sea Bass (I think), squid and artichokes along with a home made mayonnaise. Nothing to write home about but it was simply a selection of very decent quality fresh ingredients on a plate. The other dish we chose was slow roast lamb served with braised fennel and salsa verde. Good flavours all round, heavy on the capers and the strong flavour of decent olive oil worked pretty well with the tender yet satisfying lamb. Dessert was a crème brulee – which sadly came as a disappointment . If we’re talking in tofu terms, a good crème brulee should in my mind be akin to the silken type. This was slightly overcooked and was more in the form of ‘firm’ variety. A slightly tough skin over the top sadly made it a flawed dessert.

This place is fast becoming one of the hottest joints in town right now, and it has all the elements for it to be a roaring success. A lot of thought has gone into all aspects of the concept, and I’m sure multiple visits will prove rewarding as the menus change daily.

Turkish - Green Lanes and Dalston?

ah, never seen a Moqueca in London. i had some cracking ones in Bahia...
might have to give it go!

also enjoyed the thicker but similar bobo de camarao too! did you notice that on the menu by any chance?

i've never had the walnut miso at koya so cant comment

The mushrooms are sauteed in butter and put in a steamed bun. Then the special sweet miso based sauce is slathered on top with crunchy toasted walnuts tossed in separately.

These guys seem to be doing really well and getting about - saw them at the Thames Festival last week with a super cool customised steamer cart!!

The merchandise was as yummy as ever - the original pork buns are as good as ever, but the meaty portabello mushroom one with miso and walnut glaze are a winner too (and im not one to often choose the non-meat option!)

They are now part of Eat Street, so expect to see them around and about!

i heard that they have a backer for a full time restaurant.. not 100% sure, but keep an eye out

Try Negril on Brixton Hill - the chicken is a cut above the rest..
otherwise, if you really want to go off the beaten track, try Tasty Jerk. search for it on this board.. outstanding - especially the Jerk Pork..

indeed - but go on monday, tuesday or wed for half price dimsum.

also the Pho at the vietnamese place in Parkway is decent. a few doors from Wholefoods.

Yumbuns are absolutely banging... I think they are £3 each and £5 for two - and are a pretty decent size. I've spotted Nuno Mendez (of Vaijante fame) down there a few times i've been. He's a bit of a fan by all accounts...

not strictly true. I've had the pulled pork at 7 or 8pm. sometime they run out of certain stuff though, so depends on your luck. They never had the brisket when i go..

Pitt Cue Co has always been top notch for me. By far the best in London. (anna Mae's Pulled pork sandwich comes a close second)

i've heard the brisket at Pitt Cue Co is a bit vinegary (i've never had this) but the ribs and pulled pork are always really tasty (ive been 4 times now)!

Franco Manca is now open in Brixton for dinner on Thursday to Saturday evenings i believe. Less queuing in the evenings, which is good.

Sushi of Shirori and Harwood arms are both fantastic restaurants that I would highly recommend but I wouldn't classify them as 'cheap eats'... A main at the Harwood costs around £15.

For decent yet relatively cheap Sushi, would recommend the Atariya take away (with a few seats) in St James St, or http://www.atariya.co.uk/shops/james_... - this is very much an 'in and out' kind of a place, but the fish is always of a high quality.

other suggestions in the Area:
Bonda Cafe, (malaysian) Sussex Gardens, near paddington
some of the lebanese places on Edgeware Road..
Iranian place Patogh - 8 Crawford Place - fantastic breads along with grilled meats.
Gold Mine on Bayswater Road (Chinese, good for Crispy pork and BBQ duck)

Hey there.

a great area to be based: here are some suggestions:

Vietnamese - there's loads but Cay Tre is a good choice on Old street, or Song Que, one of the many on Kingsland Road are the two I favour.

Chinese - Gourmet San does really great North Eastern Chinese dishes - on Bethnal Green Road. not your average Chinese. Go for the lamb skewers..

Columbia Road has some great looking places - Brawn is supposed to be great, and Laxiero - not been myself but walked past there yesterday and the menu looked fantastic - Rustic Spanish.

a mile or so up Kingsland Road and you're in the heart of the Turkish community on Dalston. A small sidestreet off Kingsland rd called Arcola Street hosts one of the best Turkish joints in town. Mangal 2.. I was in Istanbul last weekend, but the food here is up there with some of my standouts in Istanbul.

Other than that, some great stalls on Broadway market (in Hackney) on a Saturday - good to check it out if you can.

Never been to Texture, but a lot of people who I know and trust RAVE about Viajante - so would not hestitate going there. Its up there on the top of my wishlist of places to go.

Enjoy!