Archive For May 2012
It’s been a while since I had a steak. My dining companions will very often choose a hunk of meat, where I’ll go for a rather exotic or cheffy entrée. But I do periodically crave a good steak. It’s almost a comfort food. High-end admittedly but comforting nevertheless. Black and Blue does it well. All…
Frith Street was constructed in the 1680s, and is named after a builder called Richard Frith. In the 18th and early 19th centuries it was a hub of artistic endeavour with writers and painters coming to live in the street. The young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart stayed at No. 20; famous landscape painter John Constable lived…
(This restaurant is now closed) Until a short time ago I confess that I had no idea where Imperial Wharf could possibly be, but I had the notion that it was a long way from anywhere convenient. In fact it’s London’s undiscovered playground with outstanding transport connections. It’s just one stop on the train from…
One huge flyer, 2 feet, 3 small wheels and 4 F1 tyres Singapore is my destination of choice. It offers everything for which any civilised traveller could hope: vibrant and delicious food (eating is a universal hobby here), friendly locals and a rich and diverse heritage. Singapore has a wealth of contemporary design and fashion…
[La Porte des Indes is now closed] Sundays are for relaxing, or that was the old-fashioned notion. It is the day, at least in most of the Western world, for gathering with friends and family, and there was usually a traditional Sunday roast involved in the conviviality and perhaps Two-way Family Favourites from The BBC…
The name Noodle Oodle might not be familiar to many but mention Inn Noodle and a few more might recollect a fast-paced noodle restaurant. This London restaurant holds the world record for hand-pulled noodles, and has reopened with a new name and look. It was opened in the summer by London’s deputy mayor, Richard Barnes….
There are just a few Malaysian restaurants in London. I have visited most of them and they range from high-end teak-polished splendour to casual vinyl-topped practicality, but the food so far has ranged from good to outstanding. Authentic Recipes from Malaysia will have you cooking these dishes at home. If you like Indian dishes then…
[This venue is now closed] Anyone who has an appreciation of Indian fine dining in London will take a guess that the aforementioned Zilla is indeed Indian Zilla and the third restaurant in the Vasaikar Empire. Perhaps Indian Zing in Hammersmith and Indian Zest in Sunbury could more accurately be described as culinary siblings rather…
It is indeed a park, and a world-renowned 27-hole golf course set in landscaped grounds. Lots of facilities for club members, as well as for those taking advantage of day-membership and hospitality packages. But there is a stunning little corner of Stoke Park which is open to the general public and at a price that…
Jean-Georges Vongerichten is considered by many to be one of the foremost movers and shakers in the culinary arena these days …on both sides of the pond. He heads the celebrated French restaurant Jean-Georges, overlooking Central Park in New York, and Spice Market in the smart Meatpacking District. You don’t need a transatlantic hop to…
This unassuming restaurant is easily missed. It sits on a side street off the main Chinatown thoroughfare although it still manages to attract a loyal following from the local and not-so-local Malaysian community. It’s evident that food rather than decor is the draw here. It isn’t over-themed with Chinese lanterns and calligraphy. There is not…
Potli – an Indian market kitchen: that’s how it’s described on the website. In fact that home page is a stylish introduction to the ethos of the whole restaurant. Vibrant and inclusive, fun and tempting. This isn’t a part of the swathe of “fine dining” Indian restaurants that seem to be the norm in new…
Planning a trip to Asia? I can almost guarantee that Japan isn’t first on most people’s destination list, if indeed it is a part of the list at all. We are ignorant of a country that still seems mysterious and exotic, and one which we assume is still inaccessible to a regular tourist. Japan isn’t…
A decade ago there were few Japanese restaurants in the UK. It was partly due to the fact that we hadn’t had the close ties with Japan, as have the USA and Australia; but it seems that a corner of London has a history of Japanese cultural exchange and now it’s developed to include all…
It’s quite honestly a stunner. The Food and Cooking of India by Mridula Baljekar is an engaging almanac of Indian cooking with elements of travelogue. Even those who have yet to discover the inside of a kitchen will be tempted to invest in a spice box, or at least a plane ticket to the subcontinent….
It’s the kind of country-house estate that we believe has disappeared. How can there be anything this magnificent so close to London (only 35 minutes from the capital and 7 miles from Heathrow Airport)? But here it is in all its splendour. In fact it’s such an icon of classic British architecture that it’s been…
Mourad Lahlou might not be a familiar name to many of my European readers but he has carved an illustrious reputation in California as patron of the only Moroccan restaurant in the US with a Michelin star – Aziza is a destination restaurant named after the owner’s mother. Mourad has continued his rise to fame…
[This venue is now closed] The Cadogan Hotel in Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, was built in 1887. The name commemorates the Earls Cadogan, who, through their company Cadogan Estates have owned Sloane Street and the surrounding area for generations.This marvellously appointed Victorian luxury hotel was, soon after its opening, to play host to the arrest of…
Talking on the radio a few months ago, I was musing on books I would take to a desert island. Those who know this city ‘girl’ will understand that the prospect of an isolated space would induce sweaty palms. Red buses and black taxis are my comfort zone. My choice of essential reading matter was…
Cookham is an iconic and quintessentially English village near enough to London to be accessible even for lunch or dinner but far enough away to present the diner with a sense of charm and calm. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years. There are several prehistoric burial mounds and Cookham is recorded in…