Tai Won Mein, Catford

Salt and pepper squid

On Saturday afternoon we were definitely beginning to suffer from a bit of cabin fever having spent most of the day inside after an early morning run and a few local errands. We knew we should get out of the house but were completely indecisive over whether to head out for dinner or a quick drink. We flipped a coin. We called a couple of different restaurants to make bookings (they were both fully booked). We ended up on a bus to Catford.

Our target, if we didn't change our minds on the way, was Tai Won Mein, a cheap and cheerful Chinese restaurant that we'd seen had a few good reviews online.

Roast duck Ho Fun 

The restaurant is organised with long tables and benches. We grabbed a couple of spots, made our choices from the menus on the tables and then headed up to the counter to order. We could see dishes at other tables, and that they were all ENORMOUS but with everything under £7 (and quite a lot under £6) we still couldn't stop ourselves ordering three different dishes.

My favourite dish was the salt and pepper squid. The tender pieces of squid were covered in a light batter and weren't at all greasy. I was a little addicted to the deep fried spring onion and green chilli that had been sprinkled over the top.

House special udon soup

The seafood house special udon soup was a little difficult to share, and coming out last also meant it got the least attention from our increasingly full stomachs. However, the broth was tasty and we both thought the broth would be a good warming dish to have to yourself on another visit (although possibly not the seafood monster).

Dinner for the both of us was less the £20, including Chinese tea. A bargain.

Tai Won Mein

90-92 Rushey Green,

Catford,

London

SE6 4HW

Dumplings Legend, China Town

Spicy pork xiao long bao

On Thursday night I met up with Ed for dinner after I missed our planned catch up last week by flying to Chicago for work. I fancied Asian food. Bao has been on my wish list for a long time, but their new restaurant in Soho has only been open for a few weeks and we didn't fancy battling the hipsters to get a table, so selected Dumplings Legend instead from Lizzie's excellent list of recommendations.

The restaurant has a good reputation for xiao long bao so we ordered a basket of the spicy pork xiao long bao. If there were more of us I would have been tempted to order a couple of steamers of different flavours, however, as there were just the two of us we decided to go for a bit of variety and also chose the steamed prawn dumplings.

Steamed prawn dumplings

Rather than being spicy, there was a burst of ginger soup as I bit into the pork xiao long boa. Some people are a bit fanatical about their xiao long bao. I don't eat enough of them to give a serious opinion, but I did enjoy them.

The prawn dumplings had generous amounts of large prawn pieces inside (too often it is minced finely) and were also good.

Beef brisket curry

Thinking the dumplings might not be enough we also ordered the curry beef brisket. The beef was incredibly tender and although it was only mildly hot it gave me the chilli hiccups which have become a recent embarrassing feature of when I eat something that is even vaguely hot.

The service was efficient with the food coming out quickly and the staff perfectly friendly. My only gripe would be that they add 12.5% service to the bill but this isn't made particularly clear and I suspect many people end up double tipping as a result. (I don't have an issue with service being added, just the fact it wasn't transparent.) We paid £19 a head all in.

I'd happy head back for a dumpling fix next time I'm in China Town.

Dumplings Legend
15-16 Gerrard Street
Chinatown, 

London, 

W1D 6JE

Silk Road, Xinjiang Chinese in Camberwell

Mid plate chicken

In Sydney I could literally fall of bed an into the delights of China town, but authentic Asian cooking doesn't seem quite as easy to find in London. With its promise of authentic Sichuan food, Silk Road in Camberwell has been on my wish list for quite a while.

After a false start last year, when we got turned away, I planned this trip properly; assembling a group of friends and, crucially, making a booking. I had a strange nervousness that out booking would have been lost, but thankfully all was well and we got shown to a small table at the back of the restaurant.

Beef and onion dumplings 

I'd been teasing my companions that we were in for a night of offal, While there was generous sprinkling of tripe on the menu we were able to easily avoid, selecting a dish from most sections of the menu so we could taste as much as possible.

First to arrive at the table was a double serving of the beef and onion dumplings. We ordered two servings as at £2.50 each we thought we might only get three / four dumplings with each serving. We shouldn't have feared as we got a generous mound. The dumplings definitely benefited from a dunking in Chinese vinegar and I think if I was going to order two servings again I'd definitely mix up the flavours.

Hot and sour shredded potatoes

Next to arrive at the table was the hot and sour shredded potatoes. I'd expected / hoped for fried potatoes, but despite being cut like shoe string fries these potatoes had been nowhere near hot oil. They were hot, not particularly sour and just the right side of raw. It was an alien taste to my palate and not one I immediately warmed to if I'm honest.

Getting us right back on track were two large grilled swordfish shish kebabs. The fish was spicier than I expected with a ground chilli crust. After the hot potatoes the fish was the dish that tipped me over my pathetic chilli threshold and my brow began to glisten.

Fish shish

I was beginning to fill up, but the dishes kept arriving at our table with the home style aubergine and special cooked lamb with noodles. The aubergine, tomato and chilli was out attempt at a vegetable dish. It still counts of the aubergines were fried, right?

The lamb was our first taste of the homemade noodles and they were a delight, if incredibly long and a little messy to eat. As my shirt can attest and I'd like to make it clear for the record that it was two of my dining companions that splattered me! There wasn't too much lamb in the dish, but you can't complain at these prices.

Home style aubergine

Our final dish was also the best, the mid plate chicken (top photo). A large both of Shichuan pepper and chicken broth arrived at our, quickly followed by some more homemade noodles that were poured on top. The broth had the classic aromatic mouth-numbing quality that you get with heaps of Sichuan pepper. The small pieces of chicken were quite boney and a little awkward to eat, but you forgive a lot when the noodles and broth were that good.

Special cooked lamb with noodles

Silk Road is the type of place I love. Sure it's a little cramp, crowded and rough around the edges. But the food was fantastic and at £15 per head (including a generous tip and two beers each) it was amazing value too.

Silk Road has been added to my London eats map.

Silk Road
49 Camberwell Church St
London
SE5 8TR

Sitting in the window of Taste Inn on the Lee High Road

Stir fried beef with silken bean curd and chilli

After a long day at Lords watching the cricket on Saturday, we decided to catch the train straight to Lewisham in search of dinner. Lewisham doesn't usually spring to mind when looking for dinner venues, but I was intrigued to try the recently opened Model Market which is bringing bringing out the local hipsters in droves.

When we arrived at the market there was a queue trying to get in and there was a £3 entry fee. Admittedly not a huge sum, but I object to the idea of paying to go into a market, especially when the price of 'street food' has started nudging towards the £10 mark.

Suitably put off we decided head towards Taste Inn, a small Chinese on the Lee High Road that has been floating round the back of my mind since I heard a recommendation for the place a couple of years ago.

The average shop front on the Lee High Road looks pretty drab, and while Taste Inn's exterior was better than average, I was a little hesitant about going inside. However, inside we went and you couldn't fault the friendly and welcoming staff.

Steamed dumplings with pork and Chinese leek, with stir fried broccoli and garlic

Having sat next too each other all day at the cricket, we took the bench seats in the window to keep the feeling going. Becks and I had clearly developed an aversion to sitting opposite each other!

The window seat was a fascinating place to people watch. La Fontaine Patisserie and Deli opposite seemed to be a real hub of activity with lots of people hanging around the shop. At one point in the evening the parking space outside the shop was reserved with bin bags (classy) by a man in a sharp suit. The bin bags were moved when a Volvo turned up, cake boxes and cake stands were piled in the car before the man in the suit jumped into the passenger seat and the car drove off.

I was eyeing up the patisserie for dessert, but it closed soon after the cake collection.

Once the opportunities for people watching at La Fontaine had disappeared environmental enforcement officers for Lewisham Council came down the road opening up bin bags and checking for business which were disposing of waste illegally. The Caribbean restaurant over the road seemed to be getting a bit of a talking to.

Not only does Taste Inn provide the entertainment the food was pretty good too. The stir fried beef with chilli and silken bean curd was a bit of a challenge with chop sticks but definitely worth the effort. The steamed pork and Chinese leek dumplings were the favourite dish of the night, just beware the steaming soupy innards. It was good value too with three dish, rice and tea for £22.

On our way our of the restaurant we heard the waitress tell a neighbouring table about their handmade noodles. I'll be coming back to try those.

I'll also be heading back to the Lee High Road to check out Rox Burger which has just opened next door to Taste Inn.

Just beware of marauding buses shooting through red lights on the way home.....

Taste Inn
80 Lee High Rd
London
SE13 5PT

Restaurant Review: AK Kitchen, Hunter Connection

Recommendations from my Chinese colleague have led to some pretty good meals.

When he told me of a new favourite spot in our regular lunchtime hangout of Hunter Connection I was keen to give it a try. AK Kitchen has opened since the epic Project Hunter I completed just over twelve months ago.

My colleague promised me food just like his mum cooks. It isn't flash, but it is homely and hearty.

Ordering from the hot counter is apparently the thing to do. On my four or five visits, there hasn't been a lot of variation, with only one or two dishes changing each time.

Three choices with soup for $7.50 is great value (not unusual in Hunter). It would be more sensible to go for two choices, but where is the fun in that!

On my most recent visit I selected the beef with radish, mapu tofu and braised eggplant with pork. I enjoyed the braised beef with the soft radishes and I'm always a sucker for cooked eggplant. The simple soups have taken on a more seaweed bent recently. I prefer the egg and tomato soups I had on my first couple of visits.

Be warned, an afternoon food coma is very likely to ensue after a visit to AK Kitchen.

AK Kitchen
Hunter Connection
Hunter St
Sydney
2000

Year of the Dragon: New Year celebrations in Belmore Park

On Sunday I decided to pop along to the Chinese New Year Markets in Belmore Park. I first visited the market two years ago and the crowds stopped me from enjoying myself on that occasion. I couldn't get a good look at any of the stalls. This time I had a lot more enjoyable time drifting round and checking out what was on offer.

Having run 35km in the morning I took the opportunity to take the weight off my feet and watch a cookery demonstration with Alvin Quah from Masterchef. I wrote a rather sarcastic tweet before the demonstration, but actually enjoyed it. I gave up my seat half way through to an eldery Chinese lady that was standing "Ah, such a nice boy".

Alvin cooked two dishes, a claypot chicken rice and a fried fish. The claypot doesn't look like much but I am tempted to give it a go in my rather under used claypot. Unfortunately the audience weren't allowed to taste dishes.

The hot tip of the show (from Alvin and Tina) was to check out the Sichuan food stall. Across three stalls they had a range of around nine dishes all selling for under $6, which I thought was pretty good value. I ordered some Sichuan style bean noodles with chilli oil ($4) and then followed them up with the Dan Dan noodles ($4).

I haven't had Dan Dan noodles before, but have had a curiosity about them ever since seeing Jamie's America a couple of years ago. I know he's not Chinese, but his episode from a Chinese food court in New York fascinated me. His reaction when eating the Dan Dan noodles is hilarious (4mins into the clip).

I was hoping to try a mysterious sounding Sichuan flat hard cake but they had sold out. The girl running the stall told me to come back in an hour! My tired legs needed to go home....

Restaurant Review: The Meeting Point, China Town, Sydney

Thanks to Ricky Chong from Food Morning for inviting me to check out The Meeting Point in China Town.

Despite having a good Taiwanese friend, I've never been quite sure what Taiwanese food actually is. The beef dish I had at Rice Queen in Melbourne piqued my interest, so I was keen to check out this busy Taiwanese café nestling behind Paddy's Market.

We started with a jumbo mixed fruit green tea. Serving the teas in a large carafe seems to be a signature of the restaurant. I initially thought it was to share, but they brought us two! The tea was good with some real fruit and not too sweet, which I often find a problem with iced tea.

Both Phil and I had a bento box for lunch. I had the Stewed Pork Ribs Bento while Phil went for the Stewed Chicken Leg Bento Box. I'd previously thought bento boxes were Japanese, but a quick check on wikipedia informs me that they are traditionally Taiwanese too.

The boxes looked great, but were unfortunately a bit of a disappointment. I was expecting the salad to be room temperature, but the rice, chicken and pork were all cold too. Perhaps even worse they were bland as well. The only truly tasty and original item was the thinly shaved pumpkin with a passion fruit dressing. Something I've never eaten before, but would happily have again.

Things picked up with the desserts. The fresh strawberry pudding had an intense strawberry flavour and the pudding was smooth. The Taiwanese traditional shaved ice usually isn't my thing, but I actually enjoyed the taro, pumpkin, green beans, condensed milk and pearls that covered a mound of shaved ice.


Shop R1.01B Hay Street, 
(On the outside of Market city, next to the light rail tracks on the Pyrmont side)
Market City Ground Floor,
Sydney
2000

Restaurant Review: Grape Garden Peking, Willoughby

After the roaring success of my visit to Lao Zhao back in January, I hit up my colleague up for another Chinese restaurant recommendation and he came back with the Grape Garden Peking in Willoughby.

Where Lao Zhao was a cultural experience, Grape Garden was more eccentric. The very friendly chef / owner / waiter runs the show single handedly. You don't really need to look at the menu as he's more than happy to guide you through what to eat. Making suggestions of what would go well together. His friendly and outgoing nature was definitely one of the things that made the evening. He was very happy to talk about the recipes, dishes and different ingredients. Us foodies were lapping it up. The chef was even kind enough to give us a jar of the sugar / molasses that is used to caramelise the skin of the duck after John suggested a recipe for roasting pork with it. (I'm waiting for the dinner invite!)

There were several times when we got told off for talking too much and taking photos, letting the food go cold. In the picture above he got so frustrated with us that he started to roll our duck pancakes!

The main event was our whole roasted duck. It was served in traditional style. A large plate of duck skin (not too much meat) was served with a basket of homemade pancakes, hoisin sauce and shredded spring onions and cucumber. The duck skin could have been crispier, but otherwise it was delicious. The sweet and sticky hoisin sauce got all over my fingers and I couldn't help but lick them clean!

The decor is very stark and the restaurant was worryingly empty on a Friday night, but don't let that put you off. It's a fun experience, the food is good and you'll leave with a new friend in the chef. I liked it.

To start we had a cabbage salad, with tofu and peanuts as an appetiser. The cabbage and tofu had a nice crunch and refreshing quality. The roasted peanuts added a depth to the flavour that was enhanced by sprinkling over some of the smokey chilli dipping sauce.

It was recommended that we ate the steamed fish dumplings naturally without any of the sauces. The fish with garlic chives had a nice subtle flavour.

Next up was a plate of mixed pork and beef fried dumplings. We were instructed that these dumplings should be eaten with the aforementioned chilli sauce and a bowl of vinegar that we were also given.

Our second duck course was handmade noodles with duck bones. I loved the bite in the handmade noodles. I was expecting a bit more duck meat, but it was literally the bones. However, it was fun to suck the meat off the bones and be left with a satisfying small pile of clean bones at the end.

Ordered by Simon purely for the English translation on the menu ants climbing trees, was a plate of vermicelli noodles with minced pork. I was expecting the noodles to be bland, but there was a nice sauce coating them.

I was trying to order a lamb neck dish my colleague had told me about, but we accidently ended up with fried lamb shanks with cumin. What fortuitous mistake! The lamb turned out to be one of the dishes of the night. Two large lamb shanks had been slow cooked before being fried to give them a crispy exterior. The shanks were liberally covered in a cumin and chilli spice mix. Tender meat with spices and fresh coriander. Heaven.

We decided to finish our savoury dishes with spicy eggplant. Not too spicy the peeled eggplant was served with mushrooms.

For dessert we have a sweet sesame pancake. A nice flakey exterior hid a soft, sweet and nutty sesame paste in the middle. A nice sugary hit to finish the meal with, without being too heavy.

This place is a great little secret where you are guaranteed to get a table. Shhh, don't tell anyone.

52 Penshurst Street,
Willoughby,
NSW