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

The Smoking Goat, Thai food in Soho

Fish sauce chicken wings

The Friday before last Becks, Ed and I headed over to the The Smoking Goat in Soho, a Thai BBQ restaurant I'd discovered via Instagram. I was hoping for the authentic Thai flavours I crave and haven't had since Chat Thai which was four years ago now!

I wasn't sure what sort of setup to expect from The Smoking Goat. It turned out to be a lively and crowded small bar, with people packed in tightly, either at small tables or on stools at the bar. It's the type of place that could have been chaos, but the on the ball waiters had everything under control.

The three of us were able to give the compact menu a good working over, ordering everything except the crab. First up were the fish sauce chicken wings (£6) which were crispy from being deep fried and the fish sauce glaze had a finish that was punchy enough without being overpoweringly fishy.

The most popular starter at the table were the scallops (£6 each). The scallops came served in their shells and had a lovely nam jim sauce that I couldn't help slurping out of the shells. We were grateful that a fourth scallop arrived by mistake at our table and the waiter allowed us to keep it on the house.

We ordered both of the BBQ plates on the menu, the smoked lamb ribs and slow roast duck legs (£15 each). The mains come served with som dtum and sticky rice. Som dtum is my favourite Thai dish and this was a pretty good version. I couldn't see the traditional pounded red scud chillies in the salad, but it definitely had some kick.

The BBQ meats weren't the stars I was hoping for. Our duck was dry and lamb ribs are a bit of a faff to share. However, I did appreciate the Thai flavours, liking the tamarind on the duck and the accompanying nam prik chilli sauce.

I was pleasantly surprised when the bill only came in at £32 per head as we had a fair amount of booze and 'small plate sharing' as a habit of racking up the bill.

I enjoyed our night at The Smoking Goat. When I need a hit of authentic Thai flavours to remind myself of my time in Bangkok I'll know where to go.

The Smoking Goat
7 Denmark Street
London
WC2H 8LZ

Restaurant Review: Bone Daddies, Soho

Tantanmen

Last Wednesday night Becks and I decided to have dinner before she jumped on a plane back to NZ for Christmas. Our mid week meet ups have gravitated towards Soho. When deciding where to meet we considered a return to Koya, but in end decided to try a (new to us) ramen bar; Bone Daddies.

Soho in the week before Christmas could have been carnage, but thankfully we got straight into to Bone Daddies without having to wait. The restaurant wasn't quite full, but they seem to have a policy of not having all the seats full at any one time. Even when there was a queue forming outside the door they maintained a fair number of empty seats dotted around.

I've been doing a fair but of running lately (80 - 90km a week) and the big hunger is back as my body demands more fuel. Feeling the need to indulge I ordered a Tantanmen (£11) and the KFG (Korean Fried Grouse). Our waitress warned me that the tantanmen was spicy, but I decided to give it a whirl anyway.

KFG - Korean Fried Grouse

I enjoyed the ramen. The chilli was just at the right level to give you a little tingle, break up the richness of ramen, but not enough to break out my glowing brow. The soft boiled eggs were good too and the big bowl was more filling than I'd expected.

I didn't really need the KFG, but managed to polish it off regardless. Hot, crunchy, sweet and sticky the grouse worked really well being able to stand up to sauce. Better perhaps than the classic Korean fried chicken.

Becks went for the classic Tonkotsu ramen (£11). Like my only previous ramen experience at Gumshara in Sydney the pork broth became a little overwhelming after a while.

I normally feed off the atmosphere in places like Bone Daddies with their large share tables and vibrant buzz (buzz from the other diners, the sound track blaring out of the speakers was a little odd). However, I think we were both a little tired and a quiet corner somewhere might have suited our moods better. I'd like to return another time when I have a bit more energy. If nothing else but to conquer the condiments in the middle of the table, including the jars of garlic in the middle of the table that I saw someone else crushing into their food. Are they raw or pickled in some way?


Bone Daddies
31 Peter Street
Soho
London 
W1F 0AR


All of my London eats are added to my map.

None of my photos from the night came out, so the above are from the Bone Daddies website / Twitter feed.

Restaurant Review: Janetira Thai and Gelupo, Soho

Fried eggs in tamarind sauce

Following Lizzie on Instagram over the past couple of weeks I've seen her post several photos of lunch at Janetira Thai in Soho. I'm a sucker for tasting looking Thai food so was keen to check it out. I put Janitera forward as a suggestion when Becks and I met up for dinner a couple of weeks ago and was pleased when she agreed to give it a go.

The first thing I noticed when we arrived at the restaurant, was that it didn't have a queue coming out the door on a Friday night. A good sign in my in my book as I didn't fancy standing in the queue with the rest of the crowds in Soho.

The second thing I noticed were the Thai voices of the group sitting in the window. I was getting hopeful.

Chicken with holy basil

The menu is divided into 'multicourse' and one meal dishes. I assumed that the one dish meals were perfect for a single lunch and the multicourse dishes were designed to share, but the menu didn't make the particularly clear. We ended up hedging our best and ordered something from either side of the menu.

The fried eggs with tamarind sauce were my favourite dish. The eggs had been hard boiled and then deep fried whole before being cut in half and then served with tamarind. I liked the texture of the eggs with their crispy outer skins and the sour tamarind.

Stir fried seafood noodles

The staff wear t-shirts claiming the food tastes like it does in Thailand. It wasn't quite as evocative as eating at Sydney's Chat Thai but a solid option for £15 a head (if I remember correctly).

Gelupo gelati

After dinner we strolled round the corner to Gelupo for some gelati. Time (or is it age) has made me forget all of the three flavours I tried, but I do remember the intense dark chocolate. Chocolate ice cream is so often a disappointment, but this one definitely wasn't. If you get a medium cup, as we each did, they let you try three different flavours which is good.

A good evening in Soho for under £20 a head.

Janetira Thai
28 Brewer Street
London 
W1F 0SR



Gelupo
7 Archer St  
London
W1D 7AU

Restuarant Review: Koya, Soho

Kizami soba

After a long week, worringly they seem to be increasingly that way these days, we decided to visit Koya in Soho for some Udon noodles.

Koya has a simple Japanese feel with a blue noren (curtain) hanging outside and simple wooden tables inside. The menus are written on the walls, with everything in both English and Japanese. Individual, clean and simple I was a fan.

Less impressive than the interior was the speed in which the wait staff took our order. Despite having quite a few staff for a small restaurant, they seemed to be rather disorganised and it wasn't until the manager / owner noticed our plight and sent someone over that we finally managed to order.

Umeboshi - pickled plums

We started with some umeboshi (pickled plums £2.30) that were sour and had a developing heat as you ate them. A nice little appetiser.

We also ordered some samphire tempura (£5.90) from the specials board. The batter was light and crispy, coating the soft samphire. Accompanying the tempura was a small pile of moorish lime salt.

Samphire tempura

After our starters came the main event, bowls of handmade udon noodles. I ordered the kizami (£8.40), udon noodles served with fried tofu with spring onions. When the bowl was placed in front of me my initial thought was "is this it?", but I was soon enjoying the purity of the dish. The udon were thick, with a slight chew, and the incredibly clear lightly flavoured fish stock felt like a detox.

It was a nice way to end a rather hectic week.


All the photos are suspect phone pics, apologies

Koya
49 Frith Street
London
W1D 4SG

Restaurant Review: NOPI, London

On Thursday I had dinner at Yotam Ottolenghi's NOPI restaurant. Up there with Nahm, it was my best meal of the year so far. I've been thinking of the heavenly dishes and when I can return ever since.

Ottolenghi describes his food philosophy as being "familiar and straight forward, yet highly innovative". Each plate of food had an understated brilliance. Most dishes only contained a limited number of ingredients which were left to shine. Almost passing unnoticed was a light touch of excellent technique from the kitchen and a few unexpected flavour combinations. If you enjoy light and fresh Mediterranean food I really think you should go.

We were seated downstairs on one of the two large marble share tables. The calm and almost silent open kitchen was located at one end of the room. On the wall opposite my seat were floor to ceiling shelves containing the restaurant stores. It was interesting to check out what ingredients the restaurant buy in and use. It was pleasing to see a few ingredients that I have in my own cupboard at home.

Burrata, yellow nectarine and coriander seeds

The menu has a large section starters / dishes to share and a smaller selection of mains. With everything looking so appealing we decided to order five of the dishes to share so that we got to sample more of the menu.

We started with the burrata, yellow nectarine and coriander seeds (£12). This was my first taste of a burrata and on cutting it open it didn't ooze like I thought it might. However, it was a very soft cheese  with a distinct change in texture between the silky inside and slightly firmer 'skin'.

I found the cheese quite mild in flavour and it was more of a texture. I'd never have thought of pairing coriander seeds with cheese, but they really worked adding crunch and flavour. The ripe nectarine added another mild flavour and soft texture.

Roasted aubergine, confit onion and caramelised lemon

The second dish to arrive was the roasted aubergine, confit onion and caramelised lemon (£9). Each slice of roasted aubergine had been given a smear of fresh curd like cheese and then covered with the confit onion and a few slices of caramelised lemon.

Just four ingredients made for a delightful dish. It was a real treat when your mouthful contained a piece of the caramelised preserved lemon that added a sweet and sharp tang.

Pea and broad bean fritters with cardamon yoghurt

Our final selection from the vegetable section were the pea and broad bean fritters with cardamon yoghurt (£9.50). I was slightly hesitant at ordering the fritters having had so many claggy and heavy disappointments in the past. How wrong could I be? The fritters cut open easily to reveal a vibrant green centre of pea and broad beans.

I didn't detect any cardamon in the yoghurt which was the only time that a flavour advertised on the menu was absent.

Cornish cod, corn purée, cured sausages and king oyster mushrooms

 

Next up was a choice from the fish section. The Cornish cod, corn purée, cured sausages and king oyster mushrooms (£12.50) was visually most impressive dish of the night. The cod flaked apart at the merest touch. The vibrant corn purée was delightfully sweet and the king oyster mushrooms added a firm texture and a slight chew.

Twice cooked baby chicken, lemon myrtle salt and chilli sauce

Our final savoury dish was easily the most moreish and perhaps the favourite share plate of the evening. The twice cooked baby chicken (£8.50) was first poached in a master stock and then is basted and grilled. The marinade for the basting definitely contained kap manis (I spotted some ABC Sauce on the shelves) giving it a sweet and sticky finish.  A twist if lime went well with the chicken, but I thought the lemon myrtle salt was a little lost. The homemade chilli sauce though was a winner.

All pretentions at sophistication were gone as we sucked every last piece of flesh from the bones and licked our fingers.

Blackcurrant sorbet, cassis liqueur

Content without being stomach groaningly full after the savoury courses we couldn't resist the promise of more great dishes for desert.

My selection was the blackcurrant sorbet and cassis liqueur (£4). I don't think I have ever tasted such an intense blackberry flavour as is contained in the sorbet. The sorbet dark, intense, slightly sharp and not overly sweet I actually struggled to finish the single scoop. I wasn't a fan of the cassis and could easily have done without it drizzled over the top.

Nectarine galette, pistachio, white peach sorbet

I only managed to sneak a couple of tastes of the nectarine galette, pistachio, white peach sorbet (£8.50) but it was another stormer tasting as good as it looked.

Overall a wonderful dinner without a foot put wrong. Eating downstairs had a slightly less formal and more fun atmosphere than the upstairs dining room which looked  to be more formal (but I'm fairly sure has the same menu).

NOPI apparently stands for North Of PIcadilly. I'm not sure it will ever be as famous as SOHO, but learning the restaurant's quirky name had a meaning made me like it even more.

I enjoyed NOPI so much I've added it to my Top Eats page. Why not check out my map of London reviews too?

NOPI
22 Warwick St
Soho
London
W1B 5NE