Address: First Floor, Metropolitan Hotel, 19A Old Park Lane, London W1K 1LB

Telephone number: 0207 447 4747

Website: http://www.noburestaurants.com/london/experience/introduction/

Date of visit: 30 March 2011

Cuisine: Japanese and Japanese fusion

Approximate cost per head: You can get away at £30 or less during lunch (excl drinks – water is £6 a bottle). However, budget for £50+ per head plus drinks if you want to enjoy yourself. They do serve tap water.

Comments on wine list/beer: Wines starts at £30+ a bottle but most are priced at hundreds of pounds. Nobu San brews his own beer in Japan but would you drink imported Japanese beer at the moment?

Summary:

I have been here many times and have always gone away broke and satisfied.

There are 3 branches of Nobu in London. This is the oldest and probably the best even though Nobu San is never in residence. He cooks (sometimes) in the LA branch. In 2009, Nobu (London) was listed as number 34 in the top 50 restaurants in the world. Only Tatsuya in Sydney and Mesa in New York out ranked Nobu on Japanese food. I have never been able to get a reservation at either Tatsuya or Mesa as you have to book months ahead. Nobu is only difficult in the evenings for short notice reservations.

I have eaten in several Nobu and the food is similar but not identical – it is a modern take on Japanese food. Some describe it as Japanese Fusion with a Peruvian touch.

The restaurant is housed on the first floor of the Metropolitan Hotel and it over looks Hyde Park. The décor is modern and the place well lit. The tables are bare – no table clothes. However, you do get proper linen napkins.

I went with my friend N who has been to Tatsuya but had never been to Nobu. To impress him, I ordered all the usual signature dishes.

We started with hand rolled sushi:  Asparagus & Tuna (£7.75 each) and Salmon & Avocado (£7.50 each). They came in cones wrapped with a large of nori seaweed with a large chunk of fish and veg and sushi rice inside the cones.

We then had the new style sashimi of salmon. This was thinly sliced salmon served in a citrus oil dressing. The citrus semi “cooks” the salmon so it was semi-raw and not totally raw. Each piece is served with sesame seeds and chives. Amazingly simple, but really good.

We then had the spinach salad with fish (£14) All the green leaves were individually dressed and spread out evenly on a plate with a white rose of white raw fish in the middle.

After that we had the Black Cod and miso (£35.25) – again, an amazingly simple dish to prepare (see Nobu’s cookbook). The large piece of cod was cooked just right with the flesh coming apart in chunks.

The next course was a selection of Tempura. Asparagus (£3.25 for 2 pieces), Broccoli (£2.25 for 2 florets) and Green Beans (£2.25 for 2 pieces).

The whole meal with a bottle of Marsanny Rose (near Beaune), a bottle of tasteless Fiji still water (£6) came to £143.50. Service (optional) is 15%. So it is another £21.53. Total bill came to £165.03 for 2.

The Nobu on 54^th Street, New York serves the same food – I can’t tell the difference – for a lot less money.

The food here is fantastic, it is both visual, tasty and healthy(ish). I would come here every month if I could afford it.

E

PS Not only is Nobu San’s cookbook easy to follow. He now bottles all his marinades and sauces – try Harrods and Selfridges.

PPS My friend N thought that Nobu is right up there with Tatsuya.

Address: 196 Stanley Road, Teddington, Middx TW11 8UE

Telephone number: 020 8943 1059

Website: http://www.imperialchinalondon.co.uk/

Date of visit: 11 March 2011

Approximate cost per head: £20 plus

Comments on wine list/beer: Basic list. Mark up on the low side. Have got first growths (in a bad year) on the list. Pre-ordering required for first growth

Cuisine: Cantonese, Chinese

Parking: Outside on the road – after 6pm and at weekends.

Nearest station: Strawberry Hill

Summary:

I booked for 4. Unfortunately, J and C’s daughter couldn’t make it, so we were down to 3. J &C have always been generous to me so I decided to row the boat out.

Luckily for me, Simon (chef patron) was there and he made a few suggestions.

To start with, we had “dragon beard prawns”. This is a Simon invention and is not on the menu. It is a large “tiger prawns”, stuffed with sliced mango and deep fried in a batter with thin noodles. The result is that you end up with a “hairy” looked prawn. It was excellent – we had one each.

Next up was  lobster in ginger and onion sauce. Simon recommended that the lobster is served on top of a nest of fried crispy noodles. Again, this worked extremely well as the clingy sauce from the lobster is “soaked” into the noodles. The sauce was just right, not too gingery – perfect combination of garlic, spring onion, ginger and Chinese wine.

We then had a quarter crispy dick in taro. This is a boned piece of crispy duck – cooked but not shredded – covered in thinly shredded taro – a really fine combination of crispy exterior with melting duck flesh on the inside.

Next up was Chinese steak – sliced steaks in a tomato and onion sweet and sour sauce. What was nice about this dish was that it was not too sweet. This was accompanied by scallops with asparagus. This was very pleasant, slight down side was that the scallops were previously froze. We also had “do mew” – the greens of mange tout or pea shoots with mushroom and garlic and mixed fried rice.

The total bill including a bottle of Moet champagne (£45) and service charge came to £163.60.

In my view, Imperial China is probably one of the best Chinese Restaurants in the UK – offering “authentic” Cantonese cooking. It certainly is the best I have eaten in so far and I have eaten in a few rated in the Michelin Guide. The décor of the place is good. They will have to improve their wine list if they want a Michelin star.

E

Address: 138 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW3 1HY

Telephone number: 020 7225 3499

Website: N/A

Date of visit: 27 February 2011

Approximate cost per head: £20 onwards for several dishes.

Comments on wine list/beer: £3.20 for Tsing Tao. Better than normal wine list for a Chinese Restaurant

Cuisine: Chinese – mixed bag. A few Shanghaiu dishes, Some Peking dishes but mainly Cantonese. Dim Sum served during lunch.

Summary:

I was killing time in Knightsbridge – went to the Harrods Bakery and was not all that impressed. Paul across the road offered a better range at “slightly” lower prices when I came across this restaurant – driven past many times before.

Shanghai has been around for nearly a decade. Before that the other Chinese restaurant in the area is The Good Earth. The Good Earth is pretty good but it is “anglicised” like Mr Chow.

I have always been attracted to Shanghainese restaurants because it is so rare to find one outside Asia/ Australia/ North America. There used to be one in Gerrard Street called ECapital but it didn’t survive and the food wasn’t all that good.

There were a few Chinese eating in the restaurant – which is always a good sign provided they are not students. Students tend to be interested in value for money rather than high class cuisine unless someone else is paying – I was like that.

The place is long and narrow and smartly decorated. At the back, it is divided into a basement and a mezzanine floor. The tables have table clothes but was slightly marred by the white paper they put on top of the table cloth to save washing.

The menu was disappointing as it was bulk standard Chinese Fare for the Brits –  bit of this region and bit of that region. The Table next to me had Chinese munching Singapore Fried Noodles – a Hong Kong invention. They called it Hong Kong style Singapore noodles in Singapore.

I decided to go for the dim sum. The prawn dumplings and shao loong pao were pretty good and the shao loong  paos were hand made in the restaurant but lacked the soup and wetness which normally came with this type of dumpling when you eat it in a Shanghainese restaurant. They were both prices at £2.80. I then had the salt and pepper squid (£8) which was very good. The grilled dumplings (pot stickers) at £3.50  was OK but the bottom wasn’t crispy enough.

My conclusion is that this place is all right for a run of the mill Chinese restaurant – reasonably authentic – but less than 2% of the dishes on the menu had anything to do with Shanghai. The price and service was also very acceptable.

E

Address: 85 Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, London SW3 3DX

Telephone number: 0207 584 8880

Date of visit: 27 February 2011

 Website: www.awana.co.uk

Approximate cost per head: £30 plus for  a selection of a la carte dishes including starters. There is also a set meal for £50 a head with 10 courses/dishes.

Comments on wine list/beer: Upmarket list but not at silly mark ups

 Cuisine: Malaysian

Summary:

Awana is the only Malaysian restaurant listed in the Michelin Guide.

I came here with a couple of friends after they treated me to the Carling Cup Final.

The restaurant is very smart and modern with an airy feeling. As you enter there are TV screens showing what is going on at the roti (bread) and sate bar.

The wine list was quite upmarket and they had an interesting champagne called Moutard 6 Cepages 2004 (£50) – champagne aged in old chardonnay barrels. On the wine list, they claimed that this gives the champagne more depth.

I usually found that sparkling wine or champagne goes well with spicy food. Reds don’t.

The Moutard 6 Cepages turned out to be an exceptional wine – full of fruit and flavour. It doesn’t have the complexity of Krug etc. The best way to describe it was that it was a fruitier but dry version of Louis Roderer.

To start with, we had a selection of satays: chicken (£8), lamb ((£8) and seafood (£8.50).There were 4 skewers per portion with the meat satays and 3 skewers per portion for the seafood. They were all nicely grilled over charcoal. The interesting thing was that the lamb was not chewy – this in my view is a real test of how good the quality of the meats are. The peanut sauce that came with it was very mild. In fact, everything we had on the night was mild but had a good spicy taste to it.

We then had 4 starters: lamb ribs (£8.50), chicken wings (£5.50) and vegetarian spring rolls (£7.50) and garlic roti (£6.50). The chicken wings were little drum sticks – the meat of the wings were rolled back onto the big wing bone to form a drum stick – deep fried in batter. The lamb was a little bit on the chewy side but then we ordered it cooked medium. The spring rolls were disappointing and it was the worst dish on the night. The garlic roti was a very fine paratha bread served with alight curry dip.

We the had the ayam padang (chicken curry – £16.50), nasi goreng with fried shrimps (£15.5), seabass (£22) and mixed vegetables (£12.5). Everything was nicely presented but then that seemed to be a key selection criteria of Michelin Inspectors. The chicken curry was good but too mild for me, the seabass in a ginger sauce spiked with tamarind. The rice and vegetables highly enjoyable. In fact there were so much food, I had to ask for a doggy bag.

The whole bill including coffee, tea and two bottles of water (I think that it was filtered tap water) came to just over £200 with 12.5% service charge included.

The servers were very fast and pleasant and the prices – well it is probably reasonable for that part of the world.

We all had a good time. Next time, I think that we will just stick to the starters and have a mezza type meal.

E

Address: 115 Charterhouse St, Smithfield, London, EC1M 6AA

Telephone number: 020 7250 1300

Website: http://www.foxandanchor.com/

Date of last visit: see review on 11 November 2010

Date of visit: 17 February 2011

Approximate cost per head: £20 plus for 2 courses.

Comments on wine list/beer: Several types of guest beer. Prices have gone up by more than the 2.5% increase in VAT. London Glory is £3.80 a pint whilst Camdon larger is £3.95 a pint.

Cooking Style: British – old fashion

Summary:

Three of us went there for lunch. The place was surprisingly empty for a Thursday lunch time.

The beers and largers are just as good as before although you are now talking about nearly £4 a pint.

The pie menu has also changed. There is no more rabbit. Instead we now have Kentish Pudding. The rest of the menu remained the same, you can still get dishes such as cheese on toast, oysters etc here. Proper old fashion fare.

We all started off with the Scotch Egg (£6.15) for 2 the eggs were served warm with the yolk still runny. You also get a slightly curried mayonnaise  in a mini sauce boat. It was good but I have to admit that The Royal Oak (Paley Street) is better. I am glad to see that home made Scotch egg is making a come back onto pub menus.

Two of us had the Kentish pudding (£13.95) whilst another had the lamb shank pie  (£13.95).

The Kentish pudding was a suet pudding with a creamy chicken and veg interior. The pudding seems to have been steamed and then baked as there is a golden crust on it. It was served on a pile of mash. The pudding tasted fine but deep inside me, I am not sure that a cream sauce goes well with the suet pastry and mash potato.

The lamb shank piewas a lamb shank stew with a top pie crust and  the shank bone protruding from the crust. Mt friend K gave it a pretty good review.

For a pub in the City, this place is neither cheap nor pricy but the beers are good and the food tasty.

By the way the sausage rolls and pork pies by the bar looked really good.

E

Location: The O2, Peninsula Square, Millenium Way, Greenwich, London SE10 0DX

Web site: www.thaisilkrestaurant.co.uk/O2_thai_silk/O2_welcome

Telephone number: 0208 8581 899

Date of visit: 15/12/2011

Approx. cost per head: £10 (buffet) (£20 non buffet)

Comments on wine list/beer: An average selection of wines and beers.

Media link:

Review:

If you’ve ever been to London’s O2 arena you’ll be familiar with the popular array of restaurants and bars found inside.

Having only ever visited on a Friday or Saturday evening, for various events, and seen the queues of 20-30 people outside each one, I’ve never had the time or inclination to try any of the restaurants.  This time, turning up mid-week, we decided to be different. Amongst the line of chain restaurants is the welcoming and very well priced Thai Silk.

2 courses for £10 as part of the weeknight buffet tempted us inside (the same meal is normally priced around double this). Thai Silk is a large restaurant, spanning 2 floors, and even relatively early on this weekday night, was bustling. Both the starters – grilled marinated strips of chicken and vegetable spring rolls- and the mains – a Thai green curry and stir fried duck -were delicious. The service as very friendly and the experience as authentic as it will ever be in the middle of a large dome in south London.

I gather than on Friday and Saturday evening, like most adjacent venues, Thai Silk transforms into a bar with a dance floor but don’t let that deter you from what’s actually an ideal spot if you’re looking for a pre-event/concert meal.

Dave Lamont

Location: 10 Palace Gate Road, Harringay, London, N22 7BN

Web site:N/A

Telephone number: 020 8889 0384

Date of visit: 11/12/10

Approx. cost per head: £20.00

Comments on wine list/beer: An average selection of wines and beers.

Media link:

Review:

Easily missed and uninspiring from the road-side Bengal Berties is the hidden gem of the area.

Located on a quieter street close to the Centre of Wood Green, or a short bus ride from Muswell Hill, it provides a quiet and relaxing atmosphere perhaps best suited for a weeknight visit. Described on several popular review sites as ‘the best Indian restaurant this side of North London ’East London’s Brick Lane or several alternatives in central London are no doubt still worth the tube journey if inclined.

Following several visits we have now worked our way through a selection of the available dishes – and we’re yet to be disappointed. Simple, honest, lovely food, well priced and friendly service. The decor could be improved and unless it’s a full house the atmosphere can be a little lacking but on the flip side that’s part of Bengal Berties’ appeal. Starters average around £3-4 with mains around £7-8. We’re yet to try the deserts, priced around £4.

Dave Lamont

Web site: www.joelrobuchon.co.uk

Telephone number: 02070108600

Date of visit: 23rd Oct 2010

Approx. cost per head: £70 (see review on 23 August 2010)

Comments on wine list/beer: Premium and extensive list – see 23 August 2010

Review:

We returned to the L’Atelier last week, to La Cuisine on the first floor, with some friends. Happily our experience on this occasion was vastly different from our previous visit to the ground floor and the whole evening was delightful.
First of all, the decor was bright, elegant and uplifting. A stark contrast to the dark, eerie feel downstairs. We had a tasting menu with matching wines. Amongst the courses we had was the crabmeat with spiced turnips then the scallops carpaccio, where the seafood was very fresh and accompanied well. The quail with foie gras and truffle mashed potato was a fantastic way to prepare us for the array of desserts that followed.
We could have been at a different restaurant from the previous visit! The service was both charming and efficient. The sommelier, who seemed to be able to speak English in several accents, was a real charmer. The wines were well chosen and spanned parts of the world where only his accents could reach!
Based on our second visit, we would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant.

Ken

Location: 2 Highgate High Street, Highgate, N6 5JL

Web site: http://www.cote-restaurants.co.uk/Cote_Highgate.html

Telephone number: 020 8348 9107

Date of visit: 4/12/2010

Approx. cost per head: £20 including service

Comments on wine list/beer: Good choice of wines

Cuisine: French

Review:

Located at one end of Highgate village, the Cote Brasserie is the third restaurant to be run on this premises in the last 2 years.

Unlike its predecessors, it has been doing very good business and is likely to be there for many years to come.

As you would expect from the name, the restaurant serves traditional French food. The cooking is of a high quality, and the portions are generous.

I started my meal with the moules (£5.75), while my guest had the calamari (£5.95). Both dishes were cooked well and very enjoyable.

For my main, I had the steak frites (£9.95). The steak was served pink with parsley butter, and the chips were thin and crisp. My guest had the lamb rump, served with roast vegetables and potatoes (£13.50). Everything was well cooked, and the large portion (for the lamb) offered particularly good value for money.

Finally we both opted for the chocolate fondant (£4.95) for dessert. A potential stumbling block for any restaurant, we were pleased to see it was cooked to perfection with the centre still runny.

Service was prompt throughout, and the restaurant is clean and inviting.

I would be happy to recommend this restaurant to anyone looking to eat in the area, comparing well with the other restaurants (all big chains), or the pubs serving food in Highgate village. If you are interested in visiting I would advise you to book as they tend to be full every evening, as well as weekend lunchtimes.

Olly

Location: 2 Park Road, Crouch End, London, N8 8DT

Web site: http://www.monkeynuts.biz/

Telephone number: 020 8340 4466

Date of visit: 27/11/2010

Approx. cost per head: £15

Comments on wine list/beer: Limited list of wines

Cuisine: American

Review:

Monkey nuts is one of our favourite local restaurants. It has a very family friendly atmosphere, though this can mean it gets a bit noisy at times, particularly if you are seated towards the back of the restaurant.

The food is mainly American, with burgers and steaks their speciality.

On our most recent visit, my wife and I chose to start with the medley board, which includes tiger prawns, chicken satay, bbq chicken wings, halloumi skewers and onion rings (£13.95 to share). This was followed by a burger (£6.75) and chips (£2.50) for my wife, and the beef ribs (£16.95) and chips (£2.50) for myself.

As always, the food is simple, but well cooked and very tasty. Be aware when ordering that many of the dishes do not include chips which need to be ordered separately.

If this is the kind of food you like, then monkey nuts is well worth a visit. It may be worth booking if you are heading in a peak times, otherwise you will often have to wait half an hour or so for a table.

Olly