Maltings Cafe, 169 Tower Bridge Road (London Bridge Tube)
Spaghetti with swiss chard, chill and garlic
Verdict: Quick, quality lunch. Menu changes daily, everything under a tenner. Will definitely go back.
Rating: 7/10
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Sophie’s Steakhouse, 29-31 Wellington Road (Covent Garden tube)
Chargrilled sardines on toast, Ribeye with bearnaise and chips, Vanilla and Chocolate Cheescake
Verdict: Sardines were ok, steak was very good – cooked medium-rare as re quested and pretty well proportioned for the price. Chips lacked crunch, and as pointed out elsewhere the bearnaise was actually closer to hollandaise. Cheesecake was superb. The express menu is decent value and it’s a good location for big parties, but next time I need a table for twelve, we’ll head over the road to Byron.
Rating: 6/10
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Indian Rasoi, Fortis Green (East Finchley tube)
Chicken Tikka, Bhuna Gosht, Tarka Daal, Pilau Rice, Peshwari Naan and Tandoori Roti
Verdict: The Sunday Times lists Indian Rasoi is as one of the top 200 restaurants in the country. It’s certainly one of the cheaper options on their recently published Food List (Dinner for two was £40 without drinks). The tikka was superb, while the curries were pretty competent and not Tayyabs/Lahore greasy if that is what you’re after. Good, if not spectacular, option for those in Eastern Funkily and surrounding areas but if you’re more central located head to The Gaylord Restaurant (yes) on Mortimer Street, even though it’s slightly more expensive.
Rating: 7/10
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Song Que, 134 Kingsland Road (Old Street tube)
Pho with rare steak, Chicken with Lemongrass, Sea bream with mango, Grilled pork with rice vermicelli
Verdict: The Pho was superb and has been much written about elsewhere. Sea bream and grilled pork were also fantastic, we should have ordered both in greater quantities. Chicken was the only letdown, a bit like Vietnamese food by numbers, the equivalent of opting for a sweet and sour dish in Chinatown. My bad.
Rating: 8/10
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UKAI, 58 Poland Street, Soho (Tottenham Court Road tube)
Sashimi platter, Black Cod, UKAI beef, Green tea pannacotta
Verdict: Sashimi was decent enough. The ubiquitous Black Cod was good, if a touch too well done. UKAI beef was chewy and overdone. Pannacotta was interesting. Fun but ultimately overpriced central London joint.
Rating: 5/10
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Koya, Frith Street (Tottenham Court Rd tube)
Hot Udon in Hot Broth, Fish and Chips (Cod tempura, with fried lotus root)
Verdict: Pretty good value if you order strategically. Perfect winter food.
Rating: 6.5/10
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Divan, 163 Ballards Lane (Finchley Central)
Divan Mixed Grill, Lamb shawarma (doner)
Verdict: Divan has been named as one of the top five kebab shops in Britain, in the The Good Kebab Guide (2010), by Tom Sandham and Ben McFarland. The food didn’t quite live up to expectations. The shawarma wasn”t even close to what I’ve eaten in the Middle East. The mixed grill (including quails) was better, but again didn’t blow me away. Apparently its open til four in the morning, so perhaps it’ll taste better after a night of lashez-vous.
Rating: 6/10
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Mandalay, 444 Edgware Road (Edgware Road tube)
Omelette curry, Chicken with coriander, Prawn in Lemongrass, Lentil Rice, Pilau Rice
Verdict: My first experience of Burmese cuisine. As expected, it tastes somewhere between Chinese, Thai and Indian. Also, the food had a home-cooked vibe if that makes sense. Good value at less than ten pound a head without drinks, and worth a visit if you’re in the area. I will return.
Rating: 6.5/10
