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Food For Thought
The vegetarian food here is immensely satisfying,
with wonderfully fresh produce pepped up with splashes of inspiration.
The menu, which usually features a daily soup, quiche/tart, casserole
or moussaka, draws in flavours from around the globe. From Jamaican
curry to a Roman-style vegetable stew, it’s all good, and served in
generous portions. Don’t forget to try their its ‘scrunches’ –
raspberry or strawberry depending on the season – cream, fresh fruit
and crunchy oats.
When to go When you don’t mind the crush for a great value feed.
What
to have The hot stews and curries are perfect for the season, packed
with flavoursome veg (such as juicy aubergines and parsnips).
Food For Thought, 31 Neal St, WC2H 9PR (7836 9072). Covent Garden tube.
Baozi Inn
Chinese food in Chinatown very rarely goes beyond classic Cantonese
cooking, but Baozi Inn (from the creators of Bar Shu, currently closed
for refurbishment until April 2009) breaks the mould by serving the
traditional street foods of Sichuan and Beijing. From the former, you
can try spicy beef noodles with sharp red chilli oil or classic dan dan
mian; from the latter, zhajiang mian (minced pork noodles) or the
ubiquitous baozi (steamed buns) that are so popular in northern China.
When to go For lunch on the cheap.
What to have Slippery, al dente ‘dragon’ wontons in a flavoursome broth of your choice – spicy ‘red oil’, or clear and savoury.
Baozi Inn, 25 Newport Court, WC2H 7JS (7287 6877). Leicester Square tube.
Feature continues
Albion
Terence Conran still has the magic touch, it would seem. His
latest endeavour ‘The Boundary Project’ includes a caff (Albion), food
shop and bakery, smart dining room (The Boundary) – and a hotel and
rooftop bar ’n’ grill to open later in the year. It’s Team GB all the
way at Albion, with well-priced, straightforward and nostalgia-tinged
British food. The menu covers the expected fry-ups and nostalgia puds
(apple crumble and custard), yet the cooking is suprisingly refined.
The setting is as comforting as the food, with perky service to match.
When to go when you need some something soothing to line your stomach.
What to have Whatever calls to you – pies, puddings, a massive bacon sarnie.
Albion, 2-4 Boundary St, E2 7JE (7729 1051/www.albioncaff.co.uk). Liverpool St tube/rail or bus 8, 26, 48.
Mangal Ocakbasi
Mangal
was the first Turkish ocakbasi barbecue in London, and its success
sparked a wave of imitators in Dalston and across London. It is still
as unpretentious and unreconstructed as it ever was, and owes its
success not to the occasionally gruff service, the terrible noise from
the grill’s extraction chimney or the cramped interior, but to to the
quality of its barbecued meats, which are sublime.
When to go Cold evenings.
What to have Grilled meats.
Mangal Ocakbasi, 10 Arcola St, E8 2DJ (7275 8981/www.mangal1.com). Dalston Kingsland rail. Unlicensed.
Song Que
The
freshness and vibrancy of Vietnamese cooking is a revelation, and a
kitchen as authentic as Song Que’s is a real asset in London’s culinary
landscape. Decor-wise, it’s nothing to harp on about – paper
tablecloths and cheap furniture hulked together in a large, thankfully
high-ceilinged room – leaving room for us to wax lyrical about the even
higher standards of cooking. Song Que, while excelling in plenty of
Vietnamese staples – fresh summer rolls bursting with vermicelli and
herbs, garlicky stir-fried morning glory – they’re best known for the
clear, flavoursome broth in their signature pho, a humble rice noodle
soup. A favourite among connoisseurs is the version with rare sliced
steak and a rich meaty broth; the balanced flavours come together with
fresh herbs (sawtooth, sweet basil), lemon juice and chillies.
When to go If you want something satisfying on a budget, or are looking for something to nurse that hangover on a cold night.
What to have The pho is obligatory; supplement it with dish of chargrilled beef wrapped in betel leaves (bo la lot).
Song Que, 134 Kingsland Rd, E2 8DY (7613 3222). Old St tube/rail.
Cah Chi
The original Cah Chi in Raynes Park has long been one of our favourite
Korean restaurants; this new branch has a different vibe, but it has
the advantage of being slightly closer to central London. You won’t
find watered-down Korean food – all the dishes we’ve tried here have
been confidently rendered with no compromise on flavour. Crisp pa jeon
(a sort of pancake) filled with fresh seafood and spring onions, or
strips of raw beef sizzling in a stone bowl (dolsot) with rice, pickles
and vegetables, being just two of many great examples.
When to go For Korean food without the clichéd barbecue-side theatrics.
What to have Fill up on the panchan (small side dishes) and move swiftly onto the grilled marinated meats.
Cah Chi, 394 Garratt Lane, SW18 4HP (8946 8811/www.cahchi.com). Earlsfield rail.
Rosa's
If
we had to make a comparison, Rosa’s would be Busaba Eathai’s homelier,
cuter cousin – the pink and red decor with childlike stools for
perching, communal tables and gentle lighting offers up the right mix
of cosiness and charm. The food, while more home-style than Busaba’s,
reaches similar heights with a hearty mix of familiar Thai dishes (pad
Thai, stir-fries, curries), done consistently well with fresh
ingredients. There’s supreme care given to cooking meats perfectly,
seen in a faultless starter of satays and a succulent dish of lamb
cutlets in aromatic yellow curry. The service is friendly but
unintrusive.
When to go Sundays, either to fuel up before or after perusing the Brick Lane markets.
What to have Succulent lamb satay, and a properly fiery som tam (green papaya salad).
Rosa’s, 12 Hanbury St, E1 6QR (7247 1093/www.rosaslondon.com). Liverpool St tube/rail.
Nauroz
The
Pakistani family behind Nauroz has been moving around the London
suburbs for nearly two decades. They set up a stunning karahi
restaurant, make it hugely successful, then sell it and move on. You
can currently catch them near Harrow, where the cooking is robust and
focuses on earthy fried-onion masalas, tandoori kebabs, and top-notch
breads. Robustly spiced deighi gosht (on-the-bone lamb chunks simmered
in a silken masala of browned onions with cardamom) is an outstanding
rendition of this homely dish. This place is just a caff really, so
it’s not fancy, but it is usefully BYO.
When to go When fate takes you near Harrow.
What to have Meat or veg, and order a lassi to quench the heat.
Nauroz, 219 Field End Rd, Eastcote, Middx, HA5 1QZ (8868 0900). Eastcote tube.
The Clerkenwell Kitchen
This
fantastic eatery deserves all the praise it gets – not only does the
owner Emma Miles, boast commendable culinary provenance (Miles used to
work for Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage restaurant), they
do their darndest to make the Kitchen as sustainable as possible.
Nearly all produce is sourced from within the UK, which goes towards
the daily-changing, seasonal creations that have us coming back for
more.
When to go If your carbon footprint is playing on your mind.
What to have The vegetarian dishes are a delight – especially the tortillas.
The
Clerkenwell Kitchen, 27-31 Clerkenwell Close, EC1R 0AT (7101
9959/www.theclerkenwellkitchen.co.uk). Angel tube or Farringdon tube/rail.
Indian | Oriental | Italian | Cheap eats | British | Vegetarian | Gastropubs | Best service | Best to impress | Best for grazing
37 comments
Well, this is my answer to that seemingly impertinent question. ,
Real Karahi Food - Hot Red Chillies in Eastcote all the way
the best turkish and meze to be found is i Olives and Figs restauarant in a small alley way in Spitalfields.I found the food is great value for money. Bring your own booze near Liverpool Street is just amazing. I am surprised there is no mention of the place.
??? no mention of Tayyab's? the most popular restaurant with the pakistani and bangladeshi community in London - always huge queues for a tabel - and unbeatable home cooked - on Fieldgate street
The Prince of Wales in Putney, is a hidden gem when it comes
down to Gastropubs. I go there regularly with my partner or friends and we travel over the water from fulham to eat/drink there. I really rate this place.. Has anyone been there?
this website rocks
It is one thing to debate about suitability of omnivorous critics reviewing vegetarian cuisine. I do feel that one may find such a standpoint to be a 'slippery slope' argument – surely such logic would conclude that only vegetarians would be competent to review veg meals, and one might similarly go on to argue that as the subtle differences between different Moroccan herbs may be lost to those unaccustomed (i.e. foreign), only native Moroccan food eating people (note: this is irrelevant of their race/colour, such a category only concerns that one's 'home food' is Moroccan) should be deemed truly competent to review Moroccan food, and so on. What I believe (and correct me if I’m wrong) to be the fallacy here is that the herbivores amongst us must remember that the meat eaters go vegetarian quite often (porcini risotto with truffle shavings anyone?) and it is only suitable that critics represent the mainstream. Like it or not, even for dishes which do not contain meat, the omnivorous palette IS the mainstream and therefore justifies an omnivorous critic. In any case, I accept that this itself is a contentious line of reasoning and do believe debate on this topic may not necessarily be unhealthy.
It is, however, a completely different animal (pardon the pun - I couldn’t resist) to talk about ‘the harmful effects to the environment’ eating meat indirectly causes, and I suspect I am not alone in being quite irritated by the veggies’ pretentiousness in the matter. Sure, cattle may consume part of the Earth’s resources. But are you suggesting that we cull all cattle and livestock in order to ensure that there are more resources left for humankind? Or is your proposed solution to let them all go back into the wilderness? For surely, they will consume as much resources in the wild. Why stop at livestock anyway? Why not start terminating humans whom you deem unfit and a waste of Earth’s resources? For surely, humankind as a species uses up the Earth’s resources the most – makes more sense to address the real issue at hand. Yes, I am being sarcastic. All I’m trying to say is- since when did preferring broccoli to beef suddenly make you guys rulers of the universe?
Let’s also not forget that there are a million ways in which veggies themselves can help reduce the burden to mother nature that they themselves are causing. Recycle more. Invest and donate into research for renewable resources. Cycle around, don’t drive. Watch your carbon footprint. Instead of acting like you are the saints of this world simply because of your dietary preferences, get off your high horse, and if you care about the environment so much, go do something about it. Otherwise, the L.s and S.s, and Tommos – you really are just full of organic fertiliser.
Michael,
Buy the Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide. There is a section on Haute Cuisine. Just be aware in London that there are some expensive restaurants that don't have very good food and some cheap ones that have very good food. Also try the red star recommendations in each section, you can tell by the average pricing which are the more expensive/ "exclusive". (Note Hakkasan is expensive & has very good food) but is far from exclusive (as it is basically a canteen style restaurant with a beautiful interior).
Could someone out there please tell me where I could get a copy of a guide/brochure of the best restaurants in London eg Simpson the Strand, Rules, La Gavote, Connaught Hotel,Gay Hussar etc.
In a nut shell - expensive, exclusive, up market!
Vegetarian/Vegans out there do not seem to understand that the majority of people in London are not vegetarian. Hence restaurant numbers in the review are weighted towards those catering to omnivorous diets.
We recently went to Amaya during our first visit to London and had an unforgettable meal. It was one of the highlights of our trip.
M.moss - your argument falls over at the first hurdle!!! If you object so much to the resources it takes to produce wheat, you'll be comforted to know that 70% of grain and cereals grown in the US are fed to animals reared for the meat industry. It takes 16 pounds of grain to produce 1 pound of meat. According to Compassion in World Farming, about 20% of the world's population could be fed with the grain and soybeans fed to US cattle alone!! On top of this, a 2006 United Nations report summarised the devastation caused by the meat industry by calling it "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global." Need I say more?!
i used to live in Snaresbrook, England and The Carvery was a great resturaunt!
it really bothers me the way that ciprianni, zuma, nobu, jaks ( the most amazing well priced food i have ever had in my life on walton street) are not mentioned. I should be a bloody critic
Hey, i think the following places are worth a shout for ultra cheap eats...all up the west end
Bodean's, best burgers in town from 5quid with chips.....
Indian YMCA...unfussy authentic indian food, curries from 3quid...
Rasa,,,,South Indian food....there lunch box menu is really amazin
Icco....pizza from 3.50.and they are actually really nice...much better than pizzahut....though that wouldnt be hard
Italia Uno(charlotte st)amazin meatballs with rice for