Dum Biryani House, 10th November

I was unexpectedly contacted by Dhruv, the man behind DUM Biryiani, newly opened in Soho, inviting me to review the place. He said he liked my blog – clearly he has good taste, which boded well for his new restaurant.

Dum might sound like an odd choice for a restaurant name but Dum biryani is actually a specific dish native to Hyderabadi. So, this is another of those ‘one choice’ places, with either lamb or veg (mushroom, chickpease, and potatoes) biryani being the two choices for mains. With these there’s a handful of starters or sides and we ended up trying all of them except the prawns because I have allergies.

This may sound a little greedy but I had been waiting for my friend for almost an hour by the time she arrived, slowly being driven mad by the tantalising smells though somewhat soothed by the gentle Snoop Doog being played in the background. So by the time she arrived, I was starving, despite demolishing a plate of the masala nuts while I sipped on a cocktail. With the spicy coating it was hard to tell what nuts they were but I definitely spied peanut and cashew and maybe one other. They are fried and coated with a homemade spice mix which was not afraid of some real heat and were completely moreish. Perfect snacking.

They were all gone by the time Carolyn turned up so we got some of the fried yoghurt (because it sounded so strange) and also the black chickpea salad. I wasn’t sold on the fried yoghurt, but I don’t actually like yoghurt anyway so perhaps that’s no surprise. I certainly preferred it in this form – it was a bit like fried cottage cheese/paneer and I loved the curry leaf sauce it came with. But not something I’d choose to eat again.

The chicken wings were superb. They must have come from some mammoth birds and were piled high with grated, crispy ginger – not the sort of thing to take a mouthful of on its own, as I did, but a fantastic kick when eaten with the actual wing. These were plenty spicy but not so spicy it becomes a challenge to eat. So, just right in my opinion. I would have happily eaten another plateful.  

The salad was light and zingy, and did act as a refreshing coolant to the wings I was eating alongside. I wasn’t sure about the firm texture of the chickpeas, but again, full disclosure, I don’t generally seek chickpeas out so I’m not their biggest fan anyway.

And so, soon after, the main event was brought out. At first glance it looks like a pot pie, but no, underneath that (really rather tasty – loved the nigella(?) seeds) was the biryani. This is superhearty. Mine had chunks of lamb throughout and a big bit of lamb on the bone which fell off with the merest prod. There was a lot of rice. A lot. You could easily share this if you also want to have most of the snacks, or have one each and only share a couple of the starters. I would probably recommend the former, unless you happen to be eating with a veggie!

The biryani comes with a couple of poppadoms, some raita, a korma-esque curry and chili (with boiled egg if you get the meat version) and an absolutely delicious chutney. Overall, the biryani was a little too… aromatic for me. The flavour profiles weren’t quite suited to my taste. Sort of reminded me of  incense. However, that didn’t stop me eating as much as I could until I was stuffed. It was still tasty, although the rice got a little dry at times so I would suggest giving the whole thing a good stir so the meat juices can supply some moisture. Or maybe pour your curry into it.

Anyway, we were way too stuffed for dessert and really enjoyed the whole meal - I would, and have, recommended it to others. Especially for those wings. Oh, those wings!

Star at Night (London Gin Club), 9th November

I don’t know why I was so taken aback by the amount of gin the London GIN Club had but it was a little overwhelming – how was I to choose? So many gins. ALL the gins. To be mixed with Fever Tree tonic (natch) and interesting little garnishes – like plum, or tomato and coriander and served in those gorgeous copa glasses that are like fish bowls. They were all priced at £8.95 unless otherwise stated, and actually there were probably more that were ‘otherwise stated’ than weren’t, and they were generally all about £9.50. So I chose the way any sensible lush would – by ABV.

The first one I tried I thought had a bit of a peppery taste to it but what do I know, and my friend was directed to the sloe gins they had on offer when she said she liked it sweet and fruity. The Bathtub sloe was perfect for this – tasted like fruit punch when mixed with tonic.

For her next she had one from the Citrus section but this was too much serious gin for her – not fruity enough. You get a bottle of fever tree to split between you and before I knew it she had emptied pretty much the whole thing into her copa. As much as I could, I did not fancy drinking just straight gin so we asked for another and our request was graciously granted.

I have to say, I thought the service was lovely - not overly present but they kept an eye on you and menus were swiftly handed over when our first drink was finished. And they seemed more than happy to chat through the different types of gin they had on offer. Although one of the servers didn’t know that Martin Miller was a partly Icelandic gin – tsk tsk. (This I only knew from the Gin Off at Graphic – excellent!)

The Gin-Off, Graphic Bar, 18th July

If you want to get absolutely trollied on whimsical, inventive and tasty (for the most part) cocktails on a Monday then the Gin-Off is your man! Happening throughout the year, 16 gins compete against each other to make it into the Gin-off final by coming up with clever and creative ways to imbibe this particular liquor, and I was invited to the final heat. 

When I went, the gins being showcased were Boodles, Sipsmith (they get everywhere), Tarquins and Martin Millers. I really wanted to like Martin Millers, as it is a blend of England and Iceland, two countries dear to my heart, but unfortunately I have to say their concoction was the worst cocktail I have ever had. Actively unpleasant to drink, I was a brave soul and finished it nonetheless. Milk and gin do not make good bedfellows. It did, at least, come in cute packaging but I am not a fan of a paper straw – so soggy so quickly. 

Far and away the best cocktail of the evening came from Boodles who had somehow turned a cocktail into a quintessentially English curry, complete with political commentary on the recent Brexit result/fiasco. I didn’t expect to like it to be honest, but the savoury, fragrant spiciness was incredibly moreish. And extra bonus points for the properly spicy lime pickle! Unsurprisingly, this cocktail won hands down. Well deserved. 

The other two also rans were nice enough. Tarquins served up little ‘ice creams’ which were as fun to watch created as they were to drink. And Sipsmith went down the most traditional route, serving up test tubes of their concoctions.

As soon as the cocktails started being lined up, everyone went for it, meaning we drank four deceptively strong cocktails within an hour. Little wonder then, that at 9 pm when all the drinks were sampled, the party was going OFF. The music was turned up and people were dancing. It felt a little surreal to be honest but really good fun!

Keep an eye out for the next one, or if you can’t wait, they do a Gin Social every Monday where you can have a welcome G&T, a tasting of that months Gin and a Gin cocktail of their own creation for £5. 

Mister Lasagna, 3rd May

Mister Lasagna is one of those one-trick pony restaurants – specializing in… well, I think you can guess.

But the variety it has on offer for its trick is quite astounding. (Italians and purists, you may want to look away now…) There was pumpkin and blue cheese, chicken and chorizo, ‘breakfast’, spinach, artichoke, arrabbiata.. and that really is to name just a few.

You can have a half a slice, a Regular or a Tris – three halves, allowing you to try as many different types as possible for just under £8. I did this and let me tell you, three halves of Lasagne do not make a light meal. I actually had to leave some! I had the pesto, chicken and chorizo and carbonara/breakfast. Taste-wise, all three hit the spot, with the pesto version probably being my favourite. It is just a shame that they didn’t warm them up for quite long enough – they were nowhere near piping through which made them a bit stodgier I think than they would have been otherwise, and by the time I got near to finishing they were basically cold.

The place is definitely casual, meant for a quick dinner rather than a long and lingering meal. You pick your lasagna at the counter and it is served to you on a Styrofoam plate, which you take down to the restaurant bit. If you’ve ordered wine (they had a very pleasing red for £22), they’ll bring that to you. There is a range of table sizes – some twos, one large communal one a few in between which makes the place feel a bit like a rustic kitchen. We really enjoyed the real moss growing behind us.

I did say this isn’t the type of place to linger, but actually, we did just that and no one seemed to mind. Most others didn’t though, which meant table turnaround was quite swift, and we were the only ones left by 9:30 (we’d arrived at 7!).

I was far too stuffed to try any of the desserts on offer but I would happily give them a go. This is definitely somewhere I’ll bear in mind when I want something reasonably priced and satisfying. 

68 and Boston, 14th April

If you cast your mind way, way back you may remember my friend Alison and I used to frequent both the basement and the upstairs of Central & Co. One of the things I really liked about it was its wine pricing policy. Every bottle was £20 which meant I felt completely liberated to try something I might not otherwise because of the price tag. So it is in the downstairs (which is actually the ground floor, a little confusingly) of 68 and Boston.

I met up with a friend for a catch up and we decided to take a punt on a Uruguayan Sauvignon Blanc. Sauv isn’t particularly exotic but the region was a little different and maybe not something I would have gambled on if it were a different price.

The bar is fairly sleek, as you would imagine from Soho, but not too overly designed. The staff were also pretty friendly and very good at keeping both wine and water glasses topped up.

We had one more glass. I thought I had ordered the white zinfandel but what turned up was a very full-bodied red. No matter! It was quite a nice, cosy drink rather like having a port at the end of the evening and we didn’t mind at all.

Upstairs is the cocktail bar but we didn’t venture up there this time around. A good excuse for a return trip…

Cahoots, 21st December

Cahoots I must say was the very definition of a theme bar done right. With cocktails to live up to the décor.

We had already been drinking fairly heavily throughout the evening so were a bit squiffy when we finally rocked up to Cahoots at 11 and hoped there would be space for us. They were able to accommodate us at our favourite space – the bar, where we made ourselves comfortable and woofed down two tins of the complimentary popcorn (no dinner had been had that evening).

When you arrive you go into a little foyer, just like a ticketing area at a station, before you go through the ‘secret’ panels to the bar below on a mocked up underground escalator. It feels ever so fun. The place is kitted out with all sorts of Underground and 40s paraphernalia which gives it an authentic vintage atmosphere.

Before sitting, we perused the menu – cunningly disguised as a newspaper from the time – before making our final choices. This was difficult - there are pages and pages of options and they all sound either interesting, or tasty. I would say, even if you aren’t much of a fan of all things vintage and themes, the cocktails are worth a visit alone. Very delectable. I cannot remember the names of the cocktails we had but I know for sure mine was boozy and rich. We watched as an elaborate garnish of chocolate, peppercorns and possibly dried mango was created before our eyes, the chocolate poured out onto the bar and set, then sprinkled with the crunchy stuff before being set atop the cocktail. It provided a very handy extra snack for us and a sugar rush that kept us going through the night.

Some of the cocktails are very reasonably priced at around £8 but they do rise up to the £10 or £13 (or more) for the more interesting combinations. But this place is great for a treat or to impress so you'll probably be willing to splurge a little bit. Everyone go. But be warned. If you want to book in advance, they require a deposit, even if only for the two of you so if there’s any chance your plans might change, maybe best to try to wing it – go later in the evening and chance your arm. Worked for us!

Barrio Soho, 21st October

Ok, so I never went to the old-style Barrio Soho, so I can’t compare before and after the relaunch. But I can tell you what it’s like now, having been invited to sample the new menu (both drinks and food) and soak up the atmosphere. This is totally the place to go for fun and fiesta after work – have a few cocktails and a bite to eat upstairs and then once you’re nice and warmed up you can continue the party downstairs where it has its own little dance floor.

Drinkswise we tried pretty much everything they had with my favourite being the Cuba Lima which was a variation on a pisco sour. 

We also had a good selection of food. The mixed basket of fried goodness – pigs ears, pigs trotters and pork scratchings were thoroughly excellent. I was dubious about the ears having had them once before and finding them slimy and gristly, but fried and crunchy they make a good snack! The trotters were in nugget form and definitely my favourite. Both dips had a nice kick to them.

We also got to have a couple of rounds of pork tacos and homemade tortillas with some guacamole were waiting on the table for us. Happily made quick work of those!

The only thing I didn’t care for was the Mexican corn – but I’m just not a corn on the cob kinda gal. This had cheese and cayenne on them and were fine, I just don’t enjoy the process of eating off the cob. Sweet potato fries were tasty but not the best version I've ever had - they were rather large and some of them could have done with a few more minutes.

The atmosphere was as lively as the décor, bringing a bit of sunshine to the rapidly approaching winter. 

Barrafina, 8th October

I am not going to write anything bad about Barrafina. There is nothing bad to say about Barrafina. General consensus is that the food at Barrafina is good and general consensus is right. But how good? Well, for me, just pleasantly good, not knock-your-socks-off good. I enjoyed everything I ate and the meal itself was a very pleasurable experience. Even the hour’s wait for a table passed by quite quickly as we started on a bottle of red and got some padron peppers and bread to keep us company. For the first time ever I think I actually found a spicy one!

The meal was on Stephen and he was feeling lavish so we ordered quite a lot. It was very hard to choose between the ‘classics’ that are on the menu all the time and the specials of the night so we did a bit of both. We couldn’t miss out on the ham croquetas or one of the tortillas – prawn and piquillo pepper. I thought the tortilla was spot on – just the right squishy consistency in the middle but not too undercooked for my liking. The croquetas were good but I have to say I prefer the ones Stephen has made at home himself!

Milk-fed lamb belly was a no-brainer and of course if you’re going to eat in a Spanish place, you have to have chorizo (served with potatoes and watercress). Stephen had fried red mullet all to himself and I shared the arroz negro with monkfish with him, and first to come out was the meat platter we ordered. This was very nice but we immediately had food envy when we saw someone else’s choice of, I think, thin slices of lomo. Perhaps going for one specific type of cured meat is the way forward.

I can’t comment on the red mullet, although the saffron sauce it came with was a delight. The arroz negro was an incredibly deep-flavoured dish – too deeply flavoured for the monkfish in fact I think – it rather got lost amongst all that squid ink. A little more of it wouldn't have gone amiss either. 

The lamb – tender and one of those dishes you wish you hadn’t shared. Although by this time I was pretty stuffed so didn’t mind so much. While I enjoyed the chorizo, I was a little underwhelmed by this dish and the way it was presented - it was a tad boring and not the most enjoyable chorizo I've ever had. 

We still, for some reason, decided to get a dessert (shared of course) which was a chocolate tart with an sort of dry, but intensely chocolatey texture. Completely unnecessary but very good. 

It was a really enjoyable meal. And the food was all very decent – more than decent but I just don’t know if I can get that excited about classic Spanish tapas.

Bunnychow, 8th September

Bunnychow were on my radar without exactly being on my List, so I was delighted to be invited by Zomato to come down and learn what they’re all about. Having evolved from a street food truck, to a pop-up in Boxpark to a bricks and mortar place in Soho (next stop, the world!) they are now refining and expanding on their offering while making sure to keep taking inspiration from Bunny Chow’s roots. A ‘bunny’ as they’re known is South African’s late night snack – something they’ll order after a few pints, but it originates (possibly) from Indian workers in the fields needing some way to transport and store their lunches. A little roll is hollowed out and filled with a ‘sauce’ – basically whichever type of curry you like, then you can add toppings such as crumbled nachos, sambal, coleslaw or chilli and spring onion.

Our little privileged crew got to help make some of the ingredients (I hollowed bread) and then put our own bunnies together. 

I always thought of Bunny Chow as a lunch time light meal but these little bread bowls are pretty hearty! Do not be fooled by their size. I couldn't resist the gingery, fiery chicken to load up with and had to have the chilli and onion, sambal and crunch nachos on top. So delicious! None of us really knew how to eat one, so we kind of tore at it with our cutlery, though apparently eating them with your hands is the done thing in SA.

As well as getting hands-on with them, we were able to talk to Lyndsay, involved in putting the branding together and spreading the word about how they put Bunny Chow together and the challenges involved. Finding someone to make them the special bread has proved to be particularly tricky – it is no small feat to get consistent loaves of that size and height apparently!

As well as bunnies, you can also get some very meaty sides – ribs, meatballs and chicken wings. Or you can go for a risotto-type dish made with Sam, a South African grain. I thought this was really good, though it didn’t work quite as well when it was converted into a dessert as a take on rice pudding.

They go through something like 400 little loaves a day – hollowing them out to fill with saucy curries. But what do they do with the holes? They make damn fine bread and butter pudding with them, that’s what!

And finally, before we cracked on with the actual meal, we couldn’t stop snacking on the moreish biltong and pork scratchings. These are definitely worth a try if you visit.