This week I went for a girlie night out with Bangers and Bean (don't ask). We decided to go to Zilli Fish as they have an amazing set menu at the moment. Three courses for £19.90 - not bad.
The last time I went to Aldo Zilli's restaurant was on my 21st Birthday many moons ago, and it made a significant impact. I was worried that the restaurant wouldn't live up to my memories of Tuna Carpaccio and Lobster Spaghetti. I shouldn't have fretted.
We met in the pub first - The Warwick - which has a 50% off happy hour between 5pm - 8pm seven days a week - which is pretty impressive. This meant we had already consumed a bottle of wine before we even darkened the doors of Zilli.
We were greeted at the door by a very friendly Maitre d' and were offered any seat in the house practically. The restaurant was a tad on the empty side, but the room is encased by floor to ceiling windows, so the view of Soho is enough to make the place feel busy.
We all ordered the same thing, Thai Mussels to start and Spicy Seafood Spaghetti for mains. Plus a bottle of house white (of course). The starter was very generous, full of citrus and chilli, and perfectly cooked. The mussels were juicy and fat. My only complaint being there was nothing to soak up the beautiful broth with. A couple of pieces of bread would have been a nice touch.
The spaghetti was just as good. It was full to the brim with squid, prawns, langoustine, mussels and clams. The sauce was deep and warm with the heat of the chilli, and very comforting on the first drenched day of Autumn. There is nothing I can criticise about this dish. It was perfect.
The service throughout the meal was impeccable. Not once did we have to pour our own drinks and the speed of delivery was just right. We were given enough time to have a good old chin wag but not wonder where the food was. We were feeling so happy and well fed that we ordered another bottle of wine - oh dear!
We took a while to decide whether we wanted dessert or not, and in the end went for two between three of us. We shared the Pannacotta with Summer Fruit Coulis and Bannofee Pie. The Pannacotta was a large dome with a lashings of coulis. The texture was smooth and worked perfectly with the tartness of the fruit. The bannofee pie was pure cream with a bit of banana and toffee sandwiched between the biscuit base. It was very naughty and very nice.
The total was £104.00 including service, which isn't bad for a celebrity chef's restaurant, three courses, excellent food and damn-near perfect service. The only minus was the lack of atmosphere. But I'm sure on a Saturday night, when it's fully booked, the place is magic.
The three of us tottered very merrily through the deluge to Piccadilly Station.
Friday, 9 October 2009
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Tangawizi - Richmond Road, St Margarets - 5/10
The other night, the Bear and I tried out an Indian restaurant down the road that has come in for some pretty high praise. Tangawizi - which means ginger in Swahili - was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand award 2007, 2008 and 2009, and garnered rave reviews from Time Out, Good Food Guide etc. Seeing as it is practically on our doorstep, we decided it would be rude not to give it a go.
We didn't get off to a good start. Earlier in the day we'd book a table for two, but about an hour before our meal, my parents and sister said they fancied coming. So I rang the restaurant to see whether this would be possible. They told me it was probably not, but they'd ring me back in ten minutes and let me know for sure. Good old Mum and Dad decided it wasn't worth the hassle, so I rang back and said we'd just keep the original booking. Ten minutes later I get a call to say that they did have a table for five. By this point I thought there's no point complicating matters further, so I accepted the table for five and off we toddled to the restaurant.
We got there, and there was only a table for two. Brilliant. Two different members of staff had spoken to me, but not to each other apparently. Poor Mum, Dad and Little Sis were banished to the Greek Restaurant over the road.
Although this might seem trivial, it indicated a lack of communication between the front of house staff which didn't bode well.
We were taken to our table, which was right at the back of the restaurant, crammed into the smallest space I've ever seen. The whole restaurant is pretty pokey, and I didn't feel very relaxed at all. The decoration is ultra modern, dark, purple and sensuous, complete with a nod to traditional curry houses in the form of purple and orange jewel encrusted flock wallpaper. The cramped space would be more tolerable if there wasn't the constant thud of bad house music in the background. Give me some soothing sitar any day over that! It felt like we were eating in a sleazy nightclub not a top notch Indian.
The staff are all dressed in traditional North Indian clothes to go with the traditional North Indian menu, and our waiter was very poite. We gave our order and waited for the food.
Our starters came in record time. I went for the Vegetarian Platter to start, which included Mango Paneer (cheese), Samosas, Fresh Mint Tikki (potato cakes), and Mixed Vegetable Pakora. It was nicely presented and the flavours were bursting. The dish was served with a trio of sauces, chilli, tamarind and mint which complimented the dish beautifully. This starter was probably the highlight of the meal.
The Bear went for the Duck Tikki, which is Tandoori roasted duck. It was a pretty small portion for the £10 price tag and was woefully overcooked. Poor Bear.
Our plates were cleared and we waited for a full two minutes - yes two minutes - before our mains arrived. "How on earth did we last such a long time between courses?" I hear you ask. Do not despair. During this short time, they managed to serve us, what was meant to be an Amuse Bouche, but was in fact a shot of Mango Lassi. This would have been a nice addition to the meal, had we not both been drinking a glass of mango lassi at the time. If you're going to give out Amuse Bouche in between courses, at least make sure they're blooming amusing!
Service can be bad for a multitude of reasons, one of which is too speedy delivery. At a restaurant like this you expect an understanding that a meal is not just a necessity, but something to be savoured and enjoyed over time. Otherwise, we might just as well stay home and eat in front of Eastenders. TWO MINUTES. Outrageous.
The food was tasty though. I went for the Goanese Prawn Curry, which is cooked in coconut, chilli and lime. The sauce was gloopy and perfect for gathering up in a decent chunk of garlic nan. There was a generous number of prawns, and I was fit to burst once finished.
The Bear went for the Chilli Lamb Kadhai, which is pieces of spring lamb cooked with onions, peppers and fresh green chillies. It was good. He ate it. We had a Dahl Tadka to share, which was average.
We were too full for desert, but were offered some Kulfi pieces with the bill, which was a nice touch.
Here's the part that hurts. The total bill came to £56.85 without service and with no alcohol. Now, I would happily pay this much for a curry if everything was perfect. But the service and atmosphere really did spoil things. We felt like herded cattle, moved on as quickly as possible to make way for the next cash cow. The food was good. But I've had similarly good curries for much less - once such place being Joy in Surbiton. I shan't be going back to Tangawizi. It didn't live up to the hype for me. But by all means give it a go. Maybe we just caught them on a bad night.
I wish I'd been banished to the Greek Restaurant over the road with the rest of the clan.
We didn't get off to a good start. Earlier in the day we'd book a table for two, but about an hour before our meal, my parents and sister said they fancied coming. So I rang the restaurant to see whether this would be possible. They told me it was probably not, but they'd ring me back in ten minutes and let me know for sure. Good old Mum and Dad decided it wasn't worth the hassle, so I rang back and said we'd just keep the original booking. Ten minutes later I get a call to say that they did have a table for five. By this point I thought there's no point complicating matters further, so I accepted the table for five and off we toddled to the restaurant.
We got there, and there was only a table for two. Brilliant. Two different members of staff had spoken to me, but not to each other apparently. Poor Mum, Dad and Little Sis were banished to the Greek Restaurant over the road.
Although this might seem trivial, it indicated a lack of communication between the front of house staff which didn't bode well.
We were taken to our table, which was right at the back of the restaurant, crammed into the smallest space I've ever seen. The whole restaurant is pretty pokey, and I didn't feel very relaxed at all. The decoration is ultra modern, dark, purple and sensuous, complete with a nod to traditional curry houses in the form of purple and orange jewel encrusted flock wallpaper. The cramped space would be more tolerable if there wasn't the constant thud of bad house music in the background. Give me some soothing sitar any day over that! It felt like we were eating in a sleazy nightclub not a top notch Indian.
The staff are all dressed in traditional North Indian clothes to go with the traditional North Indian menu, and our waiter was very poite. We gave our order and waited for the food.
Our starters came in record time. I went for the Vegetarian Platter to start, which included Mango Paneer (cheese), Samosas, Fresh Mint Tikki (potato cakes), and Mixed Vegetable Pakora. It was nicely presented and the flavours were bursting. The dish was served with a trio of sauces, chilli, tamarind and mint which complimented the dish beautifully. This starter was probably the highlight of the meal.
The Bear went for the Duck Tikki, which is Tandoori roasted duck. It was a pretty small portion for the £10 price tag and was woefully overcooked. Poor Bear.
Our plates were cleared and we waited for a full two minutes - yes two minutes - before our mains arrived. "How on earth did we last such a long time between courses?" I hear you ask. Do not despair. During this short time, they managed to serve us, what was meant to be an Amuse Bouche, but was in fact a shot of Mango Lassi. This would have been a nice addition to the meal, had we not both been drinking a glass of mango lassi at the time. If you're going to give out Amuse Bouche in between courses, at least make sure they're blooming amusing!
Service can be bad for a multitude of reasons, one of which is too speedy delivery. At a restaurant like this you expect an understanding that a meal is not just a necessity, but something to be savoured and enjoyed over time. Otherwise, we might just as well stay home and eat in front of Eastenders. TWO MINUTES. Outrageous.
The food was tasty though. I went for the Goanese Prawn Curry, which is cooked in coconut, chilli and lime. The sauce was gloopy and perfect for gathering up in a decent chunk of garlic nan. There was a generous number of prawns, and I was fit to burst once finished.
The Bear went for the Chilli Lamb Kadhai, which is pieces of spring lamb cooked with onions, peppers and fresh green chillies. It was good. He ate it. We had a Dahl Tadka to share, which was average.
We were too full for desert, but were offered some Kulfi pieces with the bill, which was a nice touch.
Here's the part that hurts. The total bill came to £56.85 without service and with no alcohol. Now, I would happily pay this much for a curry if everything was perfect. But the service and atmosphere really did spoil things. We felt like herded cattle, moved on as quickly as possible to make way for the next cash cow. The food was good. But I've had similarly good curries for much less - once such place being Joy in Surbiton. I shan't be going back to Tangawizi. It didn't live up to the hype for me. But by all means give it a go. Maybe we just caught them on a bad night.
I wish I'd been banished to the Greek Restaurant over the road with the rest of the clan.
Monday, 5 October 2009
A Burger in a Corset - Ed's Easy Diners - Old Compton Street - 7/10
The other week, the Bear and I went to the London International Tattoo Convention at Tobacco Docks in Wapping. It was amazing! As well as some awesome tattoos, we saw some scary burlesque and a lot of cool clothes. We didn't get any ink, but I did blow a small fortune on a pair of shoes and my first ever corset - or waist cincher to be precise. I was so pleased with my new purchase that I put it on over my top straight away.
A corset is a weird thing, because all at once you can't breathe but you're filled with a new found confidence. The Bear and I were planning on being out all night, and I fully intended to wear my new purchase until the very end. That was until I went to Ed's Easy Diner on Old Compton Street.
I don't know if you've ever tried sitting down comfortably in a corset, let alone eat a burger in one, but it certainly isn't easy.
We were meeting some friends in Soho after the convention for a drink or two, but we were starving. The food at the convention was pretty rubbish. It was getting on for 9pm so a quick bite was on the cards.
We decided to go to Ed's Easy Diner on Old Compton Street. It's part of a small chain, with two other restaurants in the capital. Ed's is your classic retro American diner, complete with 1950's jukeboxes, swivel seats and shakes. Just sitting at the bar was pretty painful. Seriously, I don't think I've ever sat up straight for that long. But no pain no gain.
We ordered a Best of Ed's Fantastic Combo each and had a flick through the jukebox.
There is a bar that surrounds a central cooking area where you can watch you meal being prepared. The staff can walk between the grill and the bar to take your order. The whole place is buzzing and alive with the smell of cooking beef burgers and malted shakes. The nice thing about Ed's is that although its small, busy, noisy and a tad claustrophobic, it feels very relaxed. The staff smile at everyone who walks in the door. Apart from the guy actually cooking the food. He looked pretty miffed to be honest.
I went for the Sundried Tomato, Olive and Mozzarella Burger, which came with Onion Rings, Fries and Coleslaw. It was bloody tasty. The corset prevented me from finishing it all, but the onions rings were chunky and crisp, the burger was juicy and looked like it was made from fresh vegetables. The chips were OK. The Bear went for the Chicken New Yorker with a fried egg, which kept him quiet for five minutes or so.
The only thing that pissed me off about this place was the jukebox. We duly put our twenty pence into that damn thing, and did it work? Did it bollocks. The sound system played out Dusty Springfield about thirty thousand times, but no David Bowie, not even a note!
I managed to wolf down about half my food before I thought I was going to burst at the seems and fall to the floor in a big gooey burger mess. Needless to say, the corset came off pretty soon after. Next time I wear it, I won't be sitting down to a fried meal, that's for sure.
Altogether, two combo meals, two diet "colas" and service came to £24.24. Which ain't bad. Marks deducted for the jukebox scandal. A good alternative to McDonald's or Burger King though, and their milkshakes are awesome.
A corset is a weird thing, because all at once you can't breathe but you're filled with a new found confidence. The Bear and I were planning on being out all night, and I fully intended to wear my new purchase until the very end. That was until I went to Ed's Easy Diner on Old Compton Street.
I don't know if you've ever tried sitting down comfortably in a corset, let alone eat a burger in one, but it certainly isn't easy.
We were meeting some friends in Soho after the convention for a drink or two, but we were starving. The food at the convention was pretty rubbish. It was getting on for 9pm so a quick bite was on the cards.
We decided to go to Ed's Easy Diner on Old Compton Street. It's part of a small chain, with two other restaurants in the capital. Ed's is your classic retro American diner, complete with 1950's jukeboxes, swivel seats and shakes. Just sitting at the bar was pretty painful. Seriously, I don't think I've ever sat up straight for that long. But no pain no gain.
We ordered a Best of Ed's Fantastic Combo each and had a flick through the jukebox.
There is a bar that surrounds a central cooking area where you can watch you meal being prepared. The staff can walk between the grill and the bar to take your order. The whole place is buzzing and alive with the smell of cooking beef burgers and malted shakes. The nice thing about Ed's is that although its small, busy, noisy and a tad claustrophobic, it feels very relaxed. The staff smile at everyone who walks in the door. Apart from the guy actually cooking the food. He looked pretty miffed to be honest.
I went for the Sundried Tomato, Olive and Mozzarella Burger, which came with Onion Rings, Fries and Coleslaw. It was bloody tasty. The corset prevented me from finishing it all, but the onions rings were chunky and crisp, the burger was juicy and looked like it was made from fresh vegetables. The chips were OK. The Bear went for the Chicken New Yorker with a fried egg, which kept him quiet for five minutes or so.
The only thing that pissed me off about this place was the jukebox. We duly put our twenty pence into that damn thing, and did it work? Did it bollocks. The sound system played out Dusty Springfield about thirty thousand times, but no David Bowie, not even a note!
I managed to wolf down about half my food before I thought I was going to burst at the seems and fall to the floor in a big gooey burger mess. Needless to say, the corset came off pretty soon after. Next time I wear it, I won't be sitting down to a fried meal, that's for sure.
Altogether, two combo meals, two diet "colas" and service came to £24.24. Which ain't bad. Marks deducted for the jukebox scandal. A good alternative to McDonald's or Burger King though, and their milkshakes are awesome.
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