Perfect if you like:
A fruity but sour gin-based drink with complex citrus flavours.
Ingredients.
20ml Greenall’s The Original London Dry Gin, (BUY NOW)
20ml Campari Bitter, (BUY NOW)
20ml Martini Rosso (BUY NOW)
Method.
Pour all the ingredients into an ice-filled glass and stir. Garnish with an orange twist.
Greenall’s The Original London Dry Gin is available from: Waitrose, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Master of Malt. RRP: £15.49 for 70cl. ABV 37.5%
Perfect if you like:
Good quality gin based cocktails with a bit of party fizz.
Ingredients.
25ml BLOOM London Dry Gin, (BUY NOW)
25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, (BUY NOW)
10ml sugar syrup (1 part water : 2 parts sugar),
top with good quality Prosecco or Champagne (BUY NOW)
Method
Shake the first three ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled champagne flute. Top with bubbles and garnish with pretty edible flowers.
BLOOM London Dry Gin is available from: Amazon. Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Asda, Morrisons and Ocado. RRP: £24.00 for 70cl ABV 40%
Truffles – Makes 20-30
Prep 30 mins
Chill 3-4 hours
Ingredients
280g fair trade organic dark chocolate, I usually use a mix of both 70% & 85% cocoa content, chopped finely
3 tbsp coconut oil
240ml full fat coconut milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp rose water
Decoration/Dusting:
20g raw cacao powder
pistachios, blitzed or finely chopped
desiccated coconut (try it toasted!)
Method
Millions of men suffer from low libido and impotency in the UK, but there are natural ways you can aid your drive. Firstly you should always consult your doctor if you feel you have a serious underlying issue, but here’s some foods which are great to get you fired up.
Our food editor, Jordan Lohan explains, “simple things like salsa, salad, smoothies and even chocolate truffles can be tailored using readily available ingredients to relieve various sexual concerns”. Check out his FEED YOUR PENIS recipes here.
– Figs: These small fruits pack some big benefits. They are bursting with calcium, iron, potassium, and more of that stimulating zinc. They are also packed with fibre, which boosts heart health and satisfies hunger without adding to your waistline.
– Strawberries: Don’t forget to bring this mouth-watering dessert on your next picnic. Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin B, which has been linked to high sperm counts in men. Go one step further and coat them in chocolate, as it is full of libido-boosting methylxanthines! (Why do you think it’s such a popular Valentine’s Day gift?!)
-Almonds: These healthy nuts are said to act as a sexual stimulant and a fertility aid, so if you’re trying for a baby, start snacking! They are rich in nutrients and in several minerals that are important for sexual health and reproduction, including zinc, selenium, and vitamin E. Zinc can also help enhance sexual desire – added bonus!
-Avocados: The name for this South American fruit derives from the Aztec language Nahuatl, in which it meant ‘testicle’ – a name chosen for the fruit’s unusual shape. It may seem like a bit of a stretch to us, but avocadoes do have some sexy benefits! They are rich in unsaturated fats, making them very heart-healthy. And a healthy heart keeps the blood flowing to all the right places! Men with underlying heart disease are twice as likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction, so feel free to add some extra avocado slices to your salads.
– Chilli Capsaicin: This spicy chilli promotes circulation and endorphins for the feel good factor. It’s getting hot in here.
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★★★★ | Pho and Bun
PR SuppliedWe know what a bun is but what exactly is Pho? Find out at the West End Vietnamese restaurant called Pho and Bun.
Its menu is a feast, and a mystery, to the eye. Dishes with names you’ve never heard of (MIẾN TRỘN TÔM THỊT and GIÁ XÀO NẤM) – coupled with ingredients and tastes that you’ve never had (lemongrass tofu and dill mayonnaise) make this for a unique and excellent meal.
‘Bao’ is the new ‘it’ food in London, and Pho and Bun has a full menu of Bao. How to describe it? It’s a very light (and white), and very fluffy but not too heavy or filling bun. And Pho and Bun is using bao as the bread for their steamed bao burgers. You can have honey belly pork with fried shallot, confit belly pork with soy sauce, but I opted for the 28 days dry aged beef. It was, as I told my dining companion, the best burger I’ve ever had in London. The meat was delicious and tasteful, small yet satisfying, and the red onion relish, house pickle and smoky mayonnaise inside gave it a very unique and sumptuous taste (excellent value at £7.50). Our waiter recommended the sweet potato chips with chilli mayonnaise to go with the burger, and they were so so good. My dining companion had the Pho noodle (Pho is soup) with red wine braised beef. It was hearty, with lots of vegetables, vermicelli and the beef, which was nicely soft and moist, and is a dish I’ll order next time I go back. Other pho choices include the corn-fed chicken, seafood or crispy tofu, a spicy imperial version, as well as a stir fry version (beef rump steak and tofu and mushroom), and all under a bargain price of £9.50. My dining companion ordered a fried dough stick with his dinner – it was nicely textured and very soft.
Starters are highly recommend. The BÁNH TÔM HÀ NỘI -Hanio Prawn Pancake with sweet potatoes and lettuce wrap – was brilliant! Sweet potatoes are the base for the prawns, so it’s served pancake-style and chopped up into chunks. It’s crispy, crunchy and oh so good! And it’s served with lettuce so you’re supposed to wrap the chunks into the lettuce and dunk into a fish sauce, but I preferred to eat it on its own – absolutely divine! And at £6.50 it’s a must. Trust me! If you prefer a taste of everything then go for the P and D Special Platter Summer Roll Prawn that includes delicious spring rolls, nicely textured, lite and not too chewy chilli squid, served with onions and peppers, and prawns on top of shredded mango with cole slaw, nuts and basil and lettuce (so refreshing), which was amazing, and summer rolls with tofu and tiger prawns, wrapped in lettuce, served plain but peanut sauce is given on the side which highly complements the dish. All this comes a price of £13.50 but they will let you mix it up if there is something you don’t want or something else on the menu you want to add to it.
Of course, no meal would be complete without dessert. Pho and Bun’s dessert menu is small, which makes it easier to decide what to have. We ordered two to share – the Pandan and Coconut Panna Cotta with Peanut and Pineapple Salsa and the Flan caramel with Vietnamese Ice Coffee syrup. The Flan was hands down the winner; it was rich and tasteful and the coffee flavour gave it a nice kick. The Panna Cotta was a bit tasteless, I was expecting to be a bit more wowed by it but I was not. I’ll order the flan again next time. Also in mind for next time is the grilled banana with coconut sorbet and roasted peanut or a trio bean dessert with pandan jelly – which sounds highly unusual. All deserts are under £5.00.
Pho and Bun offers a nice selection of coffees and teas; the carrot juice was very fresh and elegantly served in a tin cup. The Homemade lemonade was refreshing and good. Wines are also on offer, as is the recommended Saigon beer.
I’ve briefly touched on the menu above, it’s such a diverse food menu and there is truly something for everyone at Pho and Bun. As mentioned above, the burgers are yummy and different, the Pho and Noodle soups are hearty and good value for money, rice and vermicelli dishes (BBQ pork with salad and fresh herbs or the glass noodle with minced pork, tiger prawn, fresh herbs and confit aggs, or perhaps plain beef rump steak or tiger prawns with bean sprouts and stir-fried lemongrass) – all at a good value price of £9.50. There are also salad and vegetarian dishes, a great value set lunch menu (two courses) for a mere £9.50, or a highly recommended 6-course tasting menu that gives you a bit of everything (including a sampling of four starters) at a low price of £22.95.
Pho and Bun is conveniently nestled in London’s West End, right on Shaftsbury Avenue, in the heart of the theatre district and Chinatown. It’s in the location where Young Cheng, a very popular and cheap Chinese restaurant, used to be. The venue has been redone to resemble a Vietnamese cafe, nicely wood panelled and cosy. But now that winter is here, avoid sitting near the front door, it’s very very drafty. Downstairs may be a better option for you as it’s warmer but it still retains a typical restaurant basement feel. Quang our waiter was wonderful, very charming and friendly, and recommended dishes that we didn’t realise we wanted but enjoyed eating! While Pho and Bun is not quite 5 star overall, it’s food is five star. I will be going back very very soon.
Reviewed by: Tim Baros
Telephone: 020 7287 3528
Email:phoandbun@vieteat.co.uk
Address: 76 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 6ND, UK
Opening hours:
Monday – Thursday 12:00 – 23:00
Friday – Saturday 12:00 – 23:30
Sunday 12:00 – 22:00
PRICE: ££ (explained)
STAR: ★★★★ (explained)
Rudie’s offers what they call a ‘Boss Burger’ – a rare breed of beef chuck patty that is topped with apple wood smoke cheddar, sweet honey mustard, red onion, tomato, pickles and jalapeño chilli – and it’s huge – worth the £12 price. My dining companion ate the whole thing.
Sides were a must to have, and it was the Avocado and Mango Salad that was the best dish of the night. A snip at only £4.25, it’s a big bowl of fresh avocado and mango with dices of onion and tomato in a very nice vinaigrette dressing. Amazing. The Sweet Plantains were also amazing – at £3.00 a great deal – topped with a hint of sugar to give them a sweet flavour.
Desserts are recommended after your meal but they’re very small! I had the Rum Cake expecting a nice portion, but it was quite a small, perhaps the size of the palm of a hand. It was sprinkled with berries and almonds and a syrup sauce, and came with ice cream, but it left me wanting more! My friend had the Banana Brulee, it has a nice crust and underneath the coconut custard créme was heavenly, but again a bit on the small side. Both were £5.50.
It’s all about exotic drinks when going to a Jamaican restaurant, and Rudie’s does not disappoint! There are 10 delicious sounding cocktails to choose from, and while we didn’t have all 10, we did order the ‘Jamaica Nice’ – a nice smoothie with almond syrup, lime, nectarine, rum, with a huge slice of pineapple – it’s as delicious as it sounds! My friend ordered ‘The Colony’ – another rum cocktail that included brandy – he said it was smooth going down. All ten cocktails are priced at a very friendly £8.50 each.
The bill for the meal came to £80 – not too bad considering all the different types of food we ate, coupled with the drinks. Rudie’s is a great place to eat, with large windows so you can watch the passing trade walk by. Service is wonderful, and they’ve been in business for just over a year. With Dalston becoming the hip place to live, Rudie’s will most definitely live up to a similar mantra – it will be the hip place to eat.
Reviewed by: Tim Baros
Telephone: 0207 249 9930
Address: 50 Stoke Newington Road N16 7XB
Opening hours:
Mon – Wed: 18:00 – 22:00
Thur: 12:00 pm – 22:00
Fri – Sat: 12:00 to 23:00
Sun: 12:00 – 22:00
PRICE: ££ (explained)
STAR: ★★★★ (explained)
People are outraged. Simply outraged with Toblerone bosses after they redesigned the iconic bar. Now it seems as though you’re getting just half a bar.
The airport staple has gone on a diet. The 450g bar now weighs 360g and the 170g bar now weighs in at 150g thanks to the larger spacing in between the triangle chunks.
https://twitter.com/hashtag/Toblerone?src=tren
https://twitter.com/DeanomusicUK/status/795905550965948416
https://twitter.com/SophiaCannon/status/795909928644911104
https://twitter.com/PeripateNic/status/795906223078043648
https://twitter.com/Advanced_Diesel/status/795896438433648640
Apparently, it’s a move Toblerone bosses at Mondelez International, who also own Cadbury’s have made to keep the chocolate affordable.
There have been so many times when I’ve dined in a restaurant only to be left feeling not fully satisfied and still a bit hungry. Well, a visit to Chicago Rib Shack is quite the opposite – I left very full and extremely satisfied, read more to see why.
Chicago Rib Shack has just opened it’s fifth London location, right near Aldgate East tube station. Already with a presence in almost every direction in London (Stratford, Clapham, Camden and Twickenham, and they’re also in Leeds), Chicago Rib Shack is changing the way ribs are eaten in London. Their ribs are smoked over applewood chips for a minimum of six hours in a wood burning oven at 107 degrees celsius. So you have a taste of nicely smoked ribs with the option of adding as much BBQ sauce as you want.
On a Thursday night visit to the newly-opened (two weeks) Aldgate East location, the restaurant was jam packed. Evidently, word had gotten out that on this otherwise unfriendly and bland street a few minutes walk to the tube station was a brand spanking new American-style rib joint. Even when you’re walking by the smell of ribs is so strong and powerful that if that doesn’t lure you in then you’re sense of smell needs to be checked by a doctor.
The beef ribs did not disappoint. The two on my plate were massive, extremely tender and wonderfully large. These particular ribs are smoked for 18 hours and arrive on the plate moist and meaty. BBQ sauce brought to the table is optional, and while the sauce is one of the best I’ve ever had – not too thick and overpowering – I just had to eat the meat on its own to get the full effect of the flavour. Delicious. If this is too much meat for you, then the baby back ribs might be your style. Lean and much smaller, they are light and lovely. The beef ribs are worth every pound of the £19 price, while a half portion is a snip at £10. I had initially wanted to order the £18 Thick Cut Belly Ribs, but they had run out and it was only 8pm! Hopefully, the restaurant will realise that they need to cook enough to last all night! If you don’t fancy ribs then perhaps a burger (classic cheese at £7.50 or shack stack with a double patty, potato cakes, onion rings, egg, avocado and cheese for a whopping £16). Or perhaps the rump steak (£18), cobb salad (£8/£13), griddled chicken (£13) or Catfish (£12).
As sides, we ordered pulled pork spring rolls (£6) and crispy catfish (£6). Both were very good, very delicate, and not too overpowering (especially the catfish, which was nicely breaded and not too fishy tasting). They’re served with a cajun sauce but it’s very spicy – try the BBQ sauce instead – it’s a better accompaniment. The Onion Loaf was the most amazing ever! Baked Caramelised onion, it literally looked like a loaf of bread – crispy, very big and absolutely amazing (only £6). The coleslaw was perfect – not overwhelmingly creamy (£4) and the handmade BBQ beans were tasty and good (£3.5). Also on the side menu were fries, mash, and mac & cheese. When you order expect your food to come all at once. Our table was literally overflowing with dishes!
I had absolutely no room for dessert but stuffed down a Lemon Pot – a lemon curd with lemon biscuit chunks, vanilla ice cream and chantilly cream served in a jam jar – a lovely and sweet dessert, and was an absolute perfect ending to a perfect dinner.
I can’t stress how delicious the meal me and my dining companion had. While she felt that the spring rolls and catfish were a bit flavorless, (they’re probably meant to be because they’re served with a side of sauce) – we were both amazed at how delicious the ribs and onion loaf were, and how reasonably priced it all was, and how thirst-quenching the Nojito (a non-alcoholic mojito) was, at just £4.50. Their drinks menu is, as you would expect, full of many different types of drinks – classics such as cosmos, martini’s, peach teas, among others. Their signature drinks have intriguing names such as Four Roses Milk Punch, Rib Shack Fizz, Jungle Bird, Paper Planes and Cane ’N’ Oil – all that need to be tried during multiple visits! They also serve all sorts of shakes and the usual wines, bubbles, ciders, beers and soft drinks and juices. The root beer float (£4) is a signature American drink that must be tried, either with your meal or for dessert! A must!
The Aldgate branch is smartly designed – open planned, with the bar straight ahead as you walk in and the open kitchen inside on the left. But with the open kitchen comes the issue of the whole place smelling of meat! Don’t be surprised that when you leave your clothes and hair will have the smell of meat. Make sure you don’t have any dogs following you home! The tables are nicely laid out in the restaurant, with free standing tables that I urge you to sit at. We sat in the mashed up back section, next to a table of four rowdy bankers – the tables were a bit too close to each other, enough so that when someone got we had to hold the table down to make sure their bum didn’t knock down our drinks and condiments.
Chicago Rib Shack is stomach-busting food at affordable prices. It’s a trendy hip joint for meat lovers, food that is perfectly cooked and willingly devoured. And some of the branches (including the Aldgate branch) serve brunch. I’ll be back there either again for dinner or brunch once my waistline returns back to normal!
Reviewed by: Tim Baros
Telephone: 0207 426 0218
Address: Wentworth Street London E1 7AL
Opening hours:
Mon – Fri: 12:00 pm – 23:00
Sat: 10:00 to 23:00
Sun: 10:00 to 22:30
PRICE: ££ (explained)
STAR: ★★★★ (explained)
Berwick Street is known for its famous market, but soon it’s going to be known as the street where Tabun Kitchen is.
Located midway between the market and Oxford Street, Tabun Kitchen is a beacon of light on an otherwise dreary block. It will be the food that will lure you in, and it will keep you going back for more.
It’s hard to put into words just how delicious the food is at Tabun. There are so many spices, ingredients, elements, and surprises in the food that you’re not exactly sure what you’re eating but then you don’t care because you’ve never experienced these tastes before – Jerusalem Street Food. It’s owner, Hanan Kattan, grew up in a Palestinian household, and she incorporates the ‘Tabun’ oven into the architecture (and cooking) of her restaurant to bring to Soho a unique and flavorful eating experience.
The menu is quite big and varied so it’s hard to recommend a dish or two as I’ve only been there once (I plan to go back a couple more times actually). Its menu recommends dishes to share; a good idea as it will give you twice as much of a taste of their extremely varied dishes. Our mezze plates were out of this world; the Maftool Cous Cous Salad was a mix of peppers, spring onions, a hint of chilli, coriander, pomegranate dressing and included lamb sausage. The Moutabal Smoked Aubergine Dip was a delicious pomegranate garnish and flatbread croutons sprinkled with thyme. Both are rewarded five stars each! Next time I will try the Jerusalem Falafel and the Jerusalem style dip with cumin spiced fava beans. And to top it off none of these mezze plates are more than £5! Bargain!
CREDIT: PR SuppliedFor mains, again, it’s hard to pick from the traditional and grills menus. We had the mixed grill – chicken kofta, shish taouk marinated chicken kabob, lamb kofta with warm artichoke with an egg lookalike dollop of white creamy garlic with yellow coloured very spicy yolk. It’s a flavorful dish, sprinkled with parsley. While the meat is cooked just right, and at £14 not a bad deal, I could’ve eaten more meat! My companion ordered, from the pizza menu, the Manaeesh Palestinian pizza (dough topped with white cheese, sundried tomatoes and olives and a bit of ground meat). Palestinian pizza, as you might know, is thin, wet and soggy. My dining companion enjoyed it, however, I wish he would’ve ordered something more exotic like either the Lamb Three Ways, Musakhan Chicken (with caramelised onions and pine nuts), Grilled Prawns or even the Vegetable Makloubeh – with rice, spiced aubergine, cauliflower and broad beans, yoghurt, cucumber and mint sauce, pistachios, pine nut & raisin garnish – it sounds heavenly – and I’m having this next time! The mains and grills are all under £14 while the pizzas are a snip at £8.50. Also, If you want to try a wrap, there are five to choose from: Chicken, Falafel, Cheese and Lamb, all at a friendly price of £8.50.
Tabun has a huge sides menu to choose from; dishes that will complement your mains. We tried two and they were, while complete opposites, both extremely wonderful. The Avocado Salad – chopped avocado with tomato, coriander with lemon and garlic sauce – was just what you would expect – amazing (£5). And the Za’atar french fries, dusted with thyme spice mix, came with Toum (garlic) sauce (£3.50) – amazing! Also on the menu are pickles, olives, aubergines, hummus, kale salad and the always reliable tabbouleh Salad. But the Avocado Salad and the French Fries were perfection!
And finally, puddings are a must. The Harisa Cake – semolina cake with coconut and orange blossom syrup – was divine. The Baklava selection, as you would expect, was also delicious and enough to put you over the top. But if you want to try something new – try the Jerusalem Knafe – cheese pastry soaked in sweet, sugar-based syrup. It’s extremely heavy yet very good, and I would recommend you sharing this with your dining companions because it is very filling. All cheaply priced at £5 each.
Tabun Kitchen has a good white and red wine, rosé and beers and spirits and soft drinks choices, but go for one of the cocktails. The Tabun Mojito – beefeater gin, tonic water, fresh mint leaves, lemon and rosewater – was very thirst quenching and absolutely tasteful, while the Orange Sunset – Vodka, aperol, agave syrup, with freshly squeezed orange juice – was sweet and yet had the right amount of vodka in it. The Spice Trip – rum, orange juice, chilli and watermelon juice – and the pomegranate bellini – are both on my must have list.
Tabun Kitchen seats 45 people comfortably, both on the ground floor and in the basement. The front room of the ground floor is hot – it’s where the oven is – and on the night of my visit the front door had to be kept open, but then it got too cold, so it was closed again, then it was too hot. I hope Tabun is able to sort this problem out. And one of our dishes didn’t arrive so we had to remind the wait staff, all of whom are very pleasant and nice, what we had ordered. I recommend sitting in the lower ground floor; it’s quant, Mediterranean-style, and very cosy that’s perfect if you’re looking for a place to enjoy the food without being in the hustle and bustle and heat of the main room. Faisel, the charming manager, will take you through the menu if you have any questions. And while the pizza was not sexy and the service a bit disjointed, Tabun Kitchen will not disappoint. It’s warm food and cooking style and abundant fresh and delicious flavours will blow you away.
Reviewed by: Tim Baros
Telephone: 020 7324 7767
Address: 77 Berwick St Soho, London W1F 8TH
Opening hours:
Mon – Sat: 12:00 pm – 12:00 am
Sun: Closed
PRICE: ££ (explained)
STAR: ★★★★ (explained)
Situated right next to Fenchurch Street Station, past a Pizza Express and The Windsor Pub, Roma brings a unique and very elegant dining experience to a part of London that desperately needs it. If you walk quickly past the ugly station and try not to inhale any of the train fumes, Roma, located down a flight of stairs from the square is the elegant Roma and it’s an absolute find. A bar with ample tables for drinks, and beautifully situated tables alongside the large windows – tables that seat two, four, six, and perhaps more, with large windows that gives the restaurant its Italian style.
Roma claims that it brings 2000-year-old flavours and passions of ancient Rome to its rich menu full of Roman-inspired dishes. Well, no one I know was around 2000 years ago so we will have to take their word for it! Luckily the menu is not overwhelming – it’s simple yet and uncomplicated. Recommended as a beginning dish while you relax and read the menu are the requisite olives, bread and dips, a selection of crudités as well as bruschetta – all priced below £8.00. There are eight small plates to choose from, all very simple and knowing. Oxtail Soup, Mussels and Clams, Cod Loin Fish Cake, Hay smoked mackerel fillet, Hare & pistachio terrine, all excellently priced at below £9.00. The Mediterranean lentil salad served with ricotta salata, with lite vinegarette sauce, was absolutely wonderful – a snip at £7.00. The Salumi dish of cured meats & antipasti, priced at £15.00, was worth every pound because of its large size and excellent presentation of an array of meats served with bread and olives. In fact, this is a chance for Roma to present its own charcuterie – which is in their kitchen – so you know you’re getting fresh meat.
CREDIT: SuppliedRoma offers Large Plates and plates cooked in Hay. First off, the large plates include Mussels & Clams, Tiger prawns, Wild mushroom gnocchi, Honey & Mustard pork, and 16th-century cotechino (an Italian charcuterie dish). You might ask, what is hay? This is where Roma bakes it’s meat on hay – which is how the ancients Romans cooked. So the hay menu included the Crispy pork belly, accompanied by Borlotti beans, ham & tomato casserole. It was a bit disappointing for its £19.00 price as the pork was not that big, and it was awfully hard to chew, served with a small portion of the casserole. Luckily I ordered the Gnocchi to accompany it, but it was basic, scattered in butter and basil. The Vine wrapped tuna, leeks & olives dish, with Risotto Bianco, was the piece de resistance. Two pieces of tuna, covered in a vine leaf, with a massive portion of risotto, was very nice, and the risotto and tuna complemented each other. At £22.00, it was worth the money. Other ‘cooked in hay’ dishes on offer include slow cooked leg of lamb for 2 (I will have this next time), lamb rump, and half roasted chicken.
This being an Italian restaurant you can bet that the desserts would be perfect, and they were. The Torata del nonna (a pastry shell covered with pine nuts and sugar to the veil that hides a delicious cream filling pasticcera) with pine nuts and peanuts needs to be eaten to be believed. The Apricot and ratafia sweet-beverage cake, coupled with Rose water créme Anglaise, was also heavenly, sweet, and a perfect ending to a filling meal, both at a very sweet price of £6.50.
CREDIT: SuppliedThere’s a lot of wine on offer at Roma (just like in the days of the Roman empire), and Sarah the wine sommelier will offer you an excellent selection to go with each of your dishes. They were all very excellent and excellently accompanied the dishes we had. The Northern Rome GEWURZTRAMINER, ALOIS LAGEDER, Alto Adige 2015 and the TEMPRANILLO, 6 MESAS EN BARRICA, FINCA LA ESTACADA, Ucles 2015 were perfect with the starters. With the mains, the CABERNET, MERLOT, PUKLAVEC FAMILY HERITAGE, GOMILLA, Macedonia 2015 and the PINOT NOIR, KRAFUSS, ALOIS LAGEDER, Alto Adige 2012 complemented the fool. Roma also offers wines from the South of Rome, France, and Spain & Portugal making their list one of the most comprehensive north of the Roman ruins!
Roma is the perfect place to go if you want to impress your clients, co-workers, loved ones or perhaps even your boss. It’s an elegant nicely tucked away restaurant where the food is impressive, with impeccable service.
Reviewed by: Tim Baros
Telephone: 0207 488 2807
Address: 14 New London Street, London, EC3R 7NA
PRICE: ££££ (explained)
STAR: ✮✮✮ (explained)
CREDIT: PR Supplied
Voted the best Indian Restaurant at this year’s LUX 2016 Hospitality Awards, Lotus is a restaurant everyone must experience. If you’re a huge fan (or not) of Indian food, put this restaurant on your radar because it will make you re-think how Indian food is being served, cooked, and eaten.
I’ve never been a fan of Indian food. I’ve always found that in any Indian restaurant you go to in London the food is very spicy and how can one enjoy a meal when you are sweating with your tongue on fire and the need to drink bucketloads of water? Well, at Lotus, the spiciness of the food is not even an issue. The food is so delicious that you will forget all you know about Indian food and will immensely enjoy their incredible food sensations.
Open for only a year, and located north of Trafalgar Square across from the Garrick Theatre, Lotus is a small quaint restaurant with beautiful upscale decor, and service, with affordable prices. And the food, ah the food, it’s just simply amazing. The menu offers quite a selection – from starters to kebabs to mains, sides and desserts, and let’s not forget the comprehensive wine list. But first, upon arrival, you are given a glass of Timater Ka Shorba – a spiced Indian tomato drink with fresh coriander – it’s an absolutely divine drink with a refreshing (and not spicy) kick.
CREDIT: PR SuppliedAs with any Indian restaurant, Poppadums are a must! Lotus serves them with Mango, Apricot, Mint, Red Chilly and Green Tomato Chutney, presented on a rectangular dish, and at only £2.75, a great deal. But it’s the starters and mains where Lotus excels. Rabbit Kheema was a beautifully presented starter with rabbit inside a Green Pepper Corns and Missi Roti-shaped teepee, with coconut sauce. The rabbit was tender and delicious, and at £9.75, worth every penny. The Rattes, Chickpea, Sev and Savory Yogurt, with a warm mélange of potato wth sweet and sour spices, while a bit small for it’s £5.75 price, was very light and very good. As for the Kebabs, the Lamb Chops and Rump (lamb in a ball) are highly recommended. Beautifully seasoned, marinated in Indian spices, accompanied by garlic pickles, Indian onions and Chilli Salad, a bit pricey at £18.75 but again, worth every penny. Another amazing dish served were the golgappas – a snip at £3.75. They were four round fried crisp balls, hollow puri and filled with sweetcorn and coriander accompanied by a small jar of Jaljeera – a cumin, pepper and mint drink with tamarind chutney – that is poured into the golgappas. Eating them whole are an absolute explosion in your mouth! Very yummy!
As for the mains, the Lobster Tail and Scallops were the perfect dish for those who enjoy seafood. Swimming in a ginger, curry leaf and coconut curry sauce, it was a seafood lovers delight. The 23 Karat Gold Lamb Shanks was not at all spicy, and indeed was wrapped in gold foil, is a dish for the meat lover in you. It sits in a khorma sauce, and while it was not as tender as lamb shank should be, and it’s a bit of work to cut the meat off the bone, it’s a great deal at £22.75, plus it comes with roast potato mash, papaya pickles, spices, green cardamom and cashews. Very filling. And last but not least is the dessert. indian restaurants are not known for their good desserts, but at Lotus, they do them differently. The Rose Srikhand with Dumroot Halwa – Rose scented yoghurt in a small bowl coupled with white pumpkin wrapped sushi-style – was absolutely delicious. The Orange Rasgulla and Seviyan – Orange Cottage Cheese with Saffron vermicello – was almost too beautiful and colorful to eat, but again, it was very delicious.
CREDIT: PR SuppliedWine pairings are served with every course. It’s Debbie, the restaurant’s sommelier, who is THE expert on which wines go with which dish. So if you know, or don’t, your Force Majeurs and Chenin Blancs from your De Loaches, to the Zinfandels from the Heritage Reserve Zinfandels or the Graciano, Vina Zorzal, Navarra – Debbie will perfectly recommend what’s best for each dish, with glasses all between £6 to £8 each. Go ahead and have a taste test, the recommended wines on the menu go smoothly with their respective meals.
I’m Head over heels in love with Lotus – it’s a contemporary Indian restaurant located right in the heart of London – and the meal was one of the best I’ve had all year. It’s also easy on the tongue and easy enough on the wallet. This 65 seat restaurant, named after India’s national flower, is truly exquisite and beautiful, just like the flower.
Chef/Manager Bhaskar Banerjee, who has a culinary career spanning 20 years, masterfully and successfully has won us over.
RESERVATIONS: +44 (0) 207 839 8797
EMAIL: enquiries@lotus.london
Address:
17 Charing Cross, London WC2H 0EP
Monday to Sunday
12:00 – 14:30
17:00pm – 22.30
Star Rating: ★★★★★ (explained)
Cost Rating: ££££ (explained)
Website: http://www.lotus.london