Singburi Shoreditch review: lost in translation in the move from Leytonstone
Singburi used to be the best Thai restaurant in London, but things have changed.
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Berenjak review – this JKS restaurant got me hooked on Iranian kebabs
Iranian stews and kebabs in Soho It’s strange to begin a restaurant review by talking about another restaurant, but bear with me for a moment. Some of the best dishes at Brigadiers, an Indian restaurant in the City, were the kebabs which meant it was immediately noticeable when the kebab chef responsible, Kian Samyani, left … Continue reading
★★★★☆ / ★★★☆☆ / Eclectic / Turkish Kebabs
Bababoom vs Maison Bab review – new wave kebabs head-to-head
Islington brisket vs Covent Garden celeriac Traditional Turkish kebabs are nigh-on perfect. Whether you prefer shish, kofte, doner, iskender or beyti, the smoke and sizzle of a charcoal mangal is hard to beat. The wisest restauranteurs know better than to attempt ‘elevating’ or ‘refining’ these timeless classics, but instead attempt to put their own personal … Continue reading
Two Lights review – this unassuming Clove Club sequel is full of surprises
Grouse sausage and a mussels flatbread in Hoxton Update 08/5/2021 – this restaurant has now closed ‘We’ll need the table back in two hours’ is a familiar phrase for restaurant-going Londoners, but is utterly alien to many foreign visitors – especially those from the Continent. For many of our European cousins, the notion of table … Continue reading
Red Farm review – this Chinese restaurant isn’t revolutionary, but it is quietly radical
It’s an import from New York in Covent Garden, but don’t hold that against it Updated 28/1/2019 ‘Red Farm’ sounds like a Maoist agricultural collective where exiled bourgeoise are forced to hunt sparrows as part of their re-education, but it’s actually the name of a Chinese restaurant in Covent Garden. It’s quite unlike any other Chinese … Continue reading
1251 review – this Islington restaurant is trying to make a name for itself…
… but is coming up short. Names can be many things. A descriptive label, a pigeonhole, a statement of intent. It’s therefore striking that Islington restaurant 1251 has such an easily forgotten, easily misremembered name. It may have some significance to someone behind the scenes, especially in light of the fact that chef James Cochran … Continue reading
Singburi review – the thrilling Thai restaurant that could close forever
Leytonstone’s best kept secret Update 24/8/26 – this restaurant has now closed and been superseded by a new version of Singburi in Shoreditch. Singburi is a Thai restaurant in Leytonstone, but it’s hardly new as it was established back in the heady, halcyon days of 1999. While hardly unknown, it hasn’t garnered nearly as much … Continue reading
Masala Wala Café review – Brockley curry restaurant focusses on what matters
Curry by any other name would taste as delicious Update 12/3/23: this restaurant has now closed Choosing how to describe your restaurant and its style of cooking can be a tricky thing. Masala Wala Cafe is a case in point, describing itself as a Pakistani restaurant on its website. This is notable in of itself … Continue reading
Kin et Deum review – the revamped London Bridge Thai that hasn’t fallen far from the tree
Uncomfortable reading lies ahead The trio of siblings behind Kin et Deum would doubtless prefer that I spend this introduction focussing on their Thai restaurant’s airy and tastefully decorated interior or that they’re building upon the legacy of their father’s Thai restaurant which used to occupy the same premises. Unfortunately for them, I can’t possibly … Continue reading
Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles review – a rare taste of faraway Shaanxi in London
This Xi’an Impression spin-off brings the spice of life to Aldgate There’s no doubt that London can be a chaotic, stressful place that can drain not only your bank account, but also your tolerance for the continued existence of other human beings. To focus myopically on all the usual big city problems, though, would be … Continue reading
Temper Covent Garden review – bafflingly odd pizza that breaks all the rules
This carnivorous threequel even serves vegan pizzas While the menus of some eateries seem to have been designed by committees and focus groups, the Temper group of restaurants has never like that. Each restaurant’s focus on smoked or grilled meats and a fresh spin on familiar ways of serving them – whether it’s tacos or … Continue reading
The Picky Glutton 
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