Ra-ra-ramen-ra In London’s increasingly crowded restaurant scene, new eateries often need a hook or some unique selling point to pull in the punters. For restaurants drawing on the rich culinary heritage of a foreign country, one easy hook is a dish or regional cuisine underrepresented in the UK. Ittenbari is a new Japanese restaurant specialising … Continue reading
Tag Archives: curry
Cinnamon Soho review – British-Indian masala mash-up
Upmarket Indian aims for the masses. Sort of. Selling upmarket Indian food is a tricky business. Given the cheap and cheerful nature of most high street curry houses, convincing most people to pay more than £6 for a main is akin to asking for moon rock in your lemonade. Even if you do convince people … Continue reading
★★★☆☆ / Indian / South Asian
Carom review – Indian food gets noisy. Very noisy.
The empty vessel makes the loudest sound. Meza is a long-standing bar in London’s Soho and it’s the last place I’d expect to find an Indian restaurant. Nestled in a corner of the bar itself, eating at Carom late in the week is a cacophonous experience – the loud, buzzy music, including a live sitar … Continue reading
Bubbas review – Caribbean food with a modern twist
Avant-garde or just modish? Caribbean food tends to be hearty and boldly flavoured, but has thus far been found only in traditional recipes served in casual eateries. Bubbas aims to change all of that with its stated goal of applying Modern European techniques to traditional Caribbean dishes and ingredients. Bubbas is oddly located right next … Continue reading
★★☆☆☆ / Indian / South Asian
Moti Mahal review 2 – still as good as ever?
I am as constant as the northern star? Update 12/3/23: this restaurant has now closed I greatly enjoyed my first visit to Moti Mahal, which proved to be one of the most accomplished and delicious high-end Indian meals I had tasted at the time. Consistency is a tricky thing to maintain though and I was … Continue reading
★★★☆☆ / Chinese / Japanese / Thai and Lao / Vietnamese
Kin review – Holborn’s Asian street food hideaway
Jack of all trades but master of none? Following my stiflingly average experience at Banana Tree, I wasn’t enthused about trying another budget pan-Asian eatery but the need for a cheap meal after a hard day’s slog at work prompted me to visit Kin. This new restaurant, located on a side road you probably wouldn’t stumble across, … Continue reading
Suda review – posh Thai at budget prices?
Should Busaba Eathai be worried? Most Thai restaurants in London are far from expensive and well within reach of most budgets, but most are also quite chintzy and cheesy in their decor. Busaba Eathai is the obvious exception to this rule with its classy jasmine-scented surroundings, but there’s a new good-looking kid on the block … Continue reading
Satsuma review – currying favour
Stylish surroundings, but is the food any good? Satsuma used to be a by-the-numbers Japanese restaurant that could be depended upon for a tasty bowl of udon noodles but little more. The Soho eatery has now been remodelled and reopened as self-touted katsu curry specialists (long-time Londoners will probably remember the dim sum restaurant that … Continue reading
Ten Ten Tei review 2 – still as good as ever?
Rather successful at currying favour The humble Ten Ten Tei is the standard by which I measure other Japanese restaurants in London, both inexpensive and luxurious. Although I’ve managed to sample a good smattering of dishes from its expansive menu on previous visits, I had yet to try their katsu curry which is an oversight … Continue reading
Koi review – budget Finchley Japanese comes a cropper
Finchley’s answer to Ten Ten Tei? Not quite… Ten Ten Tei is my favourite budget Japanese restaurant in London, but that restaurant is located in the West End. Although I’ll willingly travel far and wide for a good meal, not everyone feels the same way. London is a big city after all and not everyone … Continue reading
The Picky Glutton 
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