Oriental Dragon review – hilarious service, good food
★★★★☆ / Chinese / Chinese Dumplings / Sichuanese

Oriental Dragon review – hilarious service, good food

Fitzrovia Chinese reaches new highs and lows Restaurants in London’s Chinatown are renowned for their brusque, hurried service, but this culture of surly indifference has no geographical boundaries. Oriental Dragon on Cleveland Street in Fitzrovia is a classic example. Although the service wasn’t completely charmless, overall it was hilariously unhelpful and it reached the apex … Continue reading

Mamita Que Chorizo review – South American Shoreditch sandwiches for supper
★★★★☆ / Steak/chophouse

Mamita Que Chorizo review – South American Shoreditch sandwiches for supper

Dinner time baguettes, ciabattas and buns Having a sandwich for dinner sounds like something only a slummy student might do, but having a steak sandwich from Mamita Que Chorizo is no second-best option. This small Shoreditch restaurant is only open in the evenings from Thursday to Saturday (perfect for chucking out time) and serves up … Continue reading

Smokehouse review – Islington barbecue gastropub
★★★★☆ / Barbecue/BBQ / Gastropub

Smokehouse review – Islington barbecue gastropub

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire? When I surveyed the state of American-style barbecue in London, one of the most common queries was ‘what about Smokehouse?’. However, despite its name Smokehouse isn’t devoted purely to barbecue. This joint venture between Neil Rankin, former head chef at Pitt Cue, and the people behind the nearby Pig and … Continue reading

The best and worst Taiwanese buns in London – Flesh and Buns vs the rest reviewed
★★★★★ / ★★★★☆ / ★★★☆☆ / ★★☆☆☆ / Best and Worst group tests / Japanese / Korean / Taiwanese

The best and worst Taiwanese buns in London – Flesh and Buns vs the rest reviewed

Hirata buns or gua bao – by any other name they would be as sweet Updated 8/11/13 – removed incorrect information about the term ‘hirata buns’, added new background Updated 11/3/14 – fixed broken Table of Contents When a new dish or cuisine is introduced to the UK, it’s inevitably given an analogous description that’s … Continue reading

Osteria Tufo review – homely Finsbury Park Italian
★★★★☆ / Italian

Osteria Tufo review – homely Finsbury Park Italian

A cosy North London neighbourhood restaurant Until recently I’d largely become bored of Italian restaurants in London. They were either underwhelming, needlessly fussy or old-fashioned and just plain awful. What restored my faith wasn’t a glitzy haute cuisine restaurant in Mayfair or Chelsea, but a small bistro near Finsbury Park called Osteria Tufo. Osteria Tufo … Continue reading