The Food Emporium - Manhattan, NYC

If you're looking for a place to do some food shopping and have a little extra cash to throw around then I'd go here. The Food Emporium is more gourmet than your average supermarket but you'll know why as soon as you walk in. They stock top quality deli meats such as Rosemary Ham for $3.99 as well as Turkey, Pastrami, Roast Beef, Meatloaf etc... They also stock premium quality cheeses like Parmesan ($14.99). Their cheeses come from all over the world so the variety is extensive. Their fresh produce is also of the highest quality. I wouldn't miss taking a look at their seafood either. They have everything from fresh Clams to Tiger Jumbo Shrimp to King Crab Legs.

Aside from the above they sell everything you'd expect from a supermarket, drinks, bread, dairy, frozen food etc... I found myself walking around in awe of the quality. Of course you have to pay a little extra but you get what you pay for.

There are 15 stores in New York, all mainly in the Manhattan area and 1 in Conneticut. I went to the one on 2nd Avenue.

8/10

The Food Emporium

166 Second Avenue

New York, NY 10128

212-410-1895

www.thefoodemporium.com


View Larger Map

Thai Rice - Portobello Road, London

Thai Rice is a restaurant at the end of the Portobello Road (don't confuse it with the restaurant with the same name in Fulham).

The restaurant exceeded my expectations for a few reasons. Firstly the food was highly spiced and well made. Secondly the prices were very reasonable for what you get. I wasn't that adventurous on that particular day so I opted for the Red Chicken Red Chicken Curry (£5.50). My husband had the Pad Thai Noodles with Chicken for £6.50. We went at lunch and had the special lunch menu which was cheaper than ordering directly from the menu. This resulted in smaller portions. It was enough for me but my husband asked 'where's the rest?'

My curry was nice, creamy from the coconut milk, crunchy from the bamboo shoots and a little spicy from the chilli. My husbands Pad That was as you'd expect a Pad Thai to be, that is to say there were no surprises. It was full of vegetables, chicken and had a nice sauce. We asked for extra chilli and they brought us a little bowl of birds eye chillies in fish sauce. It was brutally hot and really salty. We loved that and put it all over our meals.

This restaurant is unpretentious, does exactly what it says on the tin and that ain't no bad thing. If you're feeling more adventurous you can try their special menu which offers things like Seafood Souffle (£8.50), Sirloin Steak with a Thai Spicy Sauce (£8.50) or perhaps a Deep Fried Whole Tilapia with Sweet and Spicy Sauce and Crispy Basil (£8.50). As you can see from the above the prices are more than reasonable.

I would go again after a day of shopping down the Portobello Road.

Thai Rice

7/10

303 Portobello Road

London W10 5TD

0208 968 2001

Menu can be found at http://www.eatitnow.co.uk/Menu/thairicerestaurant-w105td

View Larger Map

Ed's Diner - England and South Africa

Ed's is advertised as a typical American diner, but I'm not sure if an American would agree. At Ed's you can order your typical diner fair such as hamburgers (ranging from £5.75 to 6.95), hotdogs, an all day breakfast, salads, fries (with all the toppings) and a variety of calorific desserts.

When I first went I popped in for a quick bite and had the Chilli Cheese Fries (£4.50). They were good. The fries weren't soggy, the chilli was decent and the cheese was plentiful.

The second time I stepped in I had the Chicken BLT (£6.75) with Sweet Potato Fries (3.95). The BLT was filling and nice, if not a little sweet from the BBQ sauce they added. The fries were a little oily and soggy however.

I like Ed's because us Brits don't really have diners, so if you haven't had the good fortune of visiting the States then it's probably the closeset you'll come to an 'all American diner' experience. The ambience is good with little old fashioned looking jukeboxes on each counter or table, and a variety of condiments waiting for you.  I like the fact you can adapt anything on the menu with your choice of additions such as grilled onions, eggs, guacamole, sour cream etc... (each for only £1). What I also like is that it's well designed and the prices are accurate for what you're getting. It's not Michelin starred stuff but you know that before you walk through the door.

Yep I'd pop in again. Actually I may do this weekend.

7/10

17 locations in and around London and 1 in South Africa

http://www.edseasydiner.com/location/index.php

Morningstar Cafe - NYC

Morning Star Cafe was around the corner from my hotel so it was the obvious choice when hungry at breakfast. They are a typical all American diner, which is to say there's no frills, airs or graces, just simply made food to satisfy your hunger pangs.

I had the Eggs cooks in my chosen way (poached I think it was) with Bacon. They don't skimp on sizes, it was enough for two and hugely reasonable at $4.95. It was perfectly fine - eggs were runny, bacon crispy. My only qualm would be that it was too big. My friend had Pancakes with Bacon and Maple Syrup ($9.45). Us Brits don't combine those flavours together and it still baffles me that you'd want liquid sugar on salty bacon for breakfast, but he seemed to like it so each to their own.

The vibe of the place was very diner-esque and the staff were friendly and helpful. The menu was extensive at 4 pages long. They offered everything from burgers, sandwiches, diet delights, main courses such as lamb chops, meatloaf, pasta, seafood as well as a multiplicity of desserts.

I'd certainly go again for both the food and the 'all American' experience.

Morning Star Cafe

7/10

949 2nd Avenue

New York 10022

http://morningstaronsecond.com

View Larger Map

Nineteen Ten - Westfield Shepherds Bush, London

In case you didn't know Westfield is a mammoth sized shopping centre. There are a few of them dotted around London, but I like the Shepherd's Bush one best. Within this labyrinth there are numerous stalls selling varieties of different types of food, a food court in other words. I've tried a few of them and they all have their good points. My favourite however is Nineteen Ten.

Much like a school canteen, you take your tray and slide it along and choose the fillings for your burrito. First layer can be either Rice, Black Beans or Pinto Beans. The second layer either Steak, Grilled Veg, Chicken or Carnitas. The third is your choice of sauce, Picco de Gallo, Salsa Verde, Corn Salsa or maybe Salsa Salsa Roja. Finally you top it off with either Sour Cream, Cheese, Lettuce or Guacamole.

I had the Spicy Beef. It was huge and utterly delicious (£8.95 depending on your toppings). The meat was melt in your mouth, the sauces were spicy and all the accompaniments worked well together.

They also have Quesadillas, Tacos, Carne Con Cerveza (meat marinated in beer to tenderise) served in a bowl over rice and sprinkled with cheese and tortilla chips).

I only really go for the burritos though, because aside from the Chimichanga I had in San Fransisco many years ago this is one of the nicest I've found in London. Odd it's in a mall, but it's good so I'll overlook that.

Nineteen Ten
8/10
Unit 2136
Westfield London Shopping Centre
Ariel Way
London W12 7GF
0208 749 8222

View Larger Map

Asqew Grill - Haight Ashbury, San Francisco

I loved it here. After a day of walking around Haight Ashbury, doing a little shopping and taking in the very similar vibe of Camden in London we stopped at Asqew Grill. 

It had a very bohemian feeling, very laid back. However Haight Ashbury is the epitome of laid back, so it stands to reason.

It was unpretentious, welcoming and most importantly the food was good. I had the Cilantro (Coriander to us Brits) Chicken Skewers with Coconut Cilantro Jasmine Rice ($7.89 for one skewer, $10.79 for 2). It was sour from the lime, hot from the chilli and the rice was good and creamy.

They had a variety of things on the menu such as Tuna Skewers, side salads with Grilled Pear and a Gorganzola dressing ($3.99), BBQ, Burgers etc... 

What I liked the most about Asqew was that you could choose your own sides. So with each main you chose you had the option to add either Roasted Garlic Mash, Coconut Rice, Citrus Cous Cous, or Grilled Mascapone Polenta.

I'd certainly go again if I find myself in San Francisco. I hope it's still there.

8/10

Asqew Grill

1607 Haight Ashbury

San Francisco CA

415 701 9301

Skyy Bar - Westcord Fashion Hotel, Amsterdam

We decided to have a long weekend in Amsterdam and when looking for a place to rest our heads I found the Westcord Fashion Hotel. The name may be a little ridiculous but all in all it was a nice hotel and conveniently located near a tram stop and station. A little out of the centre but it gave us a sense of the non-touristy places.

On the top floor of the hotel lived the Skyy Bar. This place was a little pretentious, but didn't make you feel uncomfortable or out of place.  The view was lovely. Sitting atop a nice hotel looking down at Amsterdam from high up was a nice experience. 

The menu was surprisingly good for a place that pays as much heed to their vast cocktail menu and fancy decor.

They had canapés such as Duck Duck Rillette with Ginger and Pickles, Cauliflower Cappucino and Smoked Salmon with Wasabi Caviar (to name a few). You could order 6 varieties for €12, 12 for €20 or 18 for €26. They also had mains such as Tournedos of Dutch Beef with French Fries and Bearnaise Sauce (€27), or Whole Lobster with Herbal Mayonnaise (€29). Yes they do write herbal on their menu.

All of our choices went down well and they were generous with their portion sizes too (not with their salt and pepper shakers though, which were comically small). 

Skyy Bar @ Westcord Fashion Hotel

8/10

Hendrikje Stoffelsstreat

http://www.westcordhotels.com/fashion-hotel-amsterdam

View Larger Map

Also I feel it's worth mentioning that the breakfast at the Westcord was equally good. Ours came included with the room so we weren't going to miss out. It was all self service but the variety of things on offer were abundant. Mountains of eggs, bacon, beans, waffles, breads, cheeses, fruits etc... All of which looked and tasted very good.

The Lansdowne - Primrose Hill, London

The Lansdowne serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in the 'pub' and a more fancy restaurant lives above it. Pizza is a staple but you don't get a menu for the mains,  just a big chalk board to read from.

They call themselves a traditional British Pub, utter nonsense. They are a restaurant disguised as a pub.

I've been a few times. The pizza is good (ranging around a tenner). They also offer things like Rib Eye Steak, Grilled Tuna, Lamb and Chickpea Stew and Smoked Haddock with Wild Garlic. Bear in mind however that the menu is ever changing because it's seasonal (which I appreciate as a food junkie). Expect to pay around £15 for a main course.

I'm saddened a little though because the days when you could pop into your local and have a pint and a pie are steadily disappearing. Now it's fancy. Heston Blumenthal had it right in his show 'Heston's Fantastical Food.' He constructed a pub in a pie with homemade beer and an edible pool table. He was doing this because he was aware that the old British pubs are closing down at a staggering rate of around 18 a week. He was trying to make a drastic point (and rightly so).

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with gastropubs, the food at The Lansdown is decent. I simply think they should call themselves a restaurant and not a pub.

The Lansdowne
7/10

90 Gloucester Avenue

London NW1 8HX

0207 483 0409

View Larger Map

Big Easy - King's Road, London

K

Even writing about this place makes me feel ill. This was the worst meal I've had in a long time. In fact it was so wrong that I gagged three times while trying to consume what they call food.

Big Easy is advertised as an all American BBQ and Crabshack, a place to get a hearty 'home-style' meal. It's not. Firstly it's situated in one of the most fancy parts of London, secondly it's expensive, and thirdly who drinks margaritas in what's meant to be an old school 'home-style' joint? None of these things remotely resemble the idea of taking in some grub after (as they state on their website) 'a hard days fishing, shopping, or plain ol' hard work'.

The atmosphere is loud, partly because they have a bar downstairs with live bands playing til 10pm on weekdays, but also because the place is constantly packed. I just can't understand why.

We researched their menu by looking at their very basic website. We'd also walked passed a few times and thought the vibe looked good. I popped in one evening to asked the maitre d' if we could have a table and she said the wait would be around 2 weeks. It didn't turn out to be the case when I looked online.

The ambience was ok. It was busy but not overwhelmingly so. The decor was ok, a bar on one side and the restaurant on the other. Nothing special though, just quite themed. They try to be funky in decorating in such a way, this is compounded by the fact they think it cool to call the downstairs bar a 'speakeasy'. They also pump out relatively loud music in the bathroom. Probably to mask the sound of people throwing up their overpriced dinner.

So we started with the Calamari which was deep fried and came with Tartar Tartar sauce (£6.95). It was ok I suppose, but again nothing special. I then had the 2lb lobster for £19.95 (you can order a variety of sizes that are all priced accordingly). The Lobster came with a salad, chips and a choice of either a beer or margarita. It was awful. It was tough as old boots and smelt too. They boast their lobsters come from Maine in America, I just wonder how long it took them to get over here. The salad dressing was terrible (and I love salad). The chips were chips.

My husband had the BBQ Ribs and Chicken which came with Coleslaw (a good portion at £15.95). The ribs were tender, if not a little too sweet. The coleslaw was bland, and the chicken average. My husband didn't rate it either.

I think the best part of this experience was watching a large man walk in and have the waitress bring out a 4.5 lb lobster for him to look at before ordering. He then ordered an entire bottle of wine and sat there gorging with a shiny bib around his neck. He really didn't mind that people were staring. Sadly that was the best part of this shambles of a meal. I sincerely regret spending nearly £70 on this mistake.

The only good thing I'll say about the Big Queasy is that the staff were nice and service was good.

Big Easy
3/10 (and that's mainly due to the company, not the food).

332-334 King's Road

London SW3 5UR

0207 352 4071

View Larger Map

Dim T - Hampstead, London

Dim T in Hampstead is a small yet often busy Chinese restaurant. It's located near the wonderful Everyman cinema and is walking distance from Hampstead station. 

I've been twice and both times were experiences to remember. They offer a variety of noodle dishes, curries, soups and salads, (all ranging between £7 and £9). You can also construct your own noodle dish by choosing the topping, type of noodle and sauce. 

I don't go for that though. I go for the Dim Sum.

When you order your selection of Dim Sum it arrives at your table piled high in layered Bamboo Steamers, with each basket containing 3 or 4 pieces of the handmade (either fried of steamed) parcels you ordered.

We chose quite a few different things to share. Each basket costing £3.60 (with the exception of the gourmet selection and pork buns which set us back £3.85 a basket).

The Dim Sum we ordered were Spicy Beef, Minced Pork and Prawn, Chicken and Asian Greens, Spicy Vegetables, Roasted Pork Buns, and Chicken with Cashew Nuts and Coriander. We sat there merrily dipping our parcels into the many sauces on the table.

The price was what you'd expect for Dim Sum. The bill came to £44.50 for the two of us (including drinks). Not too bad for a good meal after a trip to the Everyman.

Dim T

8/10

3 Heath Street

London NW3 6TP

0207 435 0024

View Larger Map

Busaba Eathai - Chelsea, London

We went on a Saturday night (around 7pm). The time is relevant because thereafter the queues got ridiculous.

I walked in and wanted to walk out, not because of the decor (dark wood, some incense burning, Soy Sauce, Sriracha and Fish Sauce already on the table) but because of the seating. The place comprises of square tables where everyone sits together. So you turn up for your 2 year anniversary to have some dinner with your partner and find yourself sitting next to utter strangers. Not ideal.

We were lucky however as we chose the window seats. Yes we were sitting next to each other facing the window (which looked on to passing traffic going down the King's Road) but at least it felt a bit more private.

We had three starters (which on the menu they oddly refer to as sides). The Calamari with Ginger and Peppercorns (£6.50), the Morning Glory (a type of green bean with a difference) that came in a sauce made from Yellow Bean, Thai garlic and chilli (£5.80), and Pandan Chicken (chicken with garlic and coriander wrapped in a Pandan leaf £5.50).

The Calamari was one of the best I've ever had. They weren't rings but rather thick strips coated with a delightful crust. It was a hearty portion too. The Morning Glory was to die for. The sauce was absolutely fantastic. When we ordered it the waiter warned us it was spicy but we love very very hot food so of course we went for it. I was surprised when i saw whole Birdseye chillies in it. It was at our level of hot, finally a place that fulfils their promise. The chicken in the Pandan leaf was nice, but I probably wouldn't order it again as it was small and a bit hard to unwrap.

For our main I had the Char-grilled Chicken with Spicy Cucumber Salad and Sticky Rice (£9.90). I'd  say it was a bit of a let down after our starters. The rice was far too glutinous, the salad a little tired. I didn't much rate the sauce it came with either. The chicken was simply grilled. Good quality but all it was was a piece of chicken. Eddy had the Smoked Chicken with Vermicelli Noodles, Chinese Broccoli and Egg (£6.90). At first Eddy thought his main was only slightly above average, I certainly couldn't taste the advertised smokiness in the Chicken. It was however good, especially once adapted with some Soy Sauce, Morning Glory drippings left over from our starter, and a little sprinkling of Birdseye chillies.

I asked to see the dessert menu at the end but they only served ice cream. I opted out as it was brutally cold outside. I'd certainly go back for that Calamari.

Busaba Eathai

A solid 10/10 for the Calamari and Morning Glory. 7/10 for the mains.

358 King's Road

London SW3 5UZ

0207 349 5488
View Larger Map

Lemonia - Primrose Hill, London

Lemonia in London's fancy Primrose Hill is a slightly more expensive Greek restaurant. When walking in I was first struck by the buzzy atmosphere and accommodating staff. The interior was very Mediterranean and tastefully done. We had pre-booked so were seated fairly quickly, but if you haven't booked the wait is lengthy. 

The menu is pretty long so there's an overwhelming amount of choice. We opted for the hot and cold Mezze selection (£18.50 per person). This comprised of lots of little tapas like dishes that we all shared. We had the grilled Halloumi, Greek Sausages, Tabouleh (crushed wheat with olive oil, lemon and parsley), as well as the Aubergine salad, Calamari etc... It came with Hummus and Pitta bread. At one point the table was so full of little plates I barely had a place to rest my drink.

The food was good. I'd say above average. I've never really thought of Greek food as fancy or expensive, but when it's well done it's easier to part with your cash.

Lemonia

7/10

89 Regent's Park Road

London NW1 8UY

0207 586 7474

View Larger Map

Bluebird Cafe - Chelsea, London

The Bluebird is apparently the place to be seen in Chelsea. This means it's posh, pretentious and expensive. The upstairs restaurant is all of the latter. It was packed full of expensively dressed snobs. We were downstairs in the cafe, but I did have to head upstairs to use the bathroom. When in there I saw 2 little 12 year old girls applying lipstick, a woman spraying so much hairspray that I felt nauseas, and another woman plucking her eyebrows. I couldn't wait to get out and rejoin Eddy downstairs in the less pretentious cafe.

So if it's so pretentious why did we go I hear you cry. Well firstly the price for a dessert was reasonable, and secondly we wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

I had the Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream (reasonable at £5.75), and Eddy had the Apple Crumble (£5.50). I'd rate neither.

My cake was dry and the sauce far too rich. Eddy's crumble was basically baby food with crumble on top. The only good thing was the ice cream, which I suspect wasn't homemade.

The cafe also offers breakfast, pasta, fish etc... I wonder if they'd do better at that, but I'm not sure I'd go back to find out.

The Bluebird Cafe
4/10
350 King's Road
London SW3 5UU
0207 559 1000

View Larger Map