Loon Fung Supermarket - Chinatown, London

If you want the most authentic and varied Chinese supermarket then look no further than Loon Fung. It lies smack damn in the middle of Gerrard Street in Chinatown where not only can you shop but can eat proper Oriental food as well. At first I was a little overwhelmed by the vast amount of different ingredients on offer and the rather narrow aisles with people pushing past me to find what they were looking for. I don't know how to speak Chinese so I had no idea what most of the things were and the staff weren't much help. That was part of the fun though.

They have lovely exotic fresh produce. I bought the leafy green called Morning Glory and a long vegetable that looked like a green bean. I smelt it and it was strong with garlic. I later found out that uncooked its like eating raw garlic but when cooked it becomes quite sweet. It's known as Garlic Stems or Suan Miao. I also learnt that it's virtually impossible to find in London so I felt lucky to have stumbled upon it and even more lucky to have been introduced to a new ingredient. I ended up using it in a stir fry and the end result was delicious.

In addition to the fresh produce they also have a frozen section filled with dumpling/dim sum etc, aisle upon aisle of sauces, spices, dips, crisps, sweets etc... And at the back there's a meat section and a section dedicated to Chinese kitchenware (I left with a wok and bamboo steamer).

I wouldn't call it overly expensive, which is surprising considering I imagine it's all imported. It's a truly wonderful place. I really struggled not to spend spend spend in there.

Loon Fung Supermarket
10/10
42 - 44 Gerrard Street
London, W1D 5QG
0207 437 7332


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Bangkok Bay - Battersea, London

Bangkok Bay is an unassuming little Thai restaurant on Battersea Park Road. We went for dinner around 7pm on a Saturday night. The place was empty when we arrived but took no time at all to fill up.

The menu was hilarious. 5 laminated pages complete with grainy photographs of each dish. I have no idea why restaurants think this is a good idea. It cheapens the entire experience and the pictures never do the food justice.

The decor was equally hilarious. We had canvases of horses on our left and a Thai mural of sorts on our right. It was confused to say the least.

My friend and I shared the Vegetable Spring Rolls which consisted of 6 small pieces (£3.95). They were ok, perfectly decent. My other friend had the Papaya Salad (£5.75) which was delicious. A lovely mix of green papaya, chilli, garlic and beans in a Thai sauce. She was best pleased.

I followed with the Panang Curry with Tofu (a steal at £6) but rice needed to be ordered separately. It was thick and creamy but a little sweet for my palate so I requested lots of chilli and soy sauce. Once I adapted it I liked it a lot more. My friends had the Pad Thai with Tofu (£6) and the Pad Khing with Tofu (£6). The Pad Khing comprised of ginger, onion, mushrooms, carrots and pepper in a gravy that was very reminiscent of black bean sauce. Chicken in Black Bean is my go to dish when ordering Chinese food so I liked it, she however found it a little salty. The Pad Thai was just as it should be, not amazing but not bad either.

All in all the food was acceptable but the decor and ambience left a little to be desired. We spent a total of £49.10 for the meal which isn't bad for starters, mains and drinks for 3 people.

I asked my friends what rating they would give the experience and they gave a resounding 6.5. I'm in agreement because it was good but not great.

Bangkok Bay
6.5
246 Battersea Park Road
London SW11 3BP
0207 223 5924
www.bangkokbay.co.uk


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New Thriving - Georgetown, Guyana

Although it's highly unlikely you'd find yourself in Guyana any time soon I thought I'd offer up some advice of where to eat if you did. Guyana is a very acquired place but the food is diverse. Don't think you'd only get curry and roti if you went.

After eating too much West Indian food (Pepperpot, Cookup Rice etc...) I was craving something a little different. I came across New Thriving. We got a takeaway and were happy with the outcome. The decor was a little try hard mind you. I know i'm in a Chinese restaurant, I don't need dragons and lanterns to tell me so. 

The food was just as you'd expect: a very Chinese meal mixed with a Guyanese twist. Case in point, the Special Fried Rice had Scotch Bonnets in it. Aside from that minor fact their food is pretty authentic, offering things like Wonton Soup in Chicken Broth, Fried Dumplings, Chicken or Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce etc... It's all very reasonably priced too.

All in all it was good and a nice break from Guyanese food. Moreover the people that live there seem to hold it in high regard so who am I to argue.

New Thriving

6/10

32 Main Street

South Cummingsburg

Georgetown, Guyana

592-225-0159

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Manicomio - Duke of York Square, London

It's expensive and a little pretentious, but there again you are in the middle of Sloany Square. The restaurant is just off the main road in a paved little street that sits behind the main King's Road drag.

There is an outside setting area for those that wish to crank up the heating lamp and brave the cold, but my friend and I headed in. The restaurant is narrow with lines of tables to your left and a deli on your right (there's a bigger dinning room in the back but it wasn't open when we went). The deli comprises of cakes, biscuits and a myriad of different vegetable and meat dishes such as roasted butternut squash, marinated grilled aubergines etc... They also have different sorts of pasta dishes on offer. 

If you choose not to order from the deli counter then you can try the 'a la carte' menu or the less formal cafe menu, both of which consist of your typical Italian fare (Antipasti, Pasta, Meat, Fish etc...). It's worthy of note that you can only order from the 'a la carte' when seated in the main dinning area, and the deli/cafe menu in the deli area. A bit silly in my opinion.

I was tempted to have the Longhorn Beef Short Rib with Potato Puree but I wasn't hungry enough to fork out £24.50 and I wasn't seated in the dinning area anyway. I was also tempted with the Antipasti platter after noticing a couple having a right old time tucking into the board (£13.95 for one). However I opted for the Soup of the Day, which turned out to be Chicken (£8.75) and my friend had a Cookie (£2.50) from the deli.

We waited a little longer than we should have but they were busy so we forgave it. My soup arrived pipping hot and with three varieties of bread (I had to ask for butter though). The soup in itself was lovely. It had huge bits of chicken running through it, and was chunky and hearty. The selection of breads (olive, raisin and white) were also very good and I appreciated the variety.

The food is very well done. The ingredients are clearly well sourced and of superior quality, hence the price. The cheapest thing on their breakfast menu is a Croissant with Cotto Ham and Asiago at £4.95. A bit steep in my opinion but I'm sure the quality of the produce is brilliant. 

I only hope that the price is reflective of the high quality and not the affluent area they live in. My cynical side thinks it is, but with that said I would go back if it was a special occasion. I did like their menu and now trust their food.

Manicomio

8/10

85 Duke of York Square

London, SW3 4LY

0207 730 3366

www.manicomio.co.uk

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Leon - In and around London

I first went to Leon when I worked in London's throbbing heart. If you've ever gone to Soho, Carnaby Street etc... for lunch on a weekday you'll know that it's a bustling area that caters to those that need food on the go.

I favoured two places when I had to pop out for lunch and Leon was one of them. I can't remember why I first went in. It was either the promise of healthy fast food or the funky and colourful font they used on their sign. Either way it enticed me.

The Leon ethos is that they serve affordable fast food that is both healthy and delicious. I agree to a certain extent. Some things did look a little fatty but with that said they do include the fat, wheat, gluten, glycemic load and dairy content on every dish, cake, salad etc... that you order.

The first time I went I had Meatballs with Rice and Slaw (£6.30). It was really acceptable (made better by the chilli sauce I had on the side). The second time I went I was at a loss as to what to have as the menu had grown exponentially. Should I have the Falafel and Tangy Carrot, or maybe the Chilli Chicken, and should I have it in a wrap, with Rice and Slaw or a Green Salad? I opted for the Chilli Chicken in a wrap (£4.60). It was decent, but how can you go wrong with a warm wrap filled with grilled chicken and salad?

Since that time I've learnt that Leon has expanded with great success. They even have a branch in Heathrow Airport and I'm sure they'll be venturing out of the UK shortly. Good on them I say, well done Allegra, I always liked you. Their food is a far cry from KFC or that other one that entices you to walk through their golden arches and walk out 10 pounds heavier.

The next time I fancy breakfast out I think I'll try the Bacon Muffin, or maybe the Poached Egg with Chorizo and Truffle Gruyere (both under £3). Yeah, I think I'll do that.

Leon
7/10
In and around London
www.leonrestaurants.co.uk

Tony's - Battersea, London

If you look up the word understated then right next to it you'd probably find a picture of Tony's. Tony's is a brilliant old school greasy spoon that is nestled amid the more fancy restaurants and shops on the Northcote Road. 

There is absolutely nothing fancy about this place though. The booths have peeling leather seats, the tables are very well lived and the walls are adorned with boards and pictures of their specials of the day.

When I went I had a Poached Egg on Toast with a side of Bacon. My partner had a Bacon Sandwich. Both arrived exactly as expected: basic and simple. We didn't go here for Cordon Bleu cooking after all.

I first heard about this place when reading a book written by an adman named Russell Davies. In his spare time Russell would go to greasy spoons, picture them and then write about them. I really appreciated his blog turned book when I first stumbled upon it. The book not only tells you where to go for a good old English fry up, but it also chronicles the fast dying British Cafe.

Aside from breakfast you can also get things like Chilli Con Carne with Rice, Fish and Chips, Gammon Steak etc... When I was there an old lady with a trolley walked in for some breakfast and a cup of tea. You could tell that she'd been going for decades. It was nice to see a local cafe with a loyal customer base.

Our breakfast cost around £3 (cheap I'm sure you'll agree). I would go back again for something a bit more substantial. I just hope it's still there. The Telegraph recently wrote that 'the death knell is sounding for the traditional "greasy spoon' and

'Britons are opting for a coffee and pastry at American-style coffee shops, leaving lorry drivers without the option of white toast, margarine, sausage, beans, chips and a bottomless mug of tea.' I just hope their wrong.

Tony's Cafe

6/10

74 Northcote Road

London, SW11 6QL

0207 228 0929


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Battersea Tandoori - London

This was an off the cuff, out of the blue visit to a restaurant that lives close to home. In my opinion Indian restaurants are all pretty similar. You get your bog standard dishes such as Vindaloo, Madras, Biryanis etc... This place is much the same, however I appreciated that my Lamb Vindaloo was hot (not for people that think heat is a few grinds of black pepper, this was nicely hot). I also loved the fact they served Mulligatawny, which is hardly ever found on Indian menus these days. This curried lentil soup was lovely, it had the perfect balance of hot and sour. My husband was a little disappointed with his Chicken Curry as it was a little sweet (he loves sweet things, but if a curry is sweet then let us know beforehand). The Nan was fine, Pappadoms too and they came with your regular dips consisting of onion salad, sweet chutney and an unknown dip which I believe was tamarind based.

I want to go to a Michelin starred Indian to see if they can do any better. A curry in India costs around 10 pence so I wonder if these fancy chefs i.e. Atul Kotcher at Benares can do any better than your local. I know the presentation would be a picture but is the taste really that different? We'll see when I go.

If I want a curry i'm happy to go to Battersea Tandoori. It's standard Indian food, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Battersea Tandoori Indian Restaurant

6.5/10

515 Battersea Park Road

SW11 3BN

020 924 2712


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