Thanks to one of Christine’s (aka Xteeener) fans, we were pointed in the direction towards some wonderful Thai cuisine. Perfect as I was totally in the mood for some tasty Asian food. 🙂 The place seriously has a zen like environment and you cannot help but feel transported upon stepping in. I especially love the identical wooden community tables that are spaced out perfectly throughout the establishment and the little pond in front with the candle-lit stuffed flowers. Really nice touches.
Enough of the decor and now onto the food! Ordered a few dishes that were recommended both from Chefs Feed and various online review sites and must say the dishes we ordered were delicious! Although I think we should have coursed the dishes a bit better as we went from the flavorful calamari, to the rest of the dishes. Like a sapling in a densely covered forest, That Tom Yam Talay dish was so delicate in flavor with the lite prawn broth that the other super bold dishes never gave it a chance to shine. Oh and the food comes out really FAST. You will probably want to ask them to space it out a bit as we didn’t even have 3 minutes to eat the calamari when the other three rolled on by. The servers (you will have multiple people helping) were informative and patient however I would have liked more water and it seemed unanimous throughout the restaurant as the other patrons were constantly asking for more too. Might be best to order a drink next time or BYOW (bring your own water). But aside from that, the service was excellent.
Favorite dish was definitely the Pad Kwetio. Perfectly cooked noodles with smoked chicken, well prepared prawns, and some blanched green beans that added a brightness and textural crunch; topped with an addictive spicy sauce that made you want to eat one bite after another.
They have multiple locations scattered throughout London. Checkout their website linked below for more information. We were able to walk to one that was but 10 minutes from the National History Museum. So if you’re in that area, do check it out.
Busaba Eathai (information gathered 11/2012)
44 Floral Street
London WC2E 9DA
020.7759.0088
Hours
Mon – Thurs 12:00 – 11:00pm
Fri – Sat 12:00pm – 11:30pm
Sun 12:00 – 10:00pm
Parking
Walked from a nearby tube station.
Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com
References:
Chefs Feed chefsfeed.com | twitter |
Walking around the Shoreditch area in London, did a search for the closest chef recommended eateries and Viet Grill looked to be a solid choice. Christine definitely enjoyed the papaya salad with its fresh green papaya and the flavorful fish sauce based dressing. I thought the fatty stewed pork was tasty and the boiled egg nicely tied the broth and pork together.
Viet Grill (information gathered 11/2012)
58 Kingsland Road,
Shoreditch, London E2 8DP
020.7739.6686
Hours
Sun 12:00 – 10:30pm
Mon – Thurs 12:00 – 3:00pm and 5:30pm – 11:00pm
Fri – Sat 12:00 – 3:00pm and 5:30 – 11:30pm
Parking
Walked from a nearby tube station.
Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com
References:Chefs Feed chefsfeed.com | twitter Viet Grill website |
A really cool restaurant located off of Kingsland Rd in the district of Dalston. Initially walking up to the establishment was a bit confused as one would expect proper signage for a restaurant/eatery. It was thanks to  my cousin’s explanation that ‘A Little of What You Fancy’ is one of London’s best pop-up restaurants, things made more sense. Exciting, as I’ve always wanted to experience a pop-up restaurant!
The dinning there was relaxing and easy going. Never felt rushed or had the feeling the server was trying to up-sell. Gave us the information we needed as we asked for it. The food was just what I wanted. Traditional and authentic British food that was delicious!
That Roasted Pork Belly, Ice Cream, and the meringue were awesome. The menu typically changes but, should one be fortunate to find those items on the evening of your visit, make sure to order those dishes. You wont be sorry, nor will you have trouble sleeping; after dinner, I slept like a rock. Enjoy! 🙂
A Little of What You Fancy (information gathered 11/2012)
464 Kingsland Road
London E8 4AE
020.7275.0060
Hours
Tues, Wed 7:00 – 9:45pm
Thurs – Sat 7:00 – 10:00pm
Parking
Walked.
Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com
References:A Little of What You Fancy website | twitter |
What a treat! Been wanting to come to this restaurant for a while. Based on it’s out of country proximity I honestly didn’t think I would be able to try it; had forgotten about this place for a bit until I watched Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover – London. The chance to eat here came up by happenstance as my cousin and I were waiting for Chrisine to finish shopping and decided it would be a solid time to figure out what to do for dinner. Called St. John Hotel and was able to snag a last minute dinner reservation! Was SO happy!!
But the food, as expected, was great and the overall experience was wonderful; thanks to our server Michael for being SO entertaining and helpful when making our selections. Typically I would give highlights but everything was extremely delicious. Especially the Custard Tart. Wonderful that the best of the meal marked the end of the meal. Smoothest custard I’ve ever had; very unexpected.
I really want to go back and do the Feasting option; it’s for larger groups who wishes to order a whole suckling pig. It looked like there were a few other things that one would get for the feasting option, but the pig is all I can think about. 🙂  I’m drooling just thinking about it.
St.John Hotel – Chinatown (information gathered 11/2012)
1 Leicester Street
London
WC2H 7BL
020 3301 8020
Hours
Breakfast 8.00 – 10.30am
Lunch Mon – Sun 12.00 – 3.00pm and then 5.30pm – MidnightÂ
Parking
Took the tube to a nearby station and walked. Highly recommended to take the tube as anything else is quite expensive.
Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com
References:Thanks to my cousin Yim for setting up the reservation 🙂 St.John Hotel website |