22 April 2006
On the way back from the gym today, I got off the bus early on a whim and decided to try out the new(ish) Vietnamese restaurant, Buddha Jazz, that opened near Denmark Hill station recently.
What a good whim that was.
The restaurant is all dark wood, subdued lighting and clean lines as is de rigueur in your average contemporary Oriental eaterie these days. I liked the slightly fifties chairs and the little Eastern decorative touches - large coils of incense, Eastern sculptures and the very important lucky cat. Popular jazz plays in the background. The main room is quite small and cosy but there appears to be some kind of conservatory in the back, where a small party was going on. On arrival, there were only a couple of tables filled but fifteen minutes later the restaurant was full and they were turning people away to drink in the bar next door, so booking is definitely recommended.
The staff were friendly, eager and had an opinion about the food, which is all good. Even when the restaurant became busy they handled everything well and also managed to accommodate a party of ten who turned up, despite having only reserved for six.
Now to the menu. Vietnamese is what I came for and despite their having a few dim sum items and bog standard Chinese starter dishes, Vietnamese is what I zeroed in on. The first thing that strikes me about this restaurant is that while the selection is not large everything seems to be well thought out and perfectly formed. The drinks and food menus are not large but there is a choice of some relatively familiar items and some more adventurous items.
I didn't linger on the alcohol much but there is a selection of four or five reds and the same number of whites which seem to have been chosen for their compatibility with Eastern flavours. The same goes for the beers - some Eastern standards like Tiger, Asahi and Tsing Tao but also some good Czech beers - Budvar & Staropramen which go well with spicy food. They also had a nice selection of Oriental teas and I went for One Leaf Tea (which I've never had before) which is supposed to be detoxifying. It is quite bitter and they seemed quite concerned that it would be alright, but they have no worries with this punter. I'm also pleased to see they have Vietnamese iced teas and coffees which I'm rather partial to.
As for the food, again, there was a large variety of starters and then a select choice of dishes in each section of the main menu. Very interested to see that they had some pretty out of the ordinary dishes - minced pork in betel leaves, goat with plantain, frogs legs with garlic, lemongrass & chilli and prawn and lotus stem salad were on the starter menu.
The main dishes were divided up between sauce based noodles, soup based noodles, rice dishes and curry dishes. I, of course, went for the soup based noodles (pho) - Bun Bo Hue or Spicy Hue beef noodles to be precise. Never had them before and the waiter gave me his personal recommendation that this was his favourite dish.
The noodles came with all the accoutrements necessary for great pho. Thai basil, coriander, mint, raw beansprouts and a wedge of lime on the side. There was also a dish of finely sliced, killer red chillis for the masochist in you. The noodles themselves were like fine spaghetti, perfectly al dente and a new experience for me. The broth was spicy (but not too hot) and tasty. The beef - ah, the beef - there were two cuts, a lighter meat and then, something that was darker and possibly brisket. A very nice touch indeed. I ate it all, without pausing for breath.
It was all beautifully presented - the tea came in an iron teapot with a weeny black Chinese teacup and the chopsticks were weighted with silver handles. The portions were a good size without being piggy which I like, as it means you can actually have a starter and dessert without having to be rolled out of the restaurant. They don't do desserts but I am told they will start doing them soon. If anyone from the restaurant is reading this - I am partial to a good mango pudding or some pandan based dessert.
The prices were reasonable (slightly cheaper than Wagamama or Busaba Eathai) and with Buddha Jazz a short bus ride away, I shall no doubt be visiting frequently.
It's so nice when, out of the blue, a really pleasant experience comes a-knocking on the door.
What a good whim that was.
The restaurant is all dark wood, subdued lighting and clean lines as is de rigueur in your average contemporary Oriental eaterie these days. I liked the slightly fifties chairs and the little Eastern decorative touches - large coils of incense, Eastern sculptures and the very important lucky cat. Popular jazz plays in the background. The main room is quite small and cosy but there appears to be some kind of conservatory in the back, where a small party was going on. On arrival, there were only a couple of tables filled but fifteen minutes later the restaurant was full and they were turning people away to drink in the bar next door, so booking is definitely recommended.
The staff were friendly, eager and had an opinion about the food, which is all good. Even when the restaurant became busy they handled everything well and also managed to accommodate a party of ten who turned up, despite having only reserved for six.
Now to the menu. Vietnamese is what I came for and despite their having a few dim sum items and bog standard Chinese starter dishes, Vietnamese is what I zeroed in on. The first thing that strikes me about this restaurant is that while the selection is not large everything seems to be well thought out and perfectly formed. The drinks and food menus are not large but there is a choice of some relatively familiar items and some more adventurous items.
I didn't linger on the alcohol much but there is a selection of four or five reds and the same number of whites which seem to have been chosen for their compatibility with Eastern flavours. The same goes for the beers - some Eastern standards like Tiger, Asahi and Tsing Tao but also some good Czech beers - Budvar & Staropramen which go well with spicy food. They also had a nice selection of Oriental teas and I went for One Leaf Tea (which I've never had before) which is supposed to be detoxifying. It is quite bitter and they seemed quite concerned that it would be alright, but they have no worries with this punter. I'm also pleased to see they have Vietnamese iced teas and coffees which I'm rather partial to.
As for the food, again, there was a large variety of starters and then a select choice of dishes in each section of the main menu. Very interested to see that they had some pretty out of the ordinary dishes - minced pork in betel leaves, goat with plantain, frogs legs with garlic, lemongrass & chilli and prawn and lotus stem salad were on the starter menu.
The main dishes were divided up between sauce based noodles, soup based noodles, rice dishes and curry dishes. I, of course, went for the soup based noodles (pho) - Bun Bo Hue or Spicy Hue beef noodles to be precise. Never had them before and the waiter gave me his personal recommendation that this was his favourite dish.
The noodles came with all the accoutrements necessary for great pho. Thai basil, coriander, mint, raw beansprouts and a wedge of lime on the side. There was also a dish of finely sliced, killer red chillis for the masochist in you. The noodles themselves were like fine spaghetti, perfectly al dente and a new experience for me. The broth was spicy (but not too hot) and tasty. The beef - ah, the beef - there were two cuts, a lighter meat and then, something that was darker and possibly brisket. A very nice touch indeed. I ate it all, without pausing for breath.
It was all beautifully presented - the tea came in an iron teapot with a weeny black Chinese teacup and the chopsticks were weighted with silver handles. The portions were a good size without being piggy which I like, as it means you can actually have a starter and dessert without having to be rolled out of the restaurant. They don't do desserts but I am told they will start doing them soon. If anyone from the restaurant is reading this - I am partial to a good mango pudding or some pandan based dessert.
The prices were reasonable (slightly cheaper than Wagamama or Busaba Eathai) and with Buddha Jazz a short bus ride away, I shall no doubt be visiting frequently.
It's so nice when, out of the blue, a really pleasant experience comes a-knocking on the door.
Labels: food, restaurants
# posted by gilamonster : 21:24
Comments:
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good review, why don't you submit it to some place like london-eating? You might win a free bottle of champagne.
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