13 December 2006
Oh man, talk about being worked like a dog. Although, I've never seen any dogs working particularly hard, so times have obviously changed since that saying came about.
We're right in the thick of end-of-year type things - Christmas hoohah, budgets, range planning and stuff plus all the normal day-to-day meetings, travel, getting offices refurbed and so forth. I'm going to fall down dead soon. All they'll find is a little skeleton in my office where I've disappeared behind a pile of packaging, samples and leftovers from lunch meetings.
Also had to run out of the office in the middle of everything to do a casting for some new ITV show which revolves around a bunch of celebrities (doesn't everything these days) being a jury for a mock murder trial. I went up to play a forensic scientist specialising in DNA profiling. The audition consisted of improvising around the case as outlined in the breakdown. Went well, but bloody hell! I had back story and everything, but they didn't delve that deep. Thank God.
Met my mate, A, for dinner about an hour and a half late as I couldn't get away from the office. We ate at this small tapas place called El Dorado near Vauxhall which I keep seeing from the 185 bus on Kennington Lane just before it turns towards the Oval. I think it might be South American. The food was really very good. We had Spanish sausage with fabadas (beans), grilled marinaded pork, some prawns in white wine and garlic, patatas bravas, beef with crispy fried green plantain, salad and rice. With drinks it all came to a modest £17.00 each including tip. I shall be trying to drum up some business for them in future as it was almost empty. Very strange, as the service was excellent and the food delicious. Perhaps, the restaurant lacked a little in ambience but it was perfectly pleasant in every way.
We're right in the thick of end-of-year type things - Christmas hoohah, budgets, range planning and stuff plus all the normal day-to-day meetings, travel, getting offices refurbed and so forth. I'm going to fall down dead soon. All they'll find is a little skeleton in my office where I've disappeared behind a pile of packaging, samples and leftovers from lunch meetings.
Also had to run out of the office in the middle of everything to do a casting for some new ITV show which revolves around a bunch of celebrities (doesn't everything these days) being a jury for a mock murder trial. I went up to play a forensic scientist specialising in DNA profiling. The audition consisted of improvising around the case as outlined in the breakdown. Went well, but bloody hell! I had back story and everything, but they didn't delve that deep. Thank God.
Met my mate, A, for dinner about an hour and a half late as I couldn't get away from the office. We ate at this small tapas place called El Dorado near Vauxhall which I keep seeing from the 185 bus on Kennington Lane just before it turns towards the Oval. I think it might be South American. The food was really very good. We had Spanish sausage with fabadas (beans), grilled marinaded pork, some prawns in white wine and garlic, patatas bravas, beef with crispy fried green plantain, salad and rice. With drinks it all came to a modest £17.00 each including tip. I shall be trying to drum up some business for them in future as it was almost empty. Very strange, as the service was excellent and the food delicious. Perhaps, the restaurant lacked a little in ambience but it was perfectly pleasant in every way.
Labels: acting, food, restaurants, work
11 December 2006
Royal Mail has apparently given up trying to show any semblance of putting mail in the right mailboxes. Last week we received in one day, mail for next door, two doors down and about 100 houses down. At work, they have sworn blind that they delivered my new company credit card and it was signed for but mysteriously can't give us the name of who signed for it for 24 hours. Needless to say, no one in the company knows anything about it. And they wonder why people aren't posting things anymore.
Today, the Langham Hotel treated some of their London clients' PAs to a slap-up meal in the Memories Restaurant at the hotel. I was one of them. It was spectacular. Particularly because I wasn't paying.
We started with a complimentary Jerusalem artichoke cappucino. I had a mixed assiette of escargots with frogs legs fricassée to start. My main was a very beautiful monkfish with crayfish, pearl barley and a sheet of a ravioli type pasta. Dessert was a pineapple tarte with a coconut something or other and a lime sorbet. It was so pretty. I really wished I could have taken photographs but it would have been unseemly. The service was excellent if a tad leisurely. I don't get to eat like that often and I could definitely get used to it.
Today, the Langham Hotel treated some of their London clients' PAs to a slap-up meal in the Memories Restaurant at the hotel. I was one of them. It was spectacular. Particularly because I wasn't paying.
We started with a complimentary Jerusalem artichoke cappucino. I had a mixed assiette of escargots with frogs legs fricassée to start. My main was a very beautiful monkfish with crayfish, pearl barley and a sheet of a ravioli type pasta. Dessert was a pineapple tarte with a coconut something or other and a lime sorbet. It was so pretty. I really wished I could have taken photographs but it would have been unseemly. The service was excellent if a tad leisurely. I don't get to eat like that often and I could definitely get used to it.
Labels: food, restaurants
10 December 2006
Meat
Had a steak and chips from Black Cherry's newish menu yesterday. Medium, juicy and pink on the inside and slightly charred on the outside (the way I like it), perfectly seasoned. Came with a nicely dressed salad. Chips were okay. I've had better from them before. But on the whole, a pretty special steak, chips and salad.
If you are a bit of a greedy pig (as I am), probably better to go for the 'His' (10 oz) steak, rather than the 'Hers' (8 oz) steak.
It's been a good week for meat. I've found out that some enterprising person has started making Ngau Yoke Kon (or Chinese beef jerky) in the UK which can be purchased in select little packages from Chinatown. Pork is also available and they come in traditional 5-spice flavour or black pepper for that extra zing. I bought one of each - one for me and one for a friend. Ended up eating both packs. Whoops.
If you are a bit of a greedy pig (as I am), probably better to go for the 'His' (10 oz) steak, rather than the 'Hers' (8 oz) steak.
It's been a good week for meat. I've found out that some enterprising person has started making Ngau Yoke Kon (or Chinese beef jerky) in the UK which can be purchased in select little packages from Chinatown. Pork is also available and they come in traditional 5-spice flavour or black pepper for that extra zing. I bought one of each - one for me and one for a friend. Ended up eating both packs. Whoops.
Labels: east dulwich, food, restaurants
7 December 2006
My Mandarin teacher brought out a whole bag of those little pieces of dried beef wrapped in paper yesterday that we used to eat when we were little. Now, instead of being wrapped in little bits of pink and white waxproof paper, they come in gold and red foil. We scoffed the lot. That led into an indepth discussion into EU law and how importing meat (even in tins) into the EU was illegal. She didn't seem to bothered, which is a good thing, as it means more dried meat product for me!
Labels: food, politics, restaurants
2 December 2006
Jerk Rock on Lordship Lane doesn't really do itself justice. The cooking is excellent - there's no doubt about that. The only problem is when you go in, unless you look like you're from the West Indies, they look a bit incredulous that you should have deigned to enter. Then, they never have any of the things that make me drag myself out of the house or get off the bus early because I really want to eat it, despite it being on their menu.
I always go in hopefully longing to have either ackee saltfish or fried fish or escoveitch fish or even callaloo. But they never do. So I always slink off with mutton curry - which is excellent but it would be nice to have something I actually went there to have.
If you like any combination of jerk-based food or brown-stew based stuff they always seem to have that.
I always go in hopefully longing to have either ackee saltfish or fried fish or escoveitch fish or even callaloo. But they never do. So I always slink off with mutton curry - which is excellent but it would be nice to have something I actually went there to have.
If you like any combination of jerk-based food or brown-stew based stuff they always seem to have that.
Labels: east dulwich, food, restaurants
30 November 2006
Gourmet Burger Kitchen has set up in East Dulwich and opened to great hordes of buggie-wielding yummy mummies. We eagerly went along early one Saturday for BB to have a burger fix a couple of weeks ago and within 15 mins of sitting down were surrounded by small children of different shapes and sizes - but, interestingly, not colours.
The space is not very conducive to hanging around and enjoying your tasty burger. It's all hard surfaces and very echoey, which amplifies all the screaming and squawking from said children.
The burger choice is astounding, however. There are surely about 20 variations on the humble burger - beef, chicken, lamb and vegetarian options abound. We went for the classic burger. But there are still more options, do you want it with or without bun, what kind of sauce do you require, any extra toppings, what kind of fries, what colour do you want your plate (well, not really). TOO MUCH CHOOSING OF THINGS! Still, I guess people like variety.
Anyway - verdict is, burgers are very tasty but we both had gyppy stomachs afterwards and I felt a bit sick and was on the loo a lot. Probably best to ask for your burger to be well done as they were a bit pink when done medium, so the meat probably wasn't all that fresh.
The space is not very conducive to hanging around and enjoying your tasty burger. It's all hard surfaces and very echoey, which amplifies all the screaming and squawking from said children.
The burger choice is astounding, however. There are surely about 20 variations on the humble burger - beef, chicken, lamb and vegetarian options abound. We went for the classic burger. But there are still more options, do you want it with or without bun, what kind of sauce do you require, any extra toppings, what kind of fries, what colour do you want your plate (well, not really). TOO MUCH CHOOSING OF THINGS! Still, I guess people like variety.
Anyway - verdict is, burgers are very tasty but we both had gyppy stomachs afterwards and I felt a bit sick and was on the loo a lot. Probably best to ask for your burger to be well done as they were a bit pink when done medium, so the meat probably wasn't all that fresh.
Labels: east dulwich, food, restaurants
4 November 2006
Is it wrong to be suspicious of people just because they wear a lot of makeup? One of the women at work seems really nice and is incredibly efficient and does things when you ask and everything, but she wears so much eye makeup that it's distracting. Really heavy eyeliner and heaps of foundation. Even more than when I did when I was in Miss Saigon on a massive stage with billions of lights. Although, to be fair, I was always being told that I wasn't wearing enough makeup.
Anyway, she's moving into the same office as me soon and I'm worried the abundance of makeup might mask a myriad of emotional problems.
Call me shallow.
On the living in Dulwich note, East Dulwich will soon be the proud host of a shiny new Gourmet Burger Kitchen - yet another chain store to rile the natives and cause great controversy. BB is happy - he lurves burgers.
Anyway, she's moving into the same office as me soon and I'm worried the abundance of makeup might mask a myriad of emotional problems.
Call me shallow.
On the living in Dulwich note, East Dulwich will soon be the proud host of a shiny new Gourmet Burger Kitchen - yet another chain store to rile the natives and cause great controversy. BB is happy - he lurves burgers.
Labels: east dulwich, restaurants, work
28 August 2006
Tried out the much lauded Dragon Castle yesterday in celebration of our 3-year engagement day. It's in a most insalubrious blue building on the Walworth Road, but no matter, because once inside you can't see where you are. The decor is contemporary Chinese, without the Chineseness washed out of it, so still gold tablecloths and big Chinese good luck phrases everywhere coupled with shiny grey floors and lots of wood. Looks a bit like a set out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
We had dim sum. And it was good. All the bog standard stuff - siu mai, har gau etc plus tripe and sago/yam dessert for me and turnip cake for BB. They didn't laugh at my Chinese, the service was quick and efficient and it was pretty cheap. All very auspicious and we will, no doubt, be back for the hotpot dishes that have been written about by Giles Coren and Jay Rayner of the broadsheets. Unfortunately, there was definitely MSG in the tripe, so I felt a bit funny afterwards which is a shame as it was indeed mightily enhanced in the taste department.
We had dim sum. And it was good. All the bog standard stuff - siu mai, har gau etc plus tripe and sago/yam dessert for me and turnip cake for BB. They didn't laugh at my Chinese, the service was quick and efficient and it was pretty cheap. All very auspicious and we will, no doubt, be back for the hotpot dishes that have been written about by Giles Coren and Jay Rayner of the broadsheets. Unfortunately, there was definitely MSG in the tripe, so I felt a bit funny afterwards which is a shame as it was indeed mightily enhanced in the taste department.
Labels: food, restaurants
25 July 2006
It is inevitable. Everyday the other secretary at work does something which results in great panic, frantic ringing round of people to reschedule things and making us both feel stressed for several hours before it all gets sorted out again. It's like watching a car crash about to happen. Whilst we get on alright, the errors she keeps making are driving me bonkers.
Can't wait to go on hols. I'm re-reading the The Dark is Rising series of books. They are very good indeed. It's been so long since I read them that I can't remember what happens next which is also good.
BB's mum's birthday do was fun. We had a nice meal at the Café Kintore which was roast duck with a soy orange dressing, beef fillet with bearnaise, chips & green beans and a strawberry pavlova. Nearly missed the plane back because BB misread the arrival time as the departure time when he checked us in online and then only noticed the mistake an hour before the actual departure time. I was rudely awakened by my post-prandial nap with, "AAAhhhh! The plane leaves in an hour. The gates close in 50 mins!" We hadn't packed or anything. Luckily, BB's family live 15 mins from the airport. Phewww.
Can't wait to go on hols. I'm re-reading the The Dark is Rising series of books. They are very good indeed. It's been so long since I read them that I can't remember what happens next which is also good.
BB's mum's birthday do was fun. We had a nice meal at the Café Kintore which was roast duck with a soy orange dressing, beef fillet with bearnaise, chips & green beans and a strawberry pavlova. Nearly missed the plane back because BB misread the arrival time as the departure time when he checked us in online and then only noticed the mistake an hour before the actual departure time. I was rudely awakened by my post-prandial nap with, "AAAhhhh! The plane leaves in an hour. The gates close in 50 mins!" We hadn't packed or anything. Luckily, BB's family live 15 mins from the airport. Phewww.
Labels: books, food, restaurants, work
26 May 2006
Stormy Weather
We had a big storm last night. Heaps of forked lightning and protracted rain showers making all internet connection impossible. It was very impressive but not enough to distract me from the dull television viewing available.
The garden was fumigated for mosquitoes yesterday with some manure smelling stuff which meant we had to keep all the windows shut for a few hours. There were insects of all sorts beating themselves against the glass trying to get away from the fumes. In revenge, last night, the mosquitoes (who had apparently got away unscathed) descended en masse and attacked me mercilessly. So much for mosquito spraying then.
Dinner at Sam Yau was Fukien mien, Gong Fu chow mai fun, ham choi tau foo tong and sweet potato leaves. The cooking was not up to their usual standard. The soup was most odd - sour, but in the wrong way and the mai fun seemed to be mainly hor fun instead.
On the other hand, had an excellent curry mee for lunch at Sam Yau in its daytime incarnation. It had see ham, tau foo pok, squid, fish cake finely sliced and mint - all important in the quintessential curry mee. The curry stock was good too.
The garden was fumigated for mosquitoes yesterday with some manure smelling stuff which meant we had to keep all the windows shut for a few hours. There were insects of all sorts beating themselves against the glass trying to get away from the fumes. In revenge, last night, the mosquitoes (who had apparently got away unscathed) descended en masse and attacked me mercilessly. So much for mosquito spraying then.
Dinner at Sam Yau was Fukien mien, Gong Fu chow mai fun, ham choi tau foo tong and sweet potato leaves. The cooking was not up to their usual standard. The soup was most odd - sour, but in the wrong way and the mai fun seemed to be mainly hor fun instead.
On the other hand, had an excellent curry mee for lunch at Sam Yau in its daytime incarnation. It had see ham, tau foo pok, squid, fish cake finely sliced and mint - all important in the quintessential curry mee. The curry stock was good too.
Labels: food, restaurants, weather
16 May 2006
One Utama
I love shopping in Malaysia! We went to a shopping mall that I've never ever been to before. It's even bigger than the Megamall! There's a sort of rainforesty bit and apparently the biggest indoor rock climbing facility in Asia.
1 Utama is huge. We spent 3 hours there and still managed to miss a whole section. Bought 3 T-shirts for less than GBP12, two of them discounted by 50% and 30%. It's just great and if it wasn't for my bad ankle I'd have probably bought a whole heap more.
We ate at a place called Dragon-i that specialises in hand pulled noodles and other mainland Chinese staples (dumplings and the like). One of the chefs there holds the world record for the number of noodles he can pull in a minute. It's quite cool cos you can watch them pulling said noodles as you eat.
On to shopping malls new tomorrow.
Had a 10 course Chinese meal for Ma's birthday. We were struggling rather as there were only 5 of us and the meal was for 6 people. Started with 1/2 a suckling pig, went onto Shark's Fin soup (against our better judgement), abalone, Chinese mushrooms and siu pak choi, prawns cooked in two ways (chill and salt/sweet chilli), huge giant steamed garoupa, tasty curry leaf/oatmeal crabs, pineapple fried rice, boiled papaya & snow fungus sweet soup and Chinese pastries (char siu so & coconut/pandan jelly). We pretty much gave up when we got to the crab - there was a lot to put in a doggy bag. The good thing is that we won't have to eat out/cook for several days.
1 Utama is huge. We spent 3 hours there and still managed to miss a whole section. Bought 3 T-shirts for less than GBP12, two of them discounted by 50% and 30%. It's just great and if it wasn't for my bad ankle I'd have probably bought a whole heap more.
We ate at a place called Dragon-i that specialises in hand pulled noodles and other mainland Chinese staples (dumplings and the like). One of the chefs there holds the world record for the number of noodles he can pull in a minute. It's quite cool cos you can watch them pulling said noodles as you eat.
On to shopping malls new tomorrow.
Had a 10 course Chinese meal for Ma's birthday. We were struggling rather as there were only 5 of us and the meal was for 6 people. Started with 1/2 a suckling pig, went onto Shark's Fin soup (against our better judgement), abalone, Chinese mushrooms and siu pak choi, prawns cooked in two ways (chill and salt/sweet chilli), huge giant steamed garoupa, tasty curry leaf/oatmeal crabs, pineapple fried rice, boiled papaya & snow fungus sweet soup and Chinese pastries (char siu so & coconut/pandan jelly). We pretty much gave up when we got to the crab - there was a lot to put in a doggy bag. The good thing is that we won't have to eat out/cook for several days.
Labels: food, restaurants, shopping
2 May 2006
I don't know why I ever believe the weather report. Today the BBC said it would be 20 degrees. Perhaps they meant Fahrenheit, cos it sure wasn't Celsius. Foolishly, I came into work in a skirt and short sleeves and now am frozen into a sad and forlorn icicle. Ah well, just acclimatizing myself for later in the week in Helsinki.
Went to Buddha Jazz again at the weekend and had the frogs legs for starter. Fantastic! R, who came with me and is a semi-vegetarian and fussy about food, was almost tempted by them herself as they looked so good. They've started doing desserts also, but only of the sticky toffee banana, pineapple or apple variety. They also do glutinous rice balls with ginger sauce, but who can resist a good sticky toffee banana?
Went to Buddha Jazz again at the weekend and had the frogs legs for starter. Fantastic! R, who came with me and is a semi-vegetarian and fussy about food, was almost tempted by them herself as they looked so good. They've started doing desserts also, but only of the sticky toffee banana, pineapple or apple variety. They also do glutinous rice balls with ginger sauce, but who can resist a good sticky toffee banana?
Labels: food, restaurants, weather
23 April 2006
A grim Sunday for St George today. It's all grey and drizzly. I am, however, glad to see that Liverpool has beat Chelsea and is in the FINALS of the FA Cup. Hurray! Go the Reds! Or whatever their nickname is.
I am exceedingly fed up with the snooker. It is perpetually on and seems to have been that way since the beginning of time. As we don't have all the luxuries of digital or satellite that severely reduces our television viewing pleasure.
Tried out The Bishop pub for lunch today. It was heaving and tables were hard to come by. We have never been, as BB usually retreats due to the smoke whenever we've tried in the past. I braved the nicotine haze to try their Colchester rock oysters, followed by organic half-a-chicken roast with bread sauce. The oysters were good - not much can go wrong there as long as they come with all the required condiments (shallots in vinegar, tabasco sauce and lemon) - I'm not a purist.
The roast was mediocre. You do get half a chicken as advertised but it's kind of difficult to eat when everything only just fits on the plate. The meat was tasty but a bit dry. The bread sauce tasted alright but wasn't hot and a bit gloopy. The potatoes and Yorkshire pud tasted old. The carrots and green beans were nice - not overcooked.
The beer selection looked interesting but I'm not sure I'd go back for the food. Perhaps it would be better not to go for the set roasts and go a la carte instead.
Notice that our swanky deli, East Dulwich Deli, has opened an eaterie somewhere in the depths of the premises. I was tempted for about 5 seconds to try it out until I saw the prices. Ch-ching! £6.95 for soup of the day with their own bread. I don't care if everything is organically grown using ancient, time consuming methods, sourced from a tiny village in the Outer Hebrides and made of gold. Sheesh! Sandwiches were £12.95 - at least. Ouch...! I'm all for supporting local businesses but until I get a better paid job or finally win the lottery, they'll have to depend on the wealthier inhabitants of Dulwich for their livelihood.
I am exceedingly fed up with the snooker. It is perpetually on and seems to have been that way since the beginning of time. As we don't have all the luxuries of digital or satellite that severely reduces our television viewing pleasure.
Tried out The Bishop pub for lunch today. It was heaving and tables were hard to come by. We have never been, as BB usually retreats due to the smoke whenever we've tried in the past. I braved the nicotine haze to try their Colchester rock oysters, followed by organic half-a-chicken roast with bread sauce. The oysters were good - not much can go wrong there as long as they come with all the required condiments (shallots in vinegar, tabasco sauce and lemon) - I'm not a purist.
The roast was mediocre. You do get half a chicken as advertised but it's kind of difficult to eat when everything only just fits on the plate. The meat was tasty but a bit dry. The bread sauce tasted alright but wasn't hot and a bit gloopy. The potatoes and Yorkshire pud tasted old. The carrots and green beans were nice - not overcooked.
The beer selection looked interesting but I'm not sure I'd go back for the food. Perhaps it would be better not to go for the set roasts and go a la carte instead.
Notice that our swanky deli, East Dulwich Deli, has opened an eaterie somewhere in the depths of the premises. I was tempted for about 5 seconds to try it out until I saw the prices. Ch-ching! £6.95 for soup of the day with their own bread. I don't care if everything is organically grown using ancient, time consuming methods, sourced from a tiny village in the Outer Hebrides and made of gold. Sheesh! Sandwiches were £12.95 - at least. Ouch...! I'm all for supporting local businesses but until I get a better paid job or finally win the lottery, they'll have to depend on the wealthier inhabitants of Dulwich for their livelihood.
Labels: east dulwich, festivals, food, restaurants, sport
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
12 April 2006
Still no one at work but me. Ran around trying to borrow a coat from this season's collection for a prospective consultant to use in a presentation. When they came to get it, they said, "Oh, could we have the one on display on the dummy." I think the answer is, 'No, you get what you're given dearie". Sheesh.
Am gratified to find that the wanton noodle soup from Miso is a) quite palatable and b) available as a handy takeaway option. My boss said they looked so good that when I stepped away from my desk for a second he nearly filched them. I can see I'm going to have to keep an eye on this one. He is in the habit of pilfering sweets and biscuits from my supplies.
Spent most of the afternoon trying to figure out how to transfer all the records from his old phone to his new phone which is on a different network and therefore unable to read his old sim card. It was very convoluted and involved four handsets and running down most of the battery in my phone but it all came good in the end. Needless to say, neither the Bluetooth or the infrared options came good and ended up tracking down a SIM card reader. What a wonderful invention.
Am gratified to find that the wanton noodle soup from Miso is a) quite palatable and b) available as a handy takeaway option. My boss said they looked so good that when I stepped away from my desk for a second he nearly filched them. I can see I'm going to have to keep an eye on this one. He is in the habit of pilfering sweets and biscuits from my supplies.
Spent most of the afternoon trying to figure out how to transfer all the records from his old phone to his new phone which is on a different network and therefore unable to read his old sim card. It was very convoluted and involved four handsets and running down most of the battery in my phone but it all came good in the end. Needless to say, neither the Bluetooth or the infrared options came good and ended up tracking down a SIM card reader. What a wonderful invention.
Labels: food, restaurants, work
27 March 2006
I have just been given a series of books as a belated Christmas pressie from my friend A. They are set in a Japanesque alternative world and they are called Stories of the Otori by Lian Hearn. Quite enjoying them - I'm on to the 2nd book - but not sure if they're for children or adults. Perhaps young adults.
Went to Ganapati, a South Indian restaurant, in Peckham last night for dinner. They do thosai! And paratha, which is almost like roti canai! We enjoyed it very much. We started with poppadums and various chutneys/dips and street snacks (some kind of corn fritter and a potato dumpling thing) with more dips (including coconut chutney).
Main courses were Meen Moollee (a mild Keralan seabream curry), Kerala Kozhi (chicken cooked with roasted coconut and coriander masala) and Erissery (green bananas cooked in peppercorn, cumin and coconut masala. It was very good and I've just discovered they do a cheaper weekday, lunchtime menu too. I suspect I shall be going back fairly frequently.
Just got back from Tango class at the White Hart on Kennington Lane. My tango teacher has started a new class there on Monday evenings, followed by a milonga. It was great fun and I hope lots of people turn up - it was a bit quiet tonight.
Went to Ganapati, a South Indian restaurant, in Peckham last night for dinner. They do thosai! And paratha, which is almost like roti canai! We enjoyed it very much. We started with poppadums and various chutneys/dips and street snacks (some kind of corn fritter and a potato dumpling thing) with more dips (including coconut chutney).
Main courses were Meen Moollee (a mild Keralan seabream curry), Kerala Kozhi (chicken cooked with roasted coconut and coriander masala) and Erissery (green bananas cooked in peppercorn, cumin and coconut masala. It was very good and I've just discovered they do a cheaper weekday, lunchtime menu too. I suspect I shall be going back fairly frequently.
Just got back from Tango class at the White Hart on Kennington Lane. My tango teacher has started a new class there on Monday evenings, followed by a milonga. It was great fun and I hope lots of people turn up - it was a bit quiet tonight.
Labels: books, dance, food, restaurants
26 March 2006
There was a dog on the bus yesterday wearing a bowler hat. It was on at a jaunty angle, to one side, with no visible means of support. He looked very comfy, although a little perplexed. Everyone on the bus was looking at him, though trying not to look like they were. He was with a rasta toting a very small trumpet in a case who spoke like Benjamin Zephaniah.
The new children's bookshop, The Neverending Story, has opened in East Dulwich. They're going to have story telling sessions starting in April and piano lessons in the back room. It is quite small and has mainly picture books. The only older children books are the bog standard Harry Potters, Roald Dahls, Jacqueline Wilsons etc. I put in a bid for some books of the old Puffin list ilk in their comments book. Still, it's a nice addition to the neighbourhood.
I note Caffé Nero was heaving with a long queue at the till at about 16:00 yesterday. So much for no one wanting a chain coffee shop in East Dulwich. I think the citizens of East Dulwich are voting with their hard cash. Or all the other coffee shops were full and Caffé Nero had the overspill. And let's face it - they do have soya milk as a substitute for dairy.
The new children's bookshop, The Neverending Story, has opened in East Dulwich. They're going to have story telling sessions starting in April and piano lessons in the back room. It is quite small and has mainly picture books. The only older children books are the bog standard Harry Potters, Roald Dahls, Jacqueline Wilsons etc. I put in a bid for some books of the old Puffin list ilk in their comments book. Still, it's a nice addition to the neighbourhood.
I note Caffé Nero was heaving with a long queue at the till at about 16:00 yesterday. So much for no one wanting a chain coffee shop in East Dulwich. I think the citizens of East Dulwich are voting with their hard cash. Or all the other coffee shops were full and Caffé Nero had the overspill. And let's face it - they do have soya milk as a substitute for dairy.
Labels: east dulwich, London, restaurants
25 March 2006
Hurray! I'm going to Helsinki! And Singapore and New York! I'm so excited. The audition was a four hour workshop in which we had to introduce ourselves (not necessarily by talking), start improvising with people while they were introducing themselves, dance, choreograph, improvise other things, sing, examine tension, spatial dynamic, blah, blah, blah... The director was very intelligent, coherent, funny and we had fun.
And then I got the job!
Then my muscles ached for the rest of the day. This whole jumping around for 4 hours is more tiring than I remember it.
Afterwards I walked to BB's office and had mixed meze at a Turkish restaurant with BB and colleagues. Then work. Then gym. Then dinner with friends at a pan-Asian restaurant called Katana - some dishes good, some hit and miss. Lychee creme brulée deserves a mention though.
Anyway, now I'm pooped. Busy weekend ahead also, what with meeting with A for lunch (who is going through some mental psychosis) and then BB's friend, M, is coming to stay for a week (so have to tidy up to an acceptable level of order).
And then I got the job!
Then my muscles ached for the rest of the day. This whole jumping around for 4 hours is more tiring than I remember it.
Afterwards I walked to BB's office and had mixed meze at a Turkish restaurant with BB and colleagues. Then work. Then gym. Then dinner with friends at a pan-Asian restaurant called Katana - some dishes good, some hit and miss. Lychee creme brulée deserves a mention though.
Anyway, now I'm pooped. Busy weekend ahead also, what with meeting with A for lunch (who is going through some mental psychosis) and then BB's friend, M, is coming to stay for a week (so have to tidy up to an acceptable level of order).
Labels: acting, restaurants
18 March 2006
Am developing some kind of a dry cough so didn't go to the gym. Instead, went for pre-dinner drinks with M-A and P from work. I had an Irish coffee in celebration of St Patrick's Day and for my throat. (I also fashioned a shamrock out of a green Post-It at work to stick on my computer for St Patrick's Day but that was the extent of the celebrations at work)
After drinks we went to the Gaucho Grill for Argentinean food - recommendation of P who is a New Yorker, loves food and has been looking for a good Argentinean restaurant since arriving in London. I had no idea Argentinean food was so varied.
It was VERY good. The restaurant is a tad claustrophobic as it's in the cellar of a building nr Piccadilly - all arches and low ceilings. The lighting and layout at the entrance was a bit disorientating and I kept thinking I was going to trip or something. That's the mildly bad stuff out of the way.
The food and service was just great. Our waitress and the manager, who both served our table, were very friendly, helpful and efficient. When the waitress spilt some food on the jacket of someone on the next table by accident, the restaurant offered to pick the jacket up from the man's place of work the next day (because he wanted to wear it home), get it laundered and sent back to him free of charge.
Now the food. M-A & I had churrascos - described as fork tender, marinated spiral cut beef fillet. It was so tender, just perfectly cooked piece of meat. J & P had the mixed grill with lamb chops, rump steak, chicken, sweetmeats (brain I think), chorizo and morcilla (both types of sausage). All tasty. All the meat is flash-grilled in an Argentinean sauce called chimmichurri which consists of oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, chillies and possibly parsley. There was a dish of chimmichurri on the table to put on anything you fancy and it went very well with the bread also.
The side dishes were fantastic. There were heaps of things I hadn't tried or heard of. Yuca chips were made of some kind of root vegetable - the texture of really good crispy on the outside chips with really creamy, slightly sweet/sour flavour on the inside. Then there was chorizo fried rice, corn romero (sweetcorn with peppers), humitas (creamed corn steamed inside little packets made of corn husks - apparently similar to Mexican tamales), fantastic spinach (not squeaky on the teeth or gritty or overcooked and very flavoursome) and roasted mushrooms.
Dessert involved quite a lot of dulce de leche (condensed milk, but better as it's been caramelized). P declared he could just eat a bowl of that without all the other stuff like pancakes, icecream etc. It was really good.
Definitely one of the best restaurant experiences I've ever had in London. There are several branches in London, so maybe next time I'll check out one that isn't in a cellar.
Poor BB had to work late, so missed the whole thing. I shall have to take him some other time.
After drinks we went to the Gaucho Grill for Argentinean food - recommendation of P who is a New Yorker, loves food and has been looking for a good Argentinean restaurant since arriving in London. I had no idea Argentinean food was so varied.
It was VERY good. The restaurant is a tad claustrophobic as it's in the cellar of a building nr Piccadilly - all arches and low ceilings. The lighting and layout at the entrance was a bit disorientating and I kept thinking I was going to trip or something. That's the mildly bad stuff out of the way.
The food and service was just great. Our waitress and the manager, who both served our table, were very friendly, helpful and efficient. When the waitress spilt some food on the jacket of someone on the next table by accident, the restaurant offered to pick the jacket up from the man's place of work the next day (because he wanted to wear it home), get it laundered and sent back to him free of charge.
Now the food. M-A & I had churrascos - described as fork tender, marinated spiral cut beef fillet. It was so tender, just perfectly cooked piece of meat. J & P had the mixed grill with lamb chops, rump steak, chicken, sweetmeats (brain I think), chorizo and morcilla (both types of sausage). All tasty. All the meat is flash-grilled in an Argentinean sauce called chimmichurri which consists of oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, chillies and possibly parsley. There was a dish of chimmichurri on the table to put on anything you fancy and it went very well with the bread also.
The side dishes were fantastic. There were heaps of things I hadn't tried or heard of. Yuca chips were made of some kind of root vegetable - the texture of really good crispy on the outside chips with really creamy, slightly sweet/sour flavour on the inside. Then there was chorizo fried rice, corn romero (sweetcorn with peppers), humitas (creamed corn steamed inside little packets made of corn husks - apparently similar to Mexican tamales), fantastic spinach (not squeaky on the teeth or gritty or overcooked and very flavoursome) and roasted mushrooms.
Dessert involved quite a lot of dulce de leche (condensed milk, but better as it's been caramelized). P declared he could just eat a bowl of that without all the other stuff like pancakes, icecream etc. It was really good.
Definitely one of the best restaurant experiences I've ever had in London. There are several branches in London, so maybe next time I'll check out one that isn't in a cellar.
Poor BB had to work late, so missed the whole thing. I shall have to take him some other time.
Labels: festivals, food, restaurants
12 March 2006
Tried out the new-ish coffee place on Northcross Road yesterday for brunch. I was enticed by the blueberry pancakes with bacon and maple syrup on the menu. The coffee was good but the pancakes were all wrong. They were very thick and stodgy and you could see the knife marks when you cut into them - like in butter or lard. Not a good start. They were not very hot and probably make of pancake mix. The bacon looked like it had been microwaved - lank and distinctly non-crispy. The coffee was good though and I suspect the pastries, which look like they've been bought in, are very tasty. Just steer away from any food that looks like it's been prepared on the premises.
We went to Putney today to pick up E's small TV that she was getting rid off. It's perfectly formed for the bedroom and we can hook it up to Homechoice, so we'll have more choice of channels on which there's nothing to watch.
After picking up the telly we went to the King's Road to the Big Easy for brunch. Altogether a much more satisfactory affair. I had their crabshack combo with Alaskan crab legs, jumbo shrimp, mussels, corn on the cob and fries - all downed with a strawberry shake. BB had their burger with coleslaw and fries, coffee and coke. It went down a treat and BB made friends with the small child on the table next to us.
We started wandering down the road to look at the shops but the icy North wind made us retreat to the car and come home. Slept all afternoon to recover from all the food and the cold.
There's a cute old bear in the window of one of the antiques shops down the road. We keep looking in the window at it and have named him Grandpa Bear.
We went to Putney today to pick up E's small TV that she was getting rid off. It's perfectly formed for the bedroom and we can hook it up to Homechoice, so we'll have more choice of channels on which there's nothing to watch.
After picking up the telly we went to the King's Road to the Big Easy for brunch. Altogether a much more satisfactory affair. I had their crabshack combo with Alaskan crab legs, jumbo shrimp, mussels, corn on the cob and fries - all downed with a strawberry shake. BB had their burger with coleslaw and fries, coffee and coke. It went down a treat and BB made friends with the small child on the table next to us.
We started wandering down the road to look at the shops but the icy North wind made us retreat to the car and come home. Slept all afternoon to recover from all the food and the cold.
There's a cute old bear in the window of one of the antiques shops down the road. We keep looking in the window at it and have named him Grandpa Bear.
Labels: east dulwich, restaurants
