Sunday 24 June 2012

Yalla yalla - Lebanese & Middle Eastern cuisine (street food style)


After 5 + City Pig’s Summary

Snapshot

Cuisine:
Lebanese and Middle Eastern
Price:
£18 per person
Healthy:
Yes. Small dishes to share and if you stick to the grilled dishes.
Tasty:
3/5
Address:       
WINSLEY STREET BRANCH
12 Winsley Street
London W1W 8HQ
T: 020 7637 4748
E: winsley@yalla-yalla.co.uk
Opening times

MONDAY TO FRIDAY 10am – 11.30pm
SATURDAY 11am – 11pm

Eat in/Takeaway:
Eat-in
Recommended dishes & drinks
Lahem Shawarma; Apple mint & ginger lemonade
Vegetarian dishes
Yes
Loyalty card
 No
Website




After 5 + City Pig’s analysis
Yalla Yalla is a contemporary quick eat style restaurant. Here you will find small plates and mains of Lebanese food to choose from. A friend and I were here on a weekday after work and this place was already busy at 6pm. Since it is located at the back of Oxford circus , it attracts the usual social types/ media workers nearby. Immediately, as you walk in, you already sense that Yalla Yalla has a vibrant buzz with after workers tucking into small plates and sipping wine.

We ordered the hommos, tabboule salad, lamb Shawarma wrap and chicken wings. For drinks we opted for apple, mint and ginger lemonade and elderflower and fresh orange lemonade to wash it all down. I was impressed with the drink as it was refreshing and tasty and really complemented the meal. The hommos was disappointing as it was really runny and did not have much chickpea taste. I found that the bread served with it to be an extremely small portion and it was cold and hard. Most places now serve warm bread and for a Lebanese/ Middle Eastern restaurant the bread is usually soft and delicious not hard. As the portion of free complimentary bread was so small, most diners are expected to re-order another portion which will be charged.







Moving on to the lamb Shawarma, this was much tastier than the hommos and the lamb as this was crispy but not too dry. The taste was delicate but aromatic at the same time. The portion for this was relatively large. The chicken wings were also marinated well in chilli sauce that was fairly mild and with pomegranate pieces to give it a juicy sweet taste. The tabboule was average and it appeared to me the meat dishes were the main highlight for me.


This is definitely a refreshing and hip place to meet friends for a light bite. Recently there have been a lot of interest and noise on restaurants serving small plates whatever the style of cuisine. Certainly it may make diners feel good that they appear to be eating less but they are being smarter in that they get to try more variety in this style of eating. They must call this the new balanced diet. Just remember those small plates add up.


Summary of Citypig’s meal with pal:

o    Elderflower & fresh orange lemonade £2.50
o    Apple mint & ginger lemonade £2.50
o    Hommos £4.00
o    Jawaneh Meshoue (chicken wings) £4.25
o    Fatayer Spinach £4.50
o    Lahem Shawarma £11.50

Yalla Yalla is certainly very affordable. The above cost per person is £18 approximately including service.




Sunday 17 June 2012

Kimchee - Korean cuisine

After 5 + City pig Summary

Snapshot

Cuisine:
 Korean
Price:
£20 per person; Mains start from: £6.90
Healthy:
Yes. Portion size is large and dishes are not oily.
Tasty:
3/5
Address:       
71 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6EA
Opening times
Mon-Fri: Lunch 12pm-3pm; 5:30pm-10:30pm;
Sat: 12pm-10:30pm; Sun: 12pm-10pm
Eat in/Takeaway:
Eat-in
Recommended dishes & drinks
Jap Chae, Bulgogi, and Soju cocktails.
Vegetarian dishes
Yes
Loyalty card
 No
Website



Lunch Analysis
I have been to Kimchee 3 times now and have enjoyed it every occasion. It is a place where you can have a quick casual meal with friends after work.
Main courses start from about £6.90 but if you want to eat the oriental way then you can try a lot of dishes by sharing.
Kimchee is a contemporary Korean restaurant and is well suited for newbies to Korean food. However, it is also suitable for fellow Korean lovers as the food is cooked really well. Although, it appears modern looking, with the large black interior and sophisticated designs its food brings the Korean traditional dishes and some modern influences.
We tried some of the Korean Barbecue meat dishes such as Bulgogi (marinated beef) which was not cooked  in front of us as you would expect in traditional Korean restaurants but already prepared for us. The beef is flavoured well and not too sweet.
The Jap Chae was delicious and generous in portion despite it only being a side dish. Although not traditionally Korean, the seafood udon was cooked really well with the wok taste still left in your mouth. I also liked the fact food was served piping hot! A must for oriental style food.
A more traditional dish is the hot pot bulgogi which is a beef stew with thin glass noodles and cooked with large red dried dates. This is an important ingredient to give the beef a delicious sweet taste.
One should also try the soju cocktail (Citrus Kiss) as this is like a Korean version of vodka in cocktails which makes the meal very complete. However, the taste is lighter and smoother than vodka.
                                                                Hot pot Bulgogi


                                                                  Bulgogi
                                                                 Jap Chae

                                                                Namul

Pa Jeon


                                                         Seafood Udon

                                                                  Tea

                                                  Citrus Kiss soju cocktail

Conclusions
o    Contemporary and stylish looking restaurant
o    Great Korean style cocktails and drinks
o    Delicious variety of Korean dishes
o    Many choices even for fussy eaters
o    Value for money (Approximately £20 per person with drinks.)


                                                                        

Sunday 3 June 2012

The Telegraph - British pub food

Summary

Snapshot

Cuisine:
British pub food
Price:
£16 per person including service and soft drinks.
Healthy:
Portion size is large and generally most food dishes are high in calories but there are healthier options like the grilled fish dishes.
Tasty:
3/5
Address:       
11 Telegraph Street,
City,
London,
EC2R 7LL
Opening times
Mon - Tues 12pm – 9pm; Wed – Thur 12pm – 10pm; Fri 12pm-9:30pm
Eat in/Takeaway:
Eat-in
Recommended dishes
Fish and chips
Vegetarian dishes
Yes
Loyalty card
 No
Website



Lunch Analysis
The Telegraph pub is located on a side street in Moorgate area. I was excited about having a pub lunch for once as I haven't had one in a while. It is a large sized pub with good lighting and oak furniture. I remember it gets busy here very quickly and so arrived at 12pm for lunch on a Friday.
Going with typical tradition I opted for fish and chips while my colleague opted for the healthier option of grilled salmon and sea bass. What makes this place so great, is the ample space that makes it have a laid back feeling.
It is already packed by 12:30pm on a Friday with City boys and girls drinking at the bar or already tucking into their Friday lunch. I think like them, it is not so easy to find a pub in the city that is spacious, clean and serving hearty British food.
The menu has a wide selection of traditional British pub food and some healthier options. The prices for lunch appeared a little steep as I recall my fish and chips were £13.50. I think the average price in the City of London is about £9-10. However, what seems pricey is made up for in the portion size and the quality of the dish.

My fish was cooked really well. Crispy beer batter but lightly coated and plenty of fish. Chips were chunky and rustic looking paired with smooth mushy peas. Even I struggled to finish the dish as it was a very generous portion. Similarly, the sea bass and salmon was well cooked - not over or under cooked. We left the pub with satisfied faces as service was good and efficient.
                                                  Beer battered fish and chips £13.50


                                         Grilled Salmon and sea bass with bubble and squeak £13.50