Jp J.

Review of Il Bordello

23 Jul 07, 12:55

Large portions of hearty dishes

Having stumbled across this restaurant whilst walking down the Thames Path, its one of those welcome suprises you love getting. I've only been here 3 times, but its a firm favourite as far as Italian restaurants go.

The restaurant is always buzzing with customers, and once you've tasted the food its no wonder why.

There are always plenty of staff on hand to ensure you get the attention you require; however, they all have the Italian accent, but as with all Italian restaurants these days, you can never be sure as to their country of origin.

My lasting recollection from this restaurant is the Lamb Shanks. £15 gets you two monster pieces of shank served on a bed of mash and smothered in gravy - and its absolutely delicious, even if it does take you that little bit longer to get through it all. If you're having this - I recommend skipping the starters.

The only downside is that the tables are packed in a little bit too close, so you end up dining with the strangers to the left and right of you.

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Review of Superstar ExCeL Chinese Restaurant

22 Jul 07, 10:49

Gerrard street comes to the east end?

We tried this as an alternative to Yi Ban, which is half a mile down the road. On a Wednesday night, the place had around 20 guests, half of which were Chinese (you know what they say about a restaurant being occupied by cusine natives...)

Its hidden away in one of units of the old tabacco warehouse buildings alongside The ExCeL centre. Aesthetics-wise, it wouldn't be out of place on Gerrard Street in Chinatown. Its a two floor restaurant - with the main dining area on the ground floor, and VIP areas downstairs - the VIP areas come complete with karaoke offerings, though we declined to check it out.

Service was friendly, and dishes were brought promptly.

Food was average, as was the price, but as a plus point they made up some dishes for us which were not on the menu. The Sizzling Lamb with Ginger & Spring Onion was on par with most other places we've tried it at, but nothing stood out about it; the Kung Po chicken was crunchy and flavoursome.

The bathroom was better than your average chinese restaurant bathroom, but had some signs of wear and tear - only after a year.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Ping Pong Dim Sum

01 Jul 07, 21:26

Great place for lunch

This particular branch was the first restaurant, testing the concept as such, and the group has now rolled out half a dozen or so branches, with the latest situated on the South Bank. On an evening this branch is very popular - with queues often seen on the street.

Decorwise - The walls are adourned with prints of steam, the tables made of solid wood with matching wooden stools or benches. The restaurant is split onto two floors, with seating around one of the steam-cooking areas (which looks good but teaches you little about how the food is made)

Ping Pong has had mixed reviews from day 1. Personally, I have never had a bad meal here - the food is reasonably priced and of good quality, and there's plenty of choice, be you fish lover, meat lover, or pure veggie. The jasmine flower tea always goes down a treat, and there's a great selection of cocktails to sample.

When it first opened, they had a noodle counter in the lower floor, offering freshly rolled noodles and soup, but sadly they discontinued this due to lack of demand. A loss!!

Their service staff keeps rotating - different faces every month - but generally the level of service is high, and they are attentive.

If you've not been yet,

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