Joelle M.

Review of Rasa Travancore

10 Dec 07, 14:43

Delicious Keralan food - not your bog standard English curry

The first thing I love about this restaurant is the bright pink paint on the frontage of the eight Rasa restaurants in London. But the main thing is the food, which is wodely agreed to be heavenly.

I'm a fan of curries, but I get rather bored of 'English' standards like bland chicken korma and oily saag aloo. Rasa's fare is worlds apart - interesting and varied flavours from Kerala in southern India. On my last visit I had fish in a delicately cardomom spiced sauce which was delicious and the freshly made pickles and chutneys are excellent. You really get the impression that thought and pride go into the selection and preparation of the food here. Prices are reasonable too - less than £20 each for a very satisfying meal. The service was efficient and the atmosphere was pleasant with lots of 'mmmms' and 'yums' issuing from the people on the other tables.

Opposite is the first of the Rasa chain, which is an award winning vegetarian restaurant. Rosa Travancore serves meat and seafood, and just a few vegetarian options.

To discover a different side of Indian food from the usual curry house fare, you can't go wrong here.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Review of North Bar

07 Dec 07, 11:21

Actually my all time favourite bar, anywhere, ever

North Bar, North Bar, how do I count the reasons why I love you?

1. It's the place that educated me, and much of Leeds, to learn about the world beyond bland lager. They stock all sorts of interesting beers sourced from small breweries in Belgium, Germany, the US and elsewhere and are always able to recommend things.

2. On one of my last visits, a Morris dance troupe came in for a drink, each with their own special tankard that they had filled up with ale. Truly a mixed crowd in here from young arty types to hearty ale drinkers.

3. It's one of the few bars as opposed to pubs that wins CAMRA awards, with regularly changing and well kept guest ales from independent breweries always available.

4. The staff are dead friendly.

5. The annual joy of the Christmas beer Gluhkriek - spiced cherry beer served warm!

6. Non-beer drinkers will also find that the bar knows its spirits too - all the booze is well chosen.

7. Meat, bread and cheese on the side, like in Holland.

8. It deservedly won the Observer Food Monthly annual award for best place to drink in the whole country last year.

9. Charming paraphernalia is dotted around the bar, especially if you like Belgian cycling souvenirs and hit and miss art exhibitions.

10. It's relaxed, unpretentious, cosy and cool. Are rare combination.

Really, aside from seeing my parents, this is the main attraction for me in heading back to my home county of Yorkshire, and it makes me feel homesick. It's frequently the first place my husband and I head to as soon as we're off the train. I heartily recommend it to anyone who prefers their boozers not to be bland or pretentious.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Shanghai

18 Nov 07, 02:45

Surprising spot

I'd never have found this place if not for a friend's recommendation, but I'm glad I did.

For great dim sum, excellent value, and a wonderful art nouveau tiled interior from a former life as a pie and eel shop, this place has no equal. We couldn't choose so had them bring us a selection of dishes they'd recommend and all were really nice. There's a more restauranty feel to the room at the back, and apparently some private kareoke rooms, but I preferred the booths in the front.

The Kills were in there having dinner when I last went so you can take their recommendation too.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Huong Viet

18 Nov 07, 02:30

Authentic

I second everything Sorrel M said above.

Very tasty authentic food. Busy little place with waiting staff often rushed or confused. Rather off the beaten track, and the place to take your foodie friend to impress them with your ability to find this little gem. Not a place to go for a romantic date or if you are in a hurry but if you want quality Vietnamese food for not much money you won't be disappointed.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Two Wheels Good

18 Nov 07, 02:02

Non intimidating local bike shop

To start with, please understand I am a very keen cyclist, but I do not own a single item of lycra, nor do I know my derailleur from my elbow. My bike is a beautiful old dame of a thing, very slow and cranky, with a wonky basket and lots of personality. My style is pootling along humming, not speeding along, not weaving through traffic, not bunny hopping up the kerb.

Why do I tell you all this? Because most bike shops seem to cater for bicycle geeks, speed demons and fanatics who think nothing of spending £££. And frankly I always find them unfriendly and intimidating.

Two Wheels Good on the other hand realise that there are people whose bikes are basically transport rather than a hobby. They welcomed my bike in for a service without chastising me for not oiling it religiously enough, they fixed up my broken mudguard for £2 rather than insisting I buy an expensive replacement, and were just generally nice and approachable about the whole thing.

To my mind they seemed very knowledgeable and the small shop was well stocked with plenty of fancy gear, but if you are the bike nut breed (and I don't have anything against them, I'm just not one) you might not find me the best judge of that.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Itto

23 Oct 07, 17:58

Great neighbourhood oriental restaurant

I was really hoping this little restaurant, just round the corner from my house, would be the type of place I imagine is scattered all over New York. You know, the cheap little neighbourhood Japanese restaurants where locals go for quick bowls of steaming noodles when they can't be bothered to cook anything.

It certainly looks the part, a homely purple painted place with wooden tables and stools, and the menu in the window displaying Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese dishes with little costing over £5. Worried my high hopes were unrealistic, I had to try this place out.

And guess what? I've found exactly the place I was after.

My benchmark testing phad thai was yummy, if a little sweet, with good thick noodles and fresh ingredients. My husband's wonton soup had loads of nice soft dumplings and great flavour. The menu says they'll fix up what you want if it's not on the menu. Service was quick and friendly and the atmosphere is chilled. They also do take out and free home delivery for orders over £10. I just know I'll be coming here often.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Review of Mangal Turkish Pizza

15 Oct 07, 13:08

Best fast food in London

Proximity to this place is one of my favourite things about living where I do.

If you've never tried lamachun, you must, and this is the absolute best place to do it, because they have the proper stone oven to make it in. Lamachun is a kind of Turkish pizza: flat bread spread with minced lamb, tomato and herbs, cooked and served with crunchy salad and a chunk of lemon. You can either have it rolled up with the salad wrapped inside, or served alongside to pile on yourself. It is wonderful and marvellously cheap, around £1.50 for a roll.

There's quite a lot of good Turkish food on the menu. I've tried the pide in here which are good too - a thicker pizza base shaped around a wider choice of fillings - but I have to say it's the lamachun that brings me back time after time. You'd think by now they might recognise me and be a bit friendlier but nevermind. The customers are often friendlier. One evening my husband and I came in and there was a big local Turkish family in there having a birthday celebration for their daughter, and who insisted we share their chocolate cake!

There's a real mix of people in the know about this place - Turkish locals, students, foodies hunting a bargain. I'd recommend you join them.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Review of The Spence Cafe

15 Oct 07, 12:40

Yummmmmmmmmmm

I always thought how cosy and inviting this little cafe looks, and figured it would have some pretty tasty fare since it's linked to the excellent Spence bakery opposite. And I was right. It's also dead friendly, and miles cheaper than I'd imagine such a nice place to be. In an ideal world all cafes would charge just £2 for a pot of Earl Grey and a heavenly homemade date scone. Even my somewhat hard to please mother in law was well impressed. It's just really really nice.

Now I just have to figure out how to become one of those lucky people I see sitting having a leisurely breakfast in there each weekday morning. Don't they have jobs to go to?

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.

Review of Askew Eyewear

15 Oct 07, 12:30

Friendly service and very nice specs

I hate looking for glasses. It's hard buying things to put on your face. I always end up trailing round so many places and trying so many pairs and get all flummoxed and overwhelmed.

Anyhow, this time Askew took a lot of the pain out of the process. It's only small, but their stock is so well chosen that I quickly found several pairs I liked more than any in my trawls round 2 massive high street opticians. I got very helpful advice and good service. It's just so much more pleasant a place than most opticians. Stylish without being stuffy.

1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.