Miko's reviews
Review of The Gallery
15 Jan 08, 18:37
Chicken lovers of the world unite and take over 
Nestled between a funeral home and dodgy looking minicab joint on the scruffier end of Brixton Hill is this Portuguese nugget of pure culinary gold. It's an unpolished nugget, but gold nonetheless.
The Gallery specialises in take-away piri piri chicken, and puts folks like Nando's to shame. You'll be sucking the bones on these tasty birds, no doubt, and the spiced rice on the side makes for a yummier and much healthier option than the dozens of fried chicken chains that line Brixton Hill. In addition to their legendary chicken - and it really IS legendary in these parts - they also serve up lamb cutlets and steak sandwiches in their bustling takeaway area.
Tucked behind this humble facade is a full Portuguese restaurant, which only opens on weekends to serve up traditional dishes such as bacalao to Brixton's hungry masses. One taste and you'll be hooked on this quirky little family-run place.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Pizza Man
15 Jan 08, 18:28
Nothing fancy, but tasty 
Pizza Man is our favourite local cheap & cheerful pizza place, for those times when hunger strikes, the cupboards are bare, you've only a fiver and you simply gotta eat within 25 minutes. Their delivery service is incredibly quick (mind you, we are pretty near), and their pizzas are good if not exceptional.
When we want to splash out, we go for Firezza or Basilico or some other stone-baked pizza with posh-sounding names, but Pizza Man will be with you in half the time, at half the price, and service with a smile.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Amano
15 Jan 08, 18:22
A flavoursome gem, tucked away
I first learned of Amano because they delivered incredible sandwich and wrap trays for business lunches at my former workplace. If there were any leftovers, people in the office kitchen scrambled for their favourite (I've seen a 'Smokey Chick' almost cause fistfights!).
The cafe/restaurant is dominated by a lovely stone oven, where the flatbreads and pizzas are baked on-site. The sandwich & wrap menu is full of interesting combinations and atypical ingredients like scamorza cheese and sun-blush tomatoes, alongside old favourites.
If Borough Market's too busy or you're looking for a nice place to meet work colleagues for a glass of wine without having to shout across a noisy pub, give Amano a try. It's tucked away so you can usually get a seat on one of the leather sofas or tables - and make sure you save room for their brownies!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Opus
15 Jan 08, 17:55
Small but perfectly formed
If I lived any closer to Opus, I think they might have to reserve a seat for me every day at lunchtime. Nowhere else in/around Brixton can you get sandwiches such as these: freshly baked soft bread enrobing a range of fillings that are perfectly matched, all grilled to perfection. They make their own bread and I have to say, they do a damn fine job of it. This is not your typical British sarnie bar: these are the same folks who run Michelin-quality Upstairs and the on-site weekend organic veg market, so they know food. Some might complain that it's a menu of set sandwiches rather than choose-your-own deli counter style service, but to me this is fine. Why not leave it to the experts, who have developed and honed their menu to perfection? There's plenty of choice for everyone.
The owners' continental roots shine through: Opus is one of the few places in London (if not the UK) that you can get a proper Spanish chocolate - the hot chocolate drink usually served with churros, stirring away in its special serving machine. While there aren't any churros to go with your chocolate or coffee, there are some great cakes and biscuits.
My only complaint is that their stools are a bit uncomfortable, making it more of an eat & run environment than one where you want to linger... which is probably done on purpose, as it gets really busy at weekends.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Negril
15 Jan 08, 17:38
Free range jerk chicken that will rock your world!
On the former site of locally-loved (if less than perfect) cafe Basement Jo's sits Negril, a down-home cafe/restaurant where the food and vibe remind you of hanging out at a mate's house - a mate who can cook the socks off the local competition.
Breakfasts are comforting and filling, and the Caribbean-inspired dishes make your tastebuds smile (if tastebuds could do such a thing!). Hearty curries and healthy grilled fish dishes sit alongside an ample vegetarian menu that includes London's best veggie burger. I've been here a lot and the only let-down was the fritters, which had a rubbery texture that made me think: microwave. But avoid this one slight negative and everything else is wonderful. Drinks include delicious freshly-made juices and smoothies and exquisite Blue Mountain coffee, or BYO bottle at dinnertime.
My top tip: try their succulent and perfectly-spiced jerk chicken in a roti wrap - I guarantee you'll come back again and again for this little bundle of flavoursome heaven. What's more, the chicken is free range, which in itself sets this lovely eaterie apart from 99.9% of the other venues in South London.
What more could you want in a local? How about some of the smiliest staff in the neighbourhood? Altogether, the sum of the parts makes Negril a great deal better than the external appearance & location leads you to expect.
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Orao Hair Studio
20 Nov 07, 16:07
Soho chic with South London charm 
I am not an easy-to-please customer when it comes to haircuts. I turned to Orao after my hairdresser of 7+ years moved out of London, and I couldn't be more impressed.
I have always had an unusual short hairstyle that I like to change every few months, and my old stylist was great at giving me the latest one-off cutting-edge styles that suited my features. After he moved, I spent almost a year going to many different salons and stylists in the West End, Clapham and Covent Garden - often spending as much as £60 on styles that were never quite edgy enough, or just not quite right for me.
After reading the reviews here, I thought I would give Orao a try, and I was over the moon with my first cut! Not only was the stylist able to please my particular tastes, but all the staff were super-friendly and the salon itself was lovely and clean. Liliana, my stylist, had impressive technique and gave me exactly what I wanted. Plus the price is great, and they even give you a birthday discount. I will be going again and again - I cannot recommend Orao highly enough!
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Bamboula Jerk Kitchen
05 Oct 07, 13:25
S'alright but nothing special
I have to say I found Bamboula neither inspiring nor insipid, so my review sits squarely in between Carie's and Kyra's. If you want some amazing jerk chicken served up by some of the smiley-est people in Brixton, it's worth a short stroll up the Hill to Negril where your socks will be rocked right off (try the jerk chicken roti wrap - you won't regret it!).
1 out of 1 person found this review helpful.
Review of Ichiban Sushi
05 Oct 07, 13:18
Home-style Japanese, with great sushi!
I'm half-Japanese, and the first time I ate at Ichciban, I was nearly brought to (happy) tears because the fried rice tasted just like my mother used to make. Since that visit, I have been back many many times over the last 8 years, and each dish greets the tastebuds with the authentic flavour of real Japan - not the Anglicised versions of generic Asian flavours you so often get in Britain. More common dishes like perfectly-seasoned noodles and exceedingly fresh sushi are complimented by more unusual dishes like unagi don (smoked eel with rice). This family-run restaurant is small and perfectly formed, and is one of Brixton's best kept secrets.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.