YiPin China Islington Liverpool Road - a decent Chinese restaurant in Angel Islington at long last

Address: 70-72 Liverpool Road,
London N1 0QD
Tel: 020 7354 3388
Nearest Tube station: Angel

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £20 pp
Service charge: 10%
Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: **There's simply no decent Chinese restaurant in Angel Islington. The Chinese takeaways don't count and so is Young's Restaurant, which I have always suspected to be a front for money laundering. I was surfing online for new restaurant openings when I stumbled upon YiPin China, purported to be a Hunanese restaurant, newly opened along Liverpool Road occupying the shop vacated by Di Monforte.

Having acted earlier on a pal's recommendation, we went all the way to Golders Green to check out Hunan Xiang Cai Guan. That was my first experience with Hunanese cuisine. While the food was decent, I would think twice about trekking halfway across London just for a meal there. YiPin China, on the other hand, is a stone's throw from my place so there's absolutely no excuse for checking it out.

Newly opened less than a month ago, YiPin China seems to be in a hurry to start its business. Minimal effort is spent in the restaurant's decor - some paintings from Di Monforte are still on its walls, a glass cabinet beside a dining table is used to store the odd file, even the background Italian opera music remains unchanged.

That said, if there's ever a Michelin star awarded for beautifully laid out menus, YiPin China would probably be short listed for that. No expense was spared for its menu - large close up photos of the dishes filled its pages, terrific for those who prefer to know exactly dishes like "twice cooked pork" and "bears' paw beancurd" look like.



Faced with the myriad of choices, we were lost and asked the staff to recommend some Hunanese specialties. "Well, Sichuan and Hunan cuisines are basically from the same family," she qualified and proceeded to go through some of the more popular items with us. While I'm not sure whether that's accurate, I must add that other than Hunanese dishes, YiPin China's menu also features some of the more common Sichuan and Cantonese names too. Yes, they do have sweet and sour pork if you are wondering.



First up, man-and-wife offal slices (£6.90), lest you think it's another scene out of Nightmare on Elm Street, it's another instance of direct translation. The cold dish comprised of slices of beef, beef offal and beef tongue, which would probably categorised under Waitrose's "forgotten cuts" section. Once you get that past that queasy feeling, the gritty texture of this peppery dish complements the other spicier numbers pretty well. Not exactly aesthetically pleasing, this isn't for the fainthearted.



Bear's paw bean curd in spicy sauce (£7.20) has always been my all time favourite. It's difficult to go wrong a with beancurd (homemade in this case), pork slices and fungus light stir fry. The bean paste based gravy was a tad salty for my liking.



Stewed beef brisket (£9) is a tricky affair - it can get a bit tough if not done well. Unfortunately, YiPin China's tilted towards that category. Heavily marinated, the five spices came through strongly. You can down a serving of white rice just with this dish.

Dan dan mian (£3.80) was a bit of a let down to be honest. We actually thought that the noodles were sourced from the supermarkets though the staff assured us otherwise. The thick egg noodles with a hint of springiness was tossed in perhaps a spoonful of minced pork and chilli oil. The noodles dish tasted disparate; the gravy, if you could call it that, seemed like an afterthought.



Dessert was pumpkin cakes (£5.80) and they turned out as delectable as the picture on the menu suggested. Unlike the common ones filled with pumpkin paste, those at YiPin China come with a large cavity with a thin layer of paste at its base. Served pipping hot, those pumpkin cakes are probably the best that I have ever tried.

Even though it has opened for less than a month, YiPin China was filled that weekend afternoon, many of whom were passerby curious about the newest restaurant in the neighbourhood. I'm as glad as any to have a decent Chinese restaurant nearby. My only issue with YiPin China is that instead of offering an itemised bill, the final figure is scribbled on a scrap of paper - not exactly the most convenient for verification (read about Ute's experience at Petrus).

That said, like most Chinese restaurants, YiPin China opens seven days a week from 11.30am till 10.30pm. It also offers a one dish lunch menu (mostly a meat dish and rice for just £5.50), perfect if you're looking for a quick meal. I'm already looking forward to my next visit, and the pumpkin cakes.


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Jamie Oliver Fifteen London Restaurant - food with a heart

Address: 76 Broadway, London E8 4QJ
Tel: 020 7254 5599
Nearest Tube station: Old Street

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £20 pp (Lunch Express menu)
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ****
Service: ***
Ambience: ***As always, there was a flurry of books publication just before Christmas and a great number of them are cookery books. I can never understand why people would crack their head at coming out with the bestselling thriller when a collection of recipes (even mediocre ones) would do the trick.

People would be surprised to know that other than J.K. Rowling (of Harry Potter series) Jamie Oliver is one of the all time bestselling British authors. Never thought that the bunch of teenage wizards at Hogworts would be matched by some roasted chicken, would you? A fictitious story can only stretch so far without the author running out of ideas but the same cannot be said of a recipe. Switch lemon thyme for scented thyme and free range chicken for the corn fed variety and you get a totally new recipe for the (new) book. Jamie Oliver published Jamie's Great Britain (his 12th book) just before Christmas and they're have been flying off the shelves since then.

"Have you tried Fifteen yet?" an acquaintance asked me during a social gathering some time back. I told her I did when I first came to London and I thought the food was a bit overpriced and overrated. "Well, I do like the concept behind Fifteen," she added after a moment of silence.

Jamie's Fifteen is known for two things - it's open for the entire day (few big name restaurants do breakfasts) and it provides on the job training for under privileged young adults, which gives them a foot up onto a professional career. In the restaurant, there is a wall with photos of underpreviledged young adults that have worked there and all bills come with a quid contribution to Fifteen's Apprentice Program. I'm all for businesses giving back to the society and I guess we can a bit more of this targeted assistance with all the austerity measures taking place. Without meaning to sound patronizing, that's probably the best quid I've spent that week.

And I take back my words about a meal at Jamie's Fifteen costing a fortune. With its £15 Lunch Express, it is definitely more affordable than many of Jamie's other restaurants (yes, I'm referring to the Jamie's Italian chain).



For £15 (no coincidence I suppose), I got Fifteen's "Signature" Antipasti, which in every sense of the word, truly special. Salami, onions, abergine, beetroot, olives, mozerella - it was both aesthetically pleasing and tasted a treat. To be honest, I could do with more than the two tiny slices of ciabatta that came with the antipasti.



What the antipasti lack in carbohydrates was more than made up for in the main dish. Its malfalda pasta with beef ragu was simply massive. The pasta was somewhat boring and lacked the finesse of the antipasti but when it came to filling up the stomach, it did its job well.

I have the bad habit of tinkering around with my phone in the middle of a meal and was surprised to note that Fifteen actually offers free Wifi access, something that isn't well publicised. I would expect any other restaurant would probably plaster "free wifi" signs all over.

The staff at Fifteen could be more upbeat (I'm spoilt by those at Islington's Jamie Italian) but the restaurant tucked in a side road off London's City Road provides the much needed cheer in the area. Its Lunch Express has just upped its game a bit.




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Fulushou Restaurant - The Casino at The Empire

Address: 5 - 6 Leicester Square,
London WC2H 7NA
Tel: 020 3014 1000
Nearest Tube station: Leicester Square,
Piccadilly CircusThis is a guest post provided by Drew Remington. 

If you drop into The Casino at the Empire (one of the top UK casinos) for a little poker or slots action you’ll have great choices when it comes to dining options, one of them is Fulushou Restaurant dishing up great meals for patrons. If you can’t tear yourself away from the tables there’s also a players menu available serving up standard quick casino fare such as burgers, chicken wings, and salads.

Fulushou is an Asian-fusion restaurant that offers traditional Chinese and Asian cuisine in a relaxed and affordable setting, with the open kitchen design letting you see the chefs at work preparing your meal. Fulushou means “good fortune”, and consider yourself very lucky indeed because you will surely have an Oriental dining experience. Head chef Wai was born in the Kowloon province of Hong Kong and formerly the premier sous chef at China Tang inThe Dorchester Hotel, with his menu including items such as Char Sui pork, West Lake beef soup, and aromatic crispy duck.

The pan-Asian menu offers “small plate” servings like vegetarian spring rolls, tiger prawn tempura, and wortip (grilled pork dumplings) . But if you're the kind who has a big appetite, the noodle dishes like mee goreng and yasai ramen are must tries. A perfect way to end a night in the Fulushou is by trying their unique desserts like apple and banana fritters with vanilla ice-cream or exotic fruits in five spice syrup.

The Casino At The Empire is also part of the Food for Thought program, which lets diners choose to have 99p added to their bill to buy a tree to offset the carbon footprint of their meal. Food for Thought, operated by the Green Earth Appeal in partnership with the United Nations Environmental Programme, donates trees in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Internet casinos and other brick-and-mortar casinos have offered similar carbon offset programs, giving gamblers an easy way to give a little back to the environment and help a great cause.




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Cat and Mutton Pub Broadway Market - light at the end of the tunnel

Address: 76 Broadway, London E8 4QJ
Tel: 020 7254 5599
Nearest Train station: London Fields

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £15 pp
Service charge: N.A
Taste: ****
Service: ***
Ambience: ***One of my favourite walks is the stretch of Regents Canal between Angel and Cat & Mutton Bridge (I kid you not). It's a relatively serene path shared by a couple of like minded strollers, joggers and cyclists, practically all weather and dotted with pitstops along the way.

I can imagine when LO grows up, she would want to know how the canal locks work when we walk down the same path. So if your boat is going down the canal and you're working the locks, don't be alarm if you notice someone staring intently at the entire process, it's just so that he would not appear like an idiot in front of his little one.

We usually end the walk right at Broadway Market. This east London market, which sits just south of London Fields, is untouched by the high street chains and filled with quirky eateries, restaurants and shops. I had my first jellied eel over at Broadway Market's F.Cooke's Pie and Mash Shop (established in 1900). It was, well, interesting.

Right at the end of Broadwalk Market is Cat & Mutton, a family friendly pub of sorts. During weekends, you would see a disproportionate number of baby prams and strollers crammed into the pub. I marvel at how some parents are able to maneuver the contraption, some of which can be mistaken as a small tank, along the small passageway between the heavy benches.

For those who would rather not embarrass themselves attempting, there are always the benches outside. Having a pram in full view always nudge you to do the sensible thing. That afternoon I had a linguini with a cup of breakfast tea, which is just about the most sensible thing to do on a 7C sunny afternoon.



It helps that the linguini (£8.50) was marvelous. The combination of blue cheese sauce and well cooked aberguine topped with rockets and a sprinkle of nut bits ("pecan" Wife muttered her approval) left me wanting for more. And I would if not for my new year's resolution of shedding off the persistent pound.

The service at Cat & Mutton was rather warm provided you got their attention. They were definitely short staffed that afternoon with the lone server (as far as I could tell) lurching from table to table. I resorted to asking the kitchen staff for a new fork (LO decided to play 'missile' with mine) and he certainly didn't look too pleased.

Despite that, the pub, which can be traced all the way back to the 1700's, with it unpretentious and decent food remains my light of the tunnel for my almost monthly trip to Broadway Market. And with a name as such, who can resist?




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Comedor Islington Upper Street review - give this Latin American a miss

Address: 176 Upper Street, London N1 1RG
Tel: 020 7354 2843
Nearest Tube station: Highbury & Islington

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £20 pp
Service charge: N.A
Taste: *
Service: ***
Ambience: ***There seems to be a recent trend of refurbishment among the restaurants along the Islington Upper Street. Restaurants, which we thought are new turned out to have been given a makeover. The stretch opposite Islington Town Hall sit two such examples - The Brasserie and Comedor Grill and Bar.

Other than Wahaca, which has been my default lunch venue in Canary Wharf, I have not really come across any South American cuisine in London that has blown me away. Obviously, I'm no expert in it but Luiz at London Foodie has provided a rather comprehensive top South American restaurants in London, which I would definitely refer to in the new year.

"Is the restaurant new?" Wife asked the waiter at Comedor as we sat down in the empty restaurant. He then went on to explain that Comedor has recently undergone an extensive refurbishment. "We now have more cocktails on the menu," he promptly offered. His face almost fell when we decided to skip the drinks and go for the food immediately. I hate to disappoint him but we were really looking for a light afternoon bite that day.

The three cooks in the kitchen got busy after we placed our orders - only a large panel glass seperates Comedor's kitchen and its main dining area. All that sharpening of knives and clanging of pots made us more eager for our grilled plates, which were taking quite a while.



Everything went downhill the moment our orders arrived. The chicharron con apera (£4.50) or crispy pork belly had a crackling that was more sticky and soft than crispy. The meat, which juice wasn't sealed properly, tasted bland and dry as a result.



I made the mistake of going for the brocheta mixes (£6.90), skewers of beef, chicken and lamb, on the day after Boxing Day. The grilled meat tasted distinctly stale. Either that or there was something seriously wrong with the thin dressing. We left the lamb skewer untouched.



Higaditos de pollo (£4.50) - chicken liver, tasted boiled rather than grilled. The port reduction sauce failed to mask that. The only saving grace perhaps was the butter mushrooms and scullion mash, which we relished after bein disappointed by the other two plates.

Comedor's grilled plates might be more palatable after a couple of cocktails but forget it if you are intend on keeping sober. The staff's service was full of the typical South American charm but even that failed to cheer us up that day.




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