Gufaa review - Cheap Indian food in Angel Islington that packs a punch

It must be pretty tough for an Indian restaurant to be located within a stone's throw to Masala Zone in Angel Islington's Upper Street. Londoners seem to have this penchant for Wagamama styled dining - tucking into pseudo fast food on simple tablecloth free tables with equally plain seats.

Even with the lunch special that Gufaa is currently having, people still flock to Masala Zone for reasons unknown to me. For a mere £5.50, Gufaa is offering… wait for it… two large pieces of naan, salad, rice, a meat and a vegetable side dishes. If I'm not mistaken, the equivalent will probably cost closer to £10 at Masala Zone. And you have table cloth to boot.

The waiter was all smiles when we stepped into Gufaa on a wet Sunday afternoon. After some light bantering, he quickly show us to our seats, which didn't take long as the restaurant was empty then.

As I have been there a couple of times already, it didn't take me long to figure out what to order from the lunch special menu. Other than Pilau Rice, I ordered Gosht Pasanda and Channa Massala to go with my naan and salad.


Presentation could be better but Gufaa's lunch deal is one one great one

The Gosht Pasanda is essentially a North Indian dish that uses sliced lamb in spices with cream, cashew nuts and ground ginger. The serving came with a generous portion of lamb and creamy gravy went really well with naan.

Channa Massala (chick peas with herbs, with lemon sauce) on the other hand, provided a subtle zingy flavouring and I was lapping it up with mouthfuls of pilau rice.

The salad was, well, salad that was nothing to that other than a few strands of greens and a mandatory slice of tomato. But that did add some welcome crunch to the entire mix.

Though I didn't get a chance to walk pass Gufaa during dinner time but I can see that its afternoon business was a bit slow as the sole waiter sat on a table behind me and started folding fabric napkins. There was one other couple who came in after us and even they were a bit hesitant after realising that there were no one else.

Unlike the Bangladeshi curries served in Brick Lane, the Indian food at Gufaa though spicy, is not hot (as in chilli). Given a choice, I would prefer to savour the taste of spice rather than always having to reach out for a glass of ice cold water. If you're in Angel during lunchtime and would like some Indian food for a change, head towards Gufaa instead of Masala Zone. I assure that you wouldn't be disappointed.

Address: 38 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 0PN
Tel: 020 7354 5465
Nearest Tube station: Angel

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £10 pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ****
Service: **
Ambience: ***
Suitable for: a leisure afternoon lunch on a budget

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Cha Cha Moon review - new addition at Bayswater's Whiteleys didn't quite hit the mark

We met up a friend at Bayswater over the weekend. You would have thought that it was going to be at either Kiasu or Four Seasons but we decided to try something new and, frankly, I had enough of roast ducks so we headed to Whiteleys, which was a shopping mall right at the northern end of Queensway.


Nothing's hidden from view - a currently popular open concept theme

It didn't take us long to find Cha Cha Moon, which has opened up a branch at Whiteleys after a widely successful launch at Ganton Street at London's Soho earlier. The new Cha Cha Moon that is on the top floor of Whiteleys is markedly different from the flagship restaurant at Soho - instead of the club atmosphere of the latter, Whiteleys' Cha Cha Moon is brighter lit and does away with the cocktail bar and offer mainly long tables instead of counters with high stools (think Wagamama).

The menu looks the same though. We ordered Wanton Mian, Cha Cha Mooli and Chui Chow Rice Cake to be shared among us.


Wanton Mian - undercooked noodles and overcooked dumplings

The Wanton Mian (£5.80) was a huge disappointment I must say. I mean, the one we had during a previous visit to Cha Cha Moon at Ganton Street was fabulous to say the least. The noodles in this one was barely cooked and I could still taste its rawness in the lukewarm soup. The dumplings was slightly dried and burnt - they must have been precooked and left aside for quite some time prior to being added to the dish.


Chui Chow Rice Cake - chueh kueh served in cabbage

The Chui Chow Rice Cakes (£3.50) is really the "chueh kueh" served back home. Unlike the original, the rice cakes were tough. Perhaps they had been left on the steamer for too long. However, I must add that the generous serving of pickled turnip was really good. If only the rice cakes could be fluffier.


Cha Cha Mooli - this star tastes much better than it looks, that's if you get it hot.

All that said, I would probably return to Cha Cha Moon for one dish - Cha Cha Mooli (£4.20). It was essentially lightly fried turnip cake seasoned with dried shrimp and Chinese chive with Chinese salami, spring onion, egg and beansprouts sprinkled over it. It taste very much like the 'chai tau kueh' or fried carrot cake and I had it for breakfast every other day back home so I know a good one when I tasted it. Gosh, Cha Cha Mooli (I had no idea why they called it that) was way better than any fried carrot cake I had ever (and I mean ever) tasted. It must be the dried shrimps though beansprouts added an interesting crunch to the otherwise mushy dish.

If you, like me, are tired of the numerous Chinese restaurants along Bayswater, do give Cha Cha Moon at Whiteleys a try. Though it wouldn't be your normal Chinese fare, the experience will be definitely more pleasant than the chaos at the other Chinese restaurants along the thoroughfare.

Address: Unit 205 - 151 Queensway, London W2 4YN
Tel: 0207 792 0088
Nearest Tube station: Bayswater

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £10 pp
Service charge: N/A (10% for party of 5 or more)
Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: **
Suitable for: lovers of Wagamama with a Straits Chinese twist. Recommended for maximum of 4 due to the seating arrangement.

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Abeno review - piping hot Japanese okonomiyaki prepared on your table's hotplate in London

We were at the British Museum's Moctezuma : Ruler of Aztec and popped by Abeno along Museum Street for a light snack after the exhibition. More precisely, we were gunning for the okonomiyaki, which is a Japanese rosti with chopped cabbage instead of potato strips.



Each table has got a metal hotplate installed and that alone, when heated up, is a welcome respite from the chilling wind blowing outside. We must have dropped in at an inopportune time as most of the staff were having their dinner at the rear end of the dining area but we were shown to our table promptly by a pleasant Japanese lady.

I couldn't help but feel that most of the items on the menu, in particularly the okonomiyaki, were created for the benefit of non-Japanese. With names like London Mix and Tokyo Mix, you could hardly blame me.


Tokyo Mix okonomiyaki ingredients before mixing them up


Okonomiyaki all meshed up and cookin' on the hotplate


With mayo and sweet sauce... viola!

Anyway, we ordered Tokyo Mix (super deluxe size) - £12, which was to be prepared right in front of us. The lady brought a mixing bowl that contained chopped cabbage, squid, prawns and two eggs with a separate plate of pork slices. After showing us the ingredients, she proceeded to mix them up with a ladle before pouring the mix onto our table's piping hot metal plate.

For £12, I would expect something really filling. However, the resultant okonomiyaki was barely 6 inches in diameter - hardly enough to line two stomachs (that was for super deluxe, imagine the deluxe portion!). As the ingredients were not marinated, the taste of an okonomiyaki came from the mayonnaise, Japanese sweet sauce and seaweed added generously on the it. I guess the price is really for the novelty of having the dish done on your table.


Raw gyozas - freshly made


10 minutes on the hotplate and they're piping hot and ready to eat

We ordered some yaki-gyozas as well (5 pieces for £5.50). Similar to the okonomiyaki, the gyozas were grilled on the same hot plate. The gyozas, which fillings included asparagus and black tiger prawns, were light to the taste and would be an apt appetizer.


Wafu hotcake from the Winter menu - nice round up to the meal

For desserts, we went for Wafu Hotcake (£4.50) offered on Abeno's winter menu. Again, the Wafu hotcake was prepared on our table. Its preparation involved adding two rice cakes with a spoonful of red bean paste some pancake batter warming on the hotplate. The result? A chewy mixture with a light sweet taste - a good round up to the meal with the accompanying scoop of green tea ice-cream.

Abeno is a great place for an afternoon snack and the having your food prepared on your table sure makes for good conversation. However, the price is a tad high if you are looking to eat your fill. Also, do make time allowance for the food preparation as that can take up quite some time.

Address: 47 Museum Street, London WC1A 1LY
Tel: 020 7405 3211
Nearest Tube station: Russell Square

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £15 pp

Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: **
Suitable for: a light afternoon snack

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Curve Bar and Restaurant review - great deal to be had at Canary Wharf Marriott West India Quay Hotel

My colleague, Ab is absolutely besotted with fish and chips. While the rest would shun the company's canteen on Fridays as it serves only fish and chips on that day, the two of us would make a beeline for it. There's something comforting about have a piping hot fish and chips as the weather turns colder.



Curve Restaurant and Bar at Marriott West India Quay Hotel is currently having a 3 in 1 offer for weekday lunches. For £9.50, you'll get a starter, a main, a dessert with a coffee or tea to boot. Not a bad deal at all. We arrived at 1pm on Friday and were told that the main course for the lunch special was fish and chips - no surprise there.

What was surprising though was that the restaurant was rather empty throughout the duration of our lunch. Perhaps it was due to the rain that was building up towards mid-day. Even then the food took quite some time to arrive. Other than that, the service was flawless and prompt.

As we cut tucked into the fish and chips, Ab was raving about how good it was. One thing is for sure, Curve's fish and chips was better than The Quality Chop House's. The accompanying Caesar Salad sort of reduce the carbo guilt trip though not by much. The fish was fresh and each slice peeled away cleanly though there were some bones sticking out from it.

I was telling Ab that the Crème Brulee was one of the smallest I had ever seen. Then again, for £9.50, you couldn't really expect much can you? At least it wasn't burnt too much.

"Would we be back again?" I asked Ab, who nodded enthusiastically. Well, I guess he speaks for the both of us. I wonder what Curve will be serving on the other days of the week. Hmm…

Address: 22 Hertsmere Rd, Canary Wharf, London E14 4ED
Tel: 0207 093 1000
Nearest station: Canary Wharf (Tube), West India Quay (DLR)

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £15 pp
Service charge: 12.5%

Taste: ***
Service: ****
Ambience: ***
Suitable for: leisurely lunches (allow for at least 1.5hrs)

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Mitsukoshi Restaurant review - good value Japanese food in London's Piccadilly

We headed to Japan Centre, which has relocated to Lower Regent Street, to stock up on some groceries over the weekend and decided to stop by Mitsukoshi Restaurant and Bar for lunch. A previous visit ended in disappointment as we turned up after 2pm and the last lunch order was closed for the day. So this time round, we made sure we were there way before then.

Once we got down the stairs (Mitsukoshi's dining area is in the basement level), it became apparent to us that most if not all of the customers in the half filled Japanese restaurant were Japanese. The food has to be authentic then and my expectation was upped a notch.

Mitsukoshi's layout was clean cut with a tinge of Zen feel - typical of a decent Japanese restaurant. The Japanese waitress quickly acknowledged our reservation and quickly showed us to our table. With light Japanese zither music playing softly in the background, we took a quick scan through the menu and was pleasantly surprised to find that Mitsukoshi offered a Children Bento (Okosama Bento) as well. That meant omuraisu (Japanese omelette rice)! We ended up ordering a main course each and sharing a Okosama Bento between us. Ah, such gluttony.



The Mitsukoshi Bento - £17 had quite a good mix of sashimi, tempura, nimono, fruit, rice, miso soup, pickle. As the Headmaster in Totto-Chan said, "Something from the mountain and the sea". The sashimi was fresh and the tempura (single prawn with other veg) was light to the taste.



The Tempura Teishoku - £13.80, with its three prawns and some veg, rice and miso did look a bit sparse in its presentation. I guess the we should expect to pay a premium for fresh seafood.



Then again, my lunch mate didn't have any issue with that and we started attacking the Okosama Bento - £8 very soon after. We noticed that the omuraisu was simply a scrambled egg laid on top of (instead of wrapping round) a scoop of rice. Other than that, the fish fingers and fried potato balls were delightful not to mention that the custard that came with it was rich and creamy. We could see how the dish could very well occupy a kid for quite some time.

Considering the ambiance, level of service and quality of food, lunch at Mitsukoshi, in our opinion, is really reasonably priced. The restaurant seemed to be rather popular with Japanese families, no doubt grabbing their lunch after shopping at Japan Centre just next door.

For more London's best restaurants, refer to Timeout London Eating & Drinking Guide.

Address: 14-20 Lower Regent Street, London SW1 4PH
Tel: 0207 930 0317
Nearest Tube station: Piccadilly Circus (get out Exit 3 and walk straight)

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £25 pp
Service charge: N/A
Make a reservation via Toptable now.
Taste: ****
Service: ***
Ambience: ***
Suitable for: family lunches or somewhere to rest your feet after an afternoon's of shopping

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Eastside Inn review at London Farrindon - bistro, open concept kitchen with efficient and warm service

I had heard good reviews about Eastside Inn for some time so I was very pleased to find myself attending a dinner party there.


Eastside Inn - a corporate contemporary setting

Eastside Inn is located in Farringdon. We thought it would be easy to locate but in the gloom of a rainy autumn evening it took us some time to locate. Eastside Inn has a contemporary setting though I must say I found it a tad too corporate. The set-up consists of a bistro, set around a central open-concept kitchen and a small restaurant. The only menu option available for the restaurant is a set menu of 3 main courses and canapés at £70 per person. Being credit crunched we opted for the bistro where one could order dishes from an ala carte menu.

Being seated at the bistro was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. In between courses, you could get entertainment simply by observing the chefs at work. If you are in a small party there is also the option of sitting at the counter right next to the chef, just like being seated at the sushi restaurant in a Japanese restaurant. At one point, there was a small commotion while the chef patron Bjorn van der Horst appeared to have a mini outburst over the speed of the service, though whatever argument the chefs seemed to be resolved rather quickly.

Service was efficient. We were quite a large party but all our dishes for each course arrived at around the same time. The waitress (I think she is Diana) was warm and quick to respond to our requests.

The starters went well for all of us. I had baby squid for my starter. It was served sizzling hot in an earthenware pot with smoked paprika and lime vinaigrette. I liked it and so did my dinner mates who ordered the same starter. The rest of our party ordered the onion soup and partridge and were happy with their choices. In particular, the guy who had the onion soup declared it one of the best onion soups he had in between mouthfuls of the creamy brown concoction.


Prawns roasted with chilli and garlic - sizzling but that's about it

For my main course, I opted for all cremat, a dish of prawns roasted with chilli and garlic. I found the dish decent but nothing to shout about. My dinner mates seem more enthusiastic about their main courses. A few ordered duck breast while the others had dover sole and steamed mussels. I was particularly taken with the duck breast which looks deliciously pink in a peppercorn sauce and wished I had ordered that instead.


Duck breast in peppercorn sauce done just right with a little pink at the centre

I was pretty full at this point but decided to go for desert nevertheless given the accolades received by the pastry chef. I had a crème brulee which turned out to be really nice and creamy with a hint of spice. The rest of my party had apple pie and araguani chocolate (tonka bean ice cream). I was particularly intrigued by the latter - what is tonka bean and how does it taste like? My friends told me it tasted faintly like vanilla but were hard put to say any further other than that it was very nice indeed. I was intrigued and it is now on my to-try list. I was pleasantly surprised when Bjorn came around and said hi to us at the end of our meal. Always nice to have that small personal touch to complete your dining experience.


The Eastside Inn crew flanking Chef Patron Bjorn van der Horst (with red tie)

Now.... what I need is an opportunity to return to Eastside Inn.. and this time I will have the araguani chocolate!

Address: 38-42 St John Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 4AY
Tel: 0207 490 9230
Nearest Tube station: Farringdon

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £40 pp
Service charge: 12.5%
Taste: ***
Service: ****
Ambience: ***
Suitable for: a small dinner party

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Yum Cha review - cheap and good dim sum in London's Camden Town

Yum Cha's name has been tossed around whenever I asked for recommendation for affordable dim sum in London. Rather than to return to Royal China (my current favourite) for afternoon dim sum, we decided to hop on to Northern Line and head towards Camden Town to try out Yum Cha.

The first thing that struck you when you reach Yum Cha are the posters that promises huge discounts (up to 50%) for dim sum if you are to turn up after 5pm on weekdays. I'm a bit sceptical about restaurants offering that huge a discounts; if the food is really that good, a discount shouldn't really be required, should it?

The range of dim sum offered by Yum Cha is rather extensive albeit the traditional sort. As both of us were famished (a bad thing when ordering dim sum), we quickly placed our orders a waitress, whose service though efficient, was rather curt.

The interior of Yum Cha reminded me of a lite version of Phoenix Palace at Baker Street. A pity that the tables belong more to the IKEA cafeteria than a dim sum restaurant, not to mention the loud incoherent music tracks playing in the background (mostly 80s English songs, there was a soundtrack from Pocahontas even). Then again, I was there for the food, isn't it?


Roast pork cheung fun (left) with fried dough cheung fun (right)

The Fried Dough Stick Cheung Fun (£2.40) at Yum Cha, often known as vegetarian cheung fun in other dim sum restaurants, is quite different in the sense that the fried dough within the cheung fun wrap has been fried to a crisp. Though I prefer it to be a tad softer, my lunch mate loved its crunchiness.


Clockwise from left: shumai, spare ribs and dumplings

Its Crystal Scallop and Prawn Dumpling (£2.40) turned out to be quite good. If you were to munch through it slowly, you'll be able to taste the morsels of scallops within it. That was much better than the mix mesh that I had came across elsewhere.

Its Pork and Prawn Shumai (£2.40) was one huge disappointment. The four pieces came stuck to each other and had to be prised apart. Besides, the meat within was tightly compacted, a clear indication that it was pre-prepared and frozen (probably in a factory).

Unlike those offered at Royal China, Yum Cha's Spare Ribs in Black Bean Sauce (£2.40) has huge bones in them. But if you are one of those sadomasochists who get a kick out of picking the pork remnants around the bones, this dish is for you.


Roast pork buns, could have been warmer

Its Honey Roast Pork Buns (£2.40) was run of the mill and we thought that its dough could have been less tough.


Mini egg tart - creamy custard just with tarts that crumbles in your mouth

A special mention has to be made for its Mini Egg Tarts (£2.40). Although it could be served slightly warmer, the creamy egg custard was heavenly. That coupled with its soft crusty tart made this a must order at Yum Cha.


Interesting combination of warm fried pancake with ice-cream

Yum Cha is rather limited on the dessert front and the only thing that is worth a try is perhaps its Chinese Black Bean Cakes with Ice Cream (£4.50). It's basically thin fried dough stuffed with block bean paste accompanied with a large scoop of vanilla ice-cream on the side. Not your traditional Chinese dessert (insert Golden Gate link) but it wasn't bad at all.

All in all, Yum Cha is way better than Pearl Liang at Paddington and is the place to go for decent dim sum without Yauatcha's price tag and Royal China's queues. Then again, don't expect the former's variety and the latter's standard.

Address: 28 Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8AG
Tel: 020 7482 2228
Nearest Tube station: Camden Town / Chalk Farm

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £15 pp
Service charge: 10%
Taste: ****
Service: ***
Ambience: **
Suitable for: a weekday afternoon leisure lunch or a pit stop after weekend shopping at the nearby Camden Market

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Waitrose Curry Rice - Canary Wharf cheap eats

Every weekday when the clock struck 12pm, the underground shopping arcade in Canary Wharf will suddenly be swamped with hungry souls who are determined to fill their stomach and do their shopping within a span of 60 minutes.

The contrast between the calm at 11.59am and the chaos descending upon Canary Wharf shopping arcade is almost surreal. I won't be surprised if these people have been bidding their time ever since they arrive at work in the morning.

I am now on a personal crusade to find the affordable lunch in Canary Wharf. After a bout of Nando's the other day, I was thinking of heading for Wagamama's number 76 but was dismayed at the ridiculously long queue snaking out from Wagamama. Either its turnaround time was slow or it was downright popular. Either way, I headed towards Waitrose instead.

The Wharf people know that when all else fails, there is always Waitrose. I am not talking about sandwiches here, you can go to the multitudes of Pret that can be found all over Canary Wharf for that. I am referring to Waitrose curry rice.


Not much to look at but does fill up a stomach fast

Every lunchtime, curry lovers will be heading towards Waitrose curry rice counter that is found at the rear end of the huge Canary Wharf branch. There is a choice of a meat or a vegetable curry to go with your light scented biryani rice (or you can have both curries in one serving at half portions each) at £4.95 for eating in and £4.75 for takeaway in a sealed microwave safe two compartment plastic container. Not too bad if you consider a Pret sandwich is just under £3.

As for the curry, an Indian colleague of mine told me that it's one of the better ones that he has tasted - flavourful, colourful and packed with just enough spice. Well, if that's the case, it can't be too bad, can it? It's definitely not as spicy as Nando's peri-peri sauce but I find myself sweating a bit towards the end of the meal. The chicken breast was surprisingly tender for something produced en mass and there was still some crunch left in my baby corn.

All in all, Waitrose curry rice is a good deal under a fiver. It's spicy enough yet not over the edge, a good balance between Wagamama's chicken katsu curry and Nando's peri-peri flame grilled chicken. Oh, if you're heading for a curry rice, know that Waitrose doesn't serve tap water and still water comes at £1 per 500ml bottle.

Address: 16-19 Canada Sq, London, E14 5EW
Tel: 020 7719 0300
Nearest Tube station: Canary Wharf

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £5 pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: **
Service: **
Ambience: *
Suitable for: a quick, spicy, budget lunch

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Nando's at Canary Wharf Jubilee Place - sizzling lunchtime crowds with its flame grilled chicken doused in peri peri sauce

I normally refrain from writing about chain stores but thought otherwise as I have been dining in this one on a rather frequent basis. In fact, this is a hot favourite among some people I know. Perhaps it's because of the spiciness - the 'sweating it out' is a curiously liberating experience, or the comparatively generous reward program - one free quarter chicken after only the third purchase. How many cups of coffee do you have to down before getting a free one at Starbucks?


Nando's at Canary Wharf Jubilee Place is packed to the till during lunchtimes

If you have somehow missed the title, I am referring to Nando's that seems to have filled in the gap between full service restaurant and the fried chicken takeaway counter just round the corner of each block. Nando's, which specialises in flame grilled chicken, has come a long way from being a small Portuguese styled outlet in Johannesburg.

Its branch at Canary Wharf's Jubilee Place (one of the many in London), plays host to the hungry hordes that descend upon it at lunchtime. Be prepared to stand in line for up to 20min despite Nando's having an enormous sitting capacity. After you are shown to your table, ordering requires you queue up at the counter (thus no service charge) with your table number.


A quarter flame grilled chicken with chips and macho peas on the side... sizzling hot!

Unlike most flame grilled chicken, the ones served at Nando's remained tender and juicy and I suspect that had to do with the kitchen staff constant flipping of the chicken chunks over an open flame stove. Not to mention that the chicken is probably partially precooked.

Obviously, what made Nando's flame grilled chicken special is its peri-peri sauce, which comes in a variety of flavours with Garlic as my personal favourite though my lunch mate swore by the Wild Herb. Apparently, Nando's peri-peri sauce is one of those sauces that goes well with anything; other than appearing on supermarkets' shelves, the peri-peri sauce is even marketed as a gourmet dip sauce on Amazon.

Anyway, if you plan to grab some lunch at Nando's at Canary Wharf Jubilee Place, try going down 15min before the official lunchtime to beat the queues. For a more filling meal, go for 5 chicken wings and two sides (chips and mucho peas recommended) - £7.20. For a lighter meal, opt for the quarter chicken and two sides - £6.10.

If you are on a tight schedule and can't afford the time to stand in line, there's always Wagamama, which is just mere metres away.

Address: Unit 24-26, Jubilee Place, London, E14 5NY
Tel: 020 7513 2864
Nearest Tube station: Canary Wharf

Ratings (out of 5 *)
Price: below £10 pp
Service charge: N/A
Taste: ***
Service: ***
Ambience: *
Suitable for: a hearty (and messy) lunch or a fuss free dinner, be sure to douse your chicken in the peri peri sauce!

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